How to Wash a Silk Shirt
Wash a silk shirt to keep it looking good and smelling fresh. Silk clothing is considered fine washables and needs special care to prevent damage to the fabric. Carelessly tossing silks into the washer with the rest of the laundry can cause excessive fading and leave shirts unmanageably wrinkled. Take proper care of your fine washables and enjoy wearing them for years to come. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a detergent. Several brands are made to wash silk and other fine washables. Some common brands like Woolite and Ivory Snow are available at most stores. Other products for washing silk address environmental concerns like Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent and Wool Washmittle. There are also products formulated to clean silks for those with allergies. W
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Wash silks by hand the first time you use a new detergent. Mix your chosen detergent with cool or cold water in wash basin or sink. Follow the label directions for amounts of water and detergent.
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Test a corner of the shirt tail for color fast protection. Pick a section of the shirt that does not openly show while wearing. Dip a square inch of that section into the wash mixture. The color is likely to bleed slightly, but it should not change the color of the fabric. If enough color bleeds to fade the garment, then there is too much detergent in the water. Start a fresh batch of wash water with less detergent.
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Wash thoroughly. Swish the shirt around in the wash turning the sleeves inside and out, and in under the collar if applicable. Keep the shirt in the wash for about five minutes.
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Rinse thoroughly. Dump or drain the detergent mix and repeatedly run fresh water over the shirt until it no longer releases suds.
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Dry with care. Remove the shirt from the rinse and lay it on a towel. Use a towel with a darker color than the silk. Fold the towel over the shirt and gently press to remove the excess moisture. Hang on plastic hanger and allow to drip dry. Do not expose the fabric to direct sunlight.
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