SILK CARE GUIDE
Natural silk is a biodegradable material composed of proteins. To preserve the unique qualities, longevity, and exceptional beauty of natural silk, it is important to follow the basic silk care guidelines.
Avoid using fabric softeners.
Silk is highly intolerant to hot water and alkaline substances commonly found in regular detergents. Most silk products can be hand-washed or machine-washed at 30ºC (86ºF) using special silk detergents and setting the machine to "Silk" or "Delicate" mode.
Keep in mind that sweat, deodorants, and direct sunlight can weaken silk fabric. Silk is also sensitive to cosmetics containing alcohol (perfumes, hair products, nail polish, etc.).
Do not bleach silk with chlorine or other bleaching agents, as it can give silk a yellowish tint and accelerate its wear and tear.
Washed silk fabric may shrink slightly.
It's advisable to wash silk items with similar colors.
Silk in direct contact with human skin should be washed frequently because the salts and acids in sweat can gradually damage and weaken the silk fabric.
Do not wring or twist wet silk fabric and avoid drying it in a tumble dryer.
When ironing silk, set the iron to the "silk" setting (no hotter than 200ºC or 392ºF), and avoid pressing the iron down for more than 5 seconds.
Do not expose silk to direct sunlight.
Silk is also highly intolerant of hot water and alkaline substances commonly found in regular detergents.
Most silk products can be dry cleaned.
How to hand-wash silk:
- Fill a washing basin with water.
- Add warm water to the basin or sink. You can also wash silk garments in the shower, as they are often small and not very dirty, making it easy to rinse them in the shower.
- Add a tablespoon of silk detergent to the warm water and mix it by hand. If you are washing several silk items at once, you may need more detergent.
- Wash colored silk items separately from white or dark ones to prevent color bleeding.
- Gently wash the silk items in the basin to avoid damaging the delicate fabric.
- Rinse the silk items in warm water to remove soap and any remaining dirt. It is best to avoid twisting or rubbing the fabric and to rinse each item separately from the others.
- Silk fabric does not tend to shrink or stretch after washing, so you can hang it outdoors on a line to dry. You can also lay it flat on a dry towel for a few hours to allow it to air dry.