Care Instructions

An important part of ensuring that your silk fabric creation continues to look its best is to use the correct cleaning method. Many people believe that all silk fabrics should be dry-cleaned only, while others will tell you to wash silks at home. Although both opinions are correct, there are a few very important items that need to be considered. 

Silk fabric is comprised mainly of protein molecules and therefore can be washed in a similar manner to human hair. Silk fabrics have been used for over 4,500 years so the argument to handwash silk fabrics is very strong however washing items constructed from silk fabric is not always the best thing to do. Many factors contribute to the success of washing silk fabrics including the complexity of the garment construction, the color of the garment, the desired feel of the garment after the washing and drying process is complete, and whether the threads were dyed prior to the weaving process in the fabric’s construction. 

Dry Cleaning Your Silk Fabrics (Highly recommended)

Items that should always be dry-cleaned include garments with a lining - particularly when the lining is of a different color than the shell, items with trimmings, printed silks, and very bright or very dark colors. For optimum appearance, we recommend dry-cleaning items constructed of the following silk fabrics: Silk Beaded, Silk Brocade, Silk Chiffon, Silk Crepe Back Satin, Silk Duchesse Satin, Silk Embroidered, Silk Gazar, Silk Georgette, Silk Handwoven, Silk Hand  Painted, Silk Heavy Crepe, Silk Novelty, Silk Organza, Silk Satin Organza, Silk Taffeta, Silk Textured, Silk Wool  Mikado, Silk Wool Shantung, Silk Woven Suitings, Silk Yarn Dyed Dupioni, Silk Yarn Dyed Shantung, Stretch Silk  Chiffon, Stretch Silk Georgette, Stretch Silk Heavy Crepe and Printed Silks. While we recommend dry-cleaning for all of the aforementioned silk fabrics, some people prefer the look obtained after handwashing garments constructed of the above solid color only silk fabrics. Handwashing the above solid color only silk fabrics will soften the feel, slightly change the color, and may result in changing the luster. This can be desirable depending on the look you are trying to obtain. We recommend handwashing a test piece of silk fabric before experimenting with a finished product following our handwashing instructions provided below. 

When dry-cleaning your silk fabric items, always make sure to inform the dry-cleaner that your items are made of silk fabric and confirm that they are experienced in cleaning silk. For added protection always insist that the dry-cleaning tag be marked "Silk Fabric". Dry-cleaning processes have evolved substantially over the years with more and more environmentally friendly dry-cleaners available in most major cities. Many of today's environmentally friendly dry cleaners use silicone-based cleaning agents as well as liquid carbon dioxide. As of this writing, liquid carbon dioxide offers the least amount of fabric shrinkage and is considered safer for the environment than conventional dry cleaning by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Hand washable silk fabrics will shrink and include the following: Raw Silk Noil, Silk Broadcloth, Silk Charmeuse Satin, Silk Crepe de Chine, Silk Crinkle Crepe, Silk Habotai, Silk Twill, Stretch Silk Charmeuse Satin, Stretch Silk Crepe de  Chine, Stretch Silk Heavy Charmeuse Satin, Stretch Silk Woven Jersey and Hammered Silk Charmeuse. We recommend that these fabrics be hand washed and dried using the following instructions: 

Handwashing Instructions for Silk Fabric: 

If you choose to wash your silk fabrics, we always recommend handwashing with the following washing instructions: 

1) Use only cool water for washing and cool water for rinsing. 

2) Always wash and rinse silk fabric items separately from other non-silk fabric items, and always wash and rinse each color of silk fabric separately using freshwater for each color. 

3) If you live in an area with hard water rich in minerals, consider adding a water softener to the water following the manufacturer's instructions. This will eliminate mineral stains from forming on the silk fabric, which is particularly visible in darker colors. Adding a water softener will also provide a deeper cleaning of your silk fabric. 

4) To help retain the silk fabric's true color consider adding 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar to every two gallons of cool washing water. 

5) Use the minimum amount of a good quality liquid soap recommended for use on delicate fabrics by the manufacturer ensuring that the soap is thoroughly dissolved in the water prior to adding the fabric. For dark colors consider using liquid soap designed for dark colors. Never exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations for the amount of soap required. Excess soap will cause the fabric dye to bleed and will leave a residue on the silk that will make it appear dull. 

6) Do not soak silk fabric. Only keep the fabric wet long enough to complete the handwashing process.

7) Gently agitate the silk fabric by hand without rubbing the fabric together when washing and rinsing. Never twist or wring excess water from silk fabric. Gently squeeze out the excess water without stretching the silk fabric.

8) When the washing process is complete, rinse the silk fabric in cool water several times to ensure that all of the soap has been removed from the fabric. Bright and dark colors will appear to bleed - usually caused by the excess dye in the silk fabric. Always rinse the silk fabric and continue to change the water until the water is clear. To help set the dye remove the silk fabric from the final cool water rinse and add a small amount of salt to the water ensuring that the salt has been completely dissolved before adding the silk fabric for the final rinse. 

Hand-washed Silk Fabric Drying Instructions: 

Once the silk fabric has been washed and rinsed, we recommend the following drying procedure: 

1) Roll the silk fabric item in a clean, dry towel to remove the excess moisture from the silk fabric.

2) Hang the silk fabric item in an area away from direct sunlight on a padded hanger not constructed of wood.  Wooden hangers and drying racks will on occasion stain the silk fabric because of a finish applied to the wood.  Do not hang the silk fabric near a source of heat. 

What Not to Do to Silk Fabrics: 

1) Never expose silk articles to strong direct sunlight. Silk will fade. For example, hanging up your garment on the back of a chair near a window will easily fade the fabric. Colors that fade the quickest are violet based such as periwinkle or lilac colors. 

2) Never spray anything directly onto silk fabric. Sprays like perfume, deodorant, anti-static, and room deodorizers will cause staining. 

3) Never soak silk in water. 

4) When ironing on a steam setting confirm that your iron does not spit water. Always use a pressing cloth to avoid staining and to prevent surface scorching which will result in the creation of shiny spots.

5) Never use chlorine bleach on silk.

If you have additional questions about how to care for your silk garments, please email us at atelier@andreeciccarelli.com