How To Clean Silk Garments At Home
Silk clothing and labels that read "dry clean only" go hand in hand. It's a luxurious fabric that looks great on, but it comes with more than one price tag. The price for the garment itself and the other is for the dry cleaning bill each time you wear it. Don't let this stop you from buying and/or wearing your favorite silk blouse. You can actually clean your silk garments at home without taking it to the dry cleaners after each wear. See below for instructions on how to do so.
Here's What You'll Need:
- White distilled vinegar
- Warm Water
- Mild soap (such as Ivory)
Instructions:
- First, make sure your fabric is 100% silk. Anything else may end up shrinking, but if it's 100% silk, it will not.
- Using either a wash tub or a clean sink, turn the water to warm (not hot), filling it about halfway. Add the mild soap to the water while it's running, just enough to see suds, but not an overwhelming amount.
- Add your garment to the soapy water, then gently wash it. Never scrub or rub the fabric, or wring it out as you can ruin it.
- Rinse the soap out with clean water when finished and drain out the sink/wash tub.
- To thoroughly rinse the soap from the garment, add clean warm water to the sink/wash tub and add about 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, then add the garment, swishing it around to help remove more soap residue.
- Once the soap has been removed, use a light colored clean towel, then lay the garment on the towel. Roll the towel to help wring out the excess water - do not wring it out using your hands and twisting it.
- Next, to help remove wrinkles, iron the garment while it's still wet. Iron it on the lowest setting to prevent it from burning or damaging the garment.
Cleaning silk can be done at home, just be sure the garment is 100% silk. If the item has stains on it, it may be best to take it to the dry cleaners to have the stain removed and professionally cleaned to prevent the stain from setting in and ruining the garment. Also, be sure to take the garment to the dry cleaners at least once or twice per season in order to keep the item looking like new, and for a more thorough cleaning.