How to Clean Silk

Member

By Sarah C
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (5 Ratings)

Silk is the most luxurious fabric you can find. Because of what it is made of, and its cost, it's important to know how to clean silk.

You might be curious to know why silk is so expensive, this is because making silk is a long and labor intense process. The silk is made by mulberry silk moth caterpillars. In the past you could find these moths in China, but now none exist in the wild. The moths survive only in human controlled atmospheres.

To make silk, the cocoons are harvested and the silk is carefully unwound from the cocoons.One cocoon is about 2/3 of a mile of one continuous thread! To make one pound of raw silk, 2500 silk caterpillars are needed.

Lets move on to how to clean your silk.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Check the cleaning label-
Before you attempt to clean your silk check the label first, as it may say dry clean only. Although silk is the strongest fiber known, how the silk is handled while being transformed into your garment or sheet, will determine if it can be washed.

Some manufacturers won't pre-shrink the silk, or use dyes that aren't colorfast. If they have done this, they will label it "dry clean only". If this is the case, don't attempt to wash.
Step 2

Fill your sink with warm water, let the silk get submerged. Soak the silk while getting the soap.
Step 3

Choose your soap-
Choose a mild non-alkaline soap. Baby shampoo and Ivory liquid dish soap, are both safe to use.
Step 4

Add the soap to the water and swish the silk garment around. Be careful not to twist, gently move it through the water. After washing, add fresh water to rinse. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the rinse water to remove all soap residue.
Step 5

After rinsing the silk, hang to dry. Don't dry on a wooden rack or in direct sunlight. If using a dryer, only use a heat-less setting.