How to wash silk at home comes down to cool water, a gentle wash, no wringing and no heat. Hand wash it at 30°C or below with a few drops of non-biological silk or wool wash, rinse it, roll it in a towel and dry it flat out of the sun. That suits most silk scarves, blouses and skirts, and the care label tells you which pieces belong with a dry cleaner instead. It is how we look after the silk on our rails, from printed silk scarves to bias-cut dresses.
When we buy silk for Kiti, we check the fibre content before we fall for the print. A 100% silk scarf, a silk dress with a viscose contrast panel and a silk and viscose blend can look alike on the hanger but want different care, so we read every label before a piece reaches the rails.
Silk is a protein fibre, like wool and cashmere, so the enzymes in biological detergent break it down, and it is weaker while wet than when dry. Keep the water at 30°C or cooler and choose a non-biological, pH-neutral wash made for silk or wool.
Check the label first: can you wash silk at home?
Most silk can be washed at home, but start with the care label, because two silk pieces from the same brand can carry different instructions. Two of the Lescarf silk squares we stock show it: one is labelled cold hand wash, the other dry clean only.
"Dry clean" on its own is usually the maker playing safe, and a careful hand wash suits a simple scarf or blouse. "Dry clean only" means it, so leave those to a professional. We would also send these to a dry cleaner, whatever the label says:
- tailored or structured pieces, and anything with a fixed lining
- beading, sequins or embellishment
- silk velvet, which crushes and marks when wet
Before any wash, test for colour fastness. Dampen a white cloth and press it on a hidden seam for a few seconds. If colour comes away, the piece goes to a dry cleaner.
How to wash silk by hand, step by step
- Fill a clean basin with cool to lukewarm water, no warmer than 30°C.
- Add a few drops of non-biological silk or wool wash and swirl it through.
- Turn the piece inside out and submerge it. Leave it for no more than five minutes.
- Swish it gently through the water. Do not rub, scrub or twist it.
- Drain the basin, then rinse in fresh cool water until no suds remain. A tablespoon of white vinegar in the last rinse clears leftover detergent and helps the sheen.
- Lift it out supported in both hands, so the weight of the water does not stretch it.
Wash one piece at a time, especially new or brightly coloured silk. If you are washing several, start with the palest.
How to wash silk in the washing machine
If the label shows a machine wash symbol, a machine can do the job, provided you set it up with care:
- Put the piece in a mesh laundry bag, or a pillowcase tied at the top, so it cannot snag on the drum.
- Choose the delicates, silk or hand wash programme at 30°C or below.
- Use the shortest, slowest spin your machine allows.
- Use a small dose of non-biological silk or wool detergent, and skip fabric conditioner unless the bottle says it suits silk.
- Wash it only with other light delicates, never with jeans, towels or anything with a zip.
Take it out as soon as the cycle ends, because silk left damp and crumpled in the drum creases hard. If in doubt, hand wash. The same rules hold for other protein fibres, which we cover in our guide on how to wash cashmere.
How to dry, iron and steam silk
Never wring silk. Lay it flat on a clean towel, roll the towel up and press gently to draw out the water, then unroll it. Dry it flat on a fresh towel, or on a padded hanger for a blouse or dress, out of direct sun and away from radiators. Silk dries quickly, and sunlight can fade it and weaken the fibre. Never tumble dry it.
In a damp Welsh winter, an airy room with the door open does a better job than a radiator, whose heat makes silk brittle and can leave a tide mark.
To iron silk, turn it inside out, set the iron to its silk setting and press through a cotton cloth while the silk is dry. Do not spray water onto it, as droplets can leave marks. Lescarf's care notes say steam or iron gently, and a handheld steamer held a few centimetres away suits dresses and skirts.
Silk scarves, printed silk and silk blends
Silk scarves sit against skin, make-up and perfume, so they need washing most often. The silk squares we stock from BeckSöndergaard, Lescarf and MP Denmark are 100% silk, and BeckSöndergaard's largest square is taby silk, a fine, light weave. Hand wash them one at a time, roll them in a towel, then dry them flat and square so the edges stay straight.
Printed silk needs the colour fastness test whenever it is new to you, and cool water always, because warm water is what makes strong prints bleed.
Blends follow the most delicate fibre in them. The silk blend dress and jumpsuit we stock from VI.VE.RE are 25% silk and 75% viscose, and viscose weakens and can shrink when wet, so treat them as silk or have them dry cleaned. Several Rixo dresses pair a silk main fabric with a viscose contrast, and Rixo's silk velvet is a viscose and silk blend with a pile that crushes. We would take both to a dry cleaner.
Once a scarf is clean, our guide on how to tie a scarf covers the knots that suit silk best.
Stains, sweat and storing silk
Treat a stain as soon as you can, before the piece goes in the wash. Blot, never rub, because rubbing lifts the sheen and leaves a pale patch. For most marks, dab with cool water and a drop of silk wash on a white cloth, working from the outside in. Diluted white vinegar helps with sweat and deodorant marks; test it on a hidden seam first, and let deodorant dry fully before you dress. Oil, red wine and ink are best left to a dry cleaner. Never use bleach, or a stain remover not labelled safe for silk.
To store silk, hang dresses and blouses on padded hangers in a cool, dry wardrobe with a little room around them. Fold scarves loosely into a drawer or a cotton bag rather than plastic, which traps moisture. Clothes moths will go for silk as well as wool, so cedar blocks or lavender sachets earn their place.
Looking after your silk
Read the label, keep the water cool, use a non-biological silk or wool wash, never wring it and keep it away from heat, and a good silk piece will last for years. When the label says dry clean only, or the piece is lined, beaded or velvet, trust a dry cleaner. We buy silk in small numbers each season, so take a look at our scarves and dresses for what we have now.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wash 100% silk?
Yes, most 100% silk can be washed at home if the label allows it. Hand wash it in cool water, no warmer than 30°C, with a few drops of non-biological silk or wool wash, then rinse, roll it in a towel and dry it flat. If the label says dry clean only, or the piece is lined, beaded or velvet, take it to a dry cleaner.
Can I wash silk with washing-up liquid?
In a pinch, a single drop of mild washing-up liquid in a basin of cool water is gentler on silk than a biological laundry detergent. It is made to cut grease, though, so a pH-neutral silk or wool wash is the better choice for regular washing. Rinse well either way, so no residue dulls the sheen.
What is the best thing to wash silk with?
A non-biological, pH-neutral detergent made for silk or wool. Silk is a protein fibre, and the enzymes in biological detergents break protein down, so over time they weaken and dull it. Avoid bleach and optical brighteners, and skip fabric conditioner unless the bottle says it is suitable for silk.
Is it okay to get silk wet?
Yes. Water itself does not harm silk, but the fibre is weaker while wet, so handle it gently and never wring or twist it. Single drops of water on dry silk can leave a ring as they dry, so if a piece gets splashed, dampen the whole area evenly or rinse the piece and let it dry flat.
Does silk shrink when you wash it?
It can. Hot water, a long soak, a fast spin or a tumble dryer can all shrink silk, and crepe weaves such as crepe de chine are the most likely to tighten up. Keep the water at 30°C or below, wash briefly, and dry flat away from heat. Silk blends with viscose need the same care, as viscose can also shrink when wet.
How do you get creases out of silk without an iron?
Hang the piece in the bathroom while you have a hot shower and the steam will drop most light creases. A handheld steamer held a few centimetres from the fabric also works well on dresses and skirts. Let the silk dry and cool on its hanger before you wear it.
