Silk is the most loved fabric, and is considered absolutely grand. The elegantly glistening, smooth, luxurious fabric of silk has a special place in the hearts and minds of most people across the world, especially Indians. So charmed and awed are we by this lovely fabric that we naturally associate silk with richness and class. Rightfully, an Indian woman’s wardrobe or wedding trousseau is incomplete without silk sarees. Silk Sarees are a part of every special occasion in India. They are worn on weddings, and are gifted on key events. Silk saris can last for a very long time if they are kept carefully with utmost care.
How to wash?
- Do not use soap for the first three washes. Gently rinse in plain cold water.
- For the subsequent washes, use a mild detergent.
- Wash the pallu, border and body separately.
- Avoid washing the saree with inferior quality material or bright colours.
- You can use a protein shampoo with warm/cold water. The shampoo protein will feed the protein in the silk.
- Avoid using chemicals – these may damage and reduce the lifespan of the silk.
- Do not brush or lash the silk saree; it might lead to tearing the zari.
- Avoid twisting or wringing the silk.
- Do not bundle and keep wet for long durations.
How to dry?
- After washing, the saree must be dried immediately.
- First, roll the saree in a dry towel to remove the excess moisture.
- Then, hang it on to a padded hanger.
- Ensure that the silk saree is out of direct sunlight.
How to dry clean?
- In dry-cleaning, fluids are used to remove stains from the fabric.
- The fluids contain little or no water and do not penetrate the fiber as water does.
- Dry-cleaning is the best way to care for silk, since the solvents used do not affect silk.
- The following points must be kept in mind when taking your silk clothes to the dry-cleaner.
How to iron?
- While pressing, keep the iron in medium heat only.
- Press silk while it is still damp with a warm iron, or use a steam iron.
- Take special care to iron starched material.
How to store?
- The saree should be stored in a cool, dry place.
- Unfold your silk sarees and change the folding preferably every month.
- All silk outfits must be wrapped in muslin cloth.
- Ensure minimal friction between the cloth and the embroidery when you fold embroidered outfits.
- Silk outfits are best maintained if kept in a hanging position.
- For wrinkle-free outfits, delicate handling is required.
How to remove stains?
- First, wash with cold water immediately.
- Avoid using chemicals to wash or clean stains. These may damage and reduce the lifespan of the silk.
- For hard stains, soak the stained area with petrol and brush with a soft cloth.
- Greasy stains can be removed by dabbing talc. Once this is done, the talc should be brushed off and stain remover applied. The stain can then be washed off in the hot water possible.
- For treating food stains like milk, ice-cream, chocolate, gravy, etc., use a dry-clean solvent. By applying detergent and then washing off with cold water, the protein part of the stain can be removed. After using a stain remover, wash off in hot water.
- By rubbing acetone on the area, nail polish stains can be removed.
