There are different ways to wash silk, and hand washing is definitely a part of them. But you can’t just pick any silk material and begin to wash it by hand (the typical way you’re conversant with). It will get damaged in ways you can think of and those you can’t.
First and foremost with silk, check the care label to determine how best it should be washed, and only opt for hand washing when it says “hand wash” on the label.
To wash silk by hand, use cold water, a gentle detergent, and rely on soaking, swishing and swirling and also pulling and plunging of the garment in the wash water to release soiling as opposed to scrubbing the surface of the fabric which can damage the silk filaments. You also want to avoid keeping silk for too long in the wash water to prevent weakening of the fibers.
In the rest of the article, you’ll learn how to properly clean a silk material that says “hand wash”.
Some Silk Can Be Hand Washed
Most silk can be hand washed, but there are some that simply can’t, and it’s typically stated in the fabric care label. So make sure to go through the fabric care label of your silk material first before putting soap and water to it to avoid stories that touch the soul.
Hand washing silk the wrong way can be detrimental than when you even put it in the washing machine on the wrong cycle.
Check out the best technique for washing silk by hand below.
The best technique for washing silk by hand
Silk is a very sensitive material, it has a chemical construction that renders it strong yet delicate at the same time. Because silk has linear polymers and a crystalline structure arranged side by side, there is permission for a chain of hydrogen bonds to be created continuously, therefore rendering it strong. But the same hydrogen bond that makes silk very strong is also what makes it weak in water.
When silk is submerged in water, the hydrogen bonds are hydrolyzed and as a result, the silk material becomes weakened!
In fact, silk loses about 20% of its strength when submerged in water because of the hydrolyzation of hydrogen bonds.
Now because silk becomes weakened in water, it is therefore of paramount importance to treat it gently otherwise problems like fading and distortion can surface!
This is why in the hand washing technique of cleaning silk, you are advised to never scrub but rather use other techniques that don’t involve direct application of pressure to any point on the silk. You’ll end up mounting uneven agitation on different areas of the silk material.
This uneven pressure (or stretching) results in the permanent disorganization of silk polymers (by sliding them past one another), which as a consequence, will cause a rupture of hydrogen bonds! The result is a distorted silk or one having wrinkles or creases that are very difficult to remove!
The best way to hand wash silk is to soak it in cold water and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. You don’t want to keep in water for too long as that will weaken the silk even more and make it very sensitive to any little pressure to subject it to later on.
After soaking silk, pull part of the material from the wash water and plunge it back in with moderate force continuously. This facilitates soil removal. You can also toss it around in the wash water as another solution.
When you’re satisfied with the degree of cleaning you have, rinse the silk in freshwater. Then Roll it up into a ball at the edge of the bowl, sink, or tub and press out as much water as possible from it. Lay the silk out flat on a dry towel and roll up the towel all the way to the end. Press against the towel to remove the remaining water in the silk and you’re set for drying!
Avoid wringing silk as that can cause wrinkling, distortion or creasing.
What kind of detergent should you use for silk?
As for the type of detergent to use on silk, opt for those specially formulated for wool or silk itself. If you cannot lay your hands on these, feel free to use a mild detergent or a hair shampoo. Just make sure they are labeled as gentle as anything with harsh chemicals on it can cause damage, weakening of fibers, discoloration and loss of sheen!
Now that’s for detergent, what about boosters? Bleach? And other laundry products.
As far as boosters (including detergents that contain them), fabric softeners, stain removers and bleach goes, never use them on silk as the risk of damage and discoloration is there.
In fact, bleach can weaken the fibers of silk and make them even more susceptible to distortion when wet.
So for washing silk, keep everything simple! Use cold water (because heat affects silk the same way agitation does by breaking down bonds which causes distortion or wrinkles), and opt for detergents specially formulated for silk or a gentle detergent!
How to dry hand washed silk
After washing, comes drying. To dry silk, suspend it from a padded hanger and let it air dry outside and away from the direct sunlight. In fact, it’s best to hang dry silk in the bathroom after a hot shower, as it not only gets protection from heat and sunlight, the wrinkles on it are released quickly due to the presence of steam that is escaping. Do not put silk in the dryer as the heat combined with motion can cause permanent distortion of the silk filament and also fading.
Final Thoughts
Silk can be hand washed, and in fact, it’s better to hand wash silk than to machine wash it or take it to the dry cleaners. (Only take silk to the dry cleaners when the care label says so or you want to get rid of stubborn sweat stains).
When washing silk at home, the technique you use differs greatly from those you use on other fabrics. For silk, you must avoid scrubbing completely and opt for techniques like pull and plunge or forward and backwards agitation of the cloth in the wash water to release soiling instead. This will help preserve the integrity of the silk composition and therefore keep your material looking plush always!
