Washing, drying, ironing: this is how you take care of silk

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Silk is one of the particularly high-quality fabrics, but it is also relatively delicate. You should always pay attention to care symbols on silk garments because many garments cannot be machine washed. As an alternative to dry cleaning, silk can be hand washed with a special silk detergent. There are also a few things to consider when drying and ironing.

Below you will find 6 tips on how to properly wash, dry and iron silk fabrics.

As a protein fiber, silk is damaged on the surface by conventional alkaline detergents, making the garment or fabric rough and dull. Therefore, use only a special silk detergent for silk fabrics that contains chemically neutral surfactants and does not contain any fiber-damaging ingredients. Wool detergents and softeners make silk look slightly oily. Detergents with bleach additives quickly fade the colors of silk garments. PH neutral shampoos can replace special detergents if they do not contain any dyes or moisturizing agents.

Silk fabrics require gentle hand washing. Make sure that the water temperature does not exceed 30 degrees. Dissolve some silk detergent in water and then put the silk fabric in it. Leave the detergent on for five minutes and then move the fabric back and forth a little. Finally, pour off the lye and rinse the silk fabric in cold water.

There are silk fabrics that can be washed in the machine. It is important to pay attention to the relevant care symbols on the label. The temperature should not exceed 30 degrees.

Silk fabric should be placed in a laundry bag to avoid contact with the drum. Newer washing machines even have a special silk program.

Stains on silk fabrics can be removed by adding a teaspoon of wine vinegar. Vinegar also softens rough fibers and strengthens the fabric. Unlike chemical cleaning agents, it prevents the color from fading.

While drying, the silk fabric should be carefully wrung and then wrapped in a dry towel. The piece of silk can then be hung on a shaped hanger.

Avoid squeezing the silk as it is very delicate when wet. Also, do not hang silk garments soaking wet, as the weight of the water can cause the fibers to warp. Shape knit sweaters and silk shirts and lay flat to dry.

You should start ironing silk while the fabric is still slightly damp. This makes it easier to smooth out wrinkles.

Always pull the silk fabric inside out and iron it from the back. Do not spray extra water as it can stain easily. Instead, you can put a damp cloth under it.

A smart alternative to ironing: allow silk garments to dry in high humidity. However, avoid direct sunlight on silk fabrics as they are sensitive to UV rays.

Source : Blick