Handwashing 100% silk?

decca2013

I've just ordered a lovely dress online - it was £45 down from £150! But after ordering I went back and looked at the garment care instructions and it says dry clean.

I've successfully hand washed dry clean things before, but this is 100% silk.

Looking online there are mixed stories of successes and disasters! Does anyone have any experience of hand washing silk?

Also, what detergent can be used? I've heard of people using washing up liquid and cheap shampoo - any ideas?

Thanks!

good_advice

Here the dress would be washed in the sink in warm water with star drops or what ever washing gel i have. Then put on a coat hanger, on the line to dry,

pigpen

I wouldn't.. it creases and crumples and shrinks massively and never looks nice again.

You can get tumble dryer sheets which are meant to dry clean in the dryer that might be worth a shot.. tbh I'd cancel the order, far more effort than it is worth.


Most dry clean stuff I just throw in the washing machine.

FairyPrincessk

Silk is actually rather resilient. Handwashing will be fine--but you'll need to allow it to dry carefully and do not spray with water/use steam when ironing it as it may get water spots. Be careful with linings/trimmings as these may actually be what needs to be dry-cleaned as they may shrink at a different rate.

Seakay

It really depends on the type of silk, how it's been finished and if it's been treated in any way. There's all different types and weights of silk, some washes fine in a machine using delicates programme at 30 degrees.
This page gives good general advice:
http://www.silk.org.uk/caringforsilk.php

thriftwizard

I deal with delicate garments & fabric on a daily basis, and am agreeing with Seakay. I've only ever "lost" one dry-clean-only garment, which was rayon, not silk. To be honest, time pressures mean that most things do go in the machine, but it's a top-quality giant-size job that takes up half of my utility room & has more programmes than some computers, including two for silk, which can be further varied by adjusting the number of rinses, spin speed etc.

There are indeed several different kinds of silk - chiffon, organza, georgette, Tussah, dupion, crepe de Chine, Shantung, Habotai, Pongee etc. etc. You should be fine with gentle hand washing & rinsing; most pure silk is actually pretty tough stuff, as well as being an excellent insulator. But I'd probably use mild hand wash soap, rather than detergent, hand-warm water (same for rinses) with little agitation, and a capful of vinegar in the final rinse to neutralise any remaining soap, rather than "conditioner" which leaves a coating of chemicals on your clothes. I was ironing silk scraps of several different kinds yesterday & didn't lose any!

Hanging in my utility room at the moment, awaiting a few remedial stitches, is a rather splendid reversible quilted coat brought back from Hong Kong by a sailor in the 1950s. Both sides are pure silk and I suspect the padding is wool. It's managed to avoid moth damage, but has clearly been (gently) worn and loved for 60+ years and is still very much fit to sell on to someone who will also love it & wear it. I've washed it - very gently, silk + wool = nuno felt, if you are at all rough!- and it's come out fine. You shouldn't have any trouble, if you are careful & gentle with it. Enjoy wearing it!