EASY
DOES IT: HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR SILK GARMENTS
From
the time it was first discovered in ancient China nearly 5000 years ago, silk
has never really lost its shine. However, it may very well do so in the wrong
hands. So you need to take a lot of care if you wish to keep your silk garments
looking good for years to come, as well as extending their life. As any textile
expert will tell you, silk is one of the strongest natural fibers, but perspiration,
strong detergents and sunlight tend to weaken and discolor it.
Again,
silk dyes easily, but some dyes may fade during washing, particularly if a strong
detergent containing a bleaching agent is used. Primary colors like red, green
and blue fade especially easily in the wash, while sunlight discolors silk items
and may yellow white garments.
So first and foremost, avoid staining silk
garments. That is probably easier said than done, but just remember that alcohol-based
chemical products such as hair spray, perfumes, and nail polish remover cause
a lot of damage to silk garments, so the simplest solution would be to apply any
or all of these products before you put on a silk garment. Or if you do apply
hair spray after dressing, for instance, cover your clothes with a towel. With
products such as nail polish, remember that the stain is likely to be PERMANENT,
so do not polish your nails with a silk garment on.
The primary rule while
washing silk garments is hand washing. However, some silk garments may need to
be dry-cleaned. Whether you can hand wash or dry-clean a silk garment depends
on the dye used to color the fabric, its finish, and the garment's style. The
best idea is to follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label. Also, always
wash or dry-clean a silk garment immediately after it becomes soiled or stained.
Do not leave for later, as the stain may settle.
For perspiration stains,
some of which can be permanent, it is best to use garment shields. The chloride
salts in sweat and some mild antiperspirants can weaken silk and cause underarm
seams to split as well as stain the garments, damaging certain types of dyes.
Finally, if you spill something on your silk garment, DO NOT attempt to
remove the resulting stain with water, because that may set the stain or cause
a permanent ring. Take the garment to a professional cleaner and inform the cleaner
about the exact nature of the stain and the length of time it has been there for.
This information helps in the stain removal process.
If you wash a silk
garment at home, do not use anything other than a mild soap and tepid water. Do
not wring the garments because silk is weaker when wet. After rinsing, wrap the
garment in a clean, dry towel to remove excess moisture. Do not use bleaching
agents and always air-dry the garments away from direct sunlight.
As you
probably know, silk has always been called the queen of fabrics. That means it
deserves a little extra, doesn't it?