Washing and Drying of Silk Garments: The most common mistakes

It is not that easy to take care of your silk garments as well as possible. This is essentially a rather refined style fabric, high cost, and with great delicacy. Therefore, silk must be handled with the utmost attention and attention to detail.

Otherwise, you could run into a series of mistakes that can make your clothes damaged, in some circumstances even irreparably. Let’s see together. What are the most common mistakes in washing and drying silk garments, what is this material made of, and its main characteristics?

Silk corresponds to the protein fiber of an animal, from which a series of sufficiently valuable fabrics can arise. Generated by a particular variety of insects, it is obtained from the cocoon of silkworms, which produce it in industrial quantities.

A precious and, at the same time, very delicate material. For this reason, please pay particular attention to prevent it from getting stained or damaged. However, we are talking about a material to be used mainly in certain clothing items, such as ties, scarves, underwear, and various items of clothing such as curtains and upholstery.

It is characterized by its great softness and a pleasant sensation to the touch. However, even silk, like any other material, needs certain care in washing and drying. First, let’s talk about the washing method. If you clean silk mechanically, you seriously risk damaging it, so it’s better to work it by hand. If you use detergents, you can dehydrate the silk fibers and put their resistance to the test.

Another of the most common and serious mistakes involves excessive rubbing or wringing. Always remember that silk garments are much more delicate than normal and require more care than usual.

Mistakes are also made in drying silk garments. If you expose silk to direct sun, you risk losing a good part of its consistency. Please leave it in the shade. Furthermore, spreading the silk garments on the threads of the classic drying rack and with the typical clothespins is riskier than when you can use comfortable hangers. Finally, the iron in direct contact with silk can irreversibly stain it. Always place a cotton or linen cloth between iron and silk.