How do you wash silk?

dandy-candy

I got a silk skirt from a market that felt lovely and soft. When I washed it I used the delicates wash on my machine and the special washing liquid for silks and wools. It now feels like sandpaper!
Should I rewash it by hand, or can I just soak it in a bit of water with fabric conditioner? And should I only wash silks by hand in future?

Pollycat

Have you ironed it?
I wash silk shirts in my washing machine & they do come out stiff but when I iron them they soften up.

dandy-candy

No I haven't. It felt so scratchy I thought I would have to do something to soften it up. I will give it an iron, ty

Linda32

It will probably be okay once ironed. I work in a Nursing Home, when I worked in the laundry there, one resident had silk shirts. They were a devil to iron but once they were, they were really soft and nice.

This is after they had been through an industrial machine.

McKneff

Personally, i wouldnt put anything silk in a washing machine.

Apart from anything else, 1 item in a full wash cycle is such a waste of water and electricity and for the environment.

When a quick swish in a bowl would have cleaned it

ampersand

Agree with the ironing advice, also with McKneff.

If you swish your silk about in handwashing water, you'll feel it 'weighing' differently through your fingers. Use a bit of savon de marseille/anglo equivalent, over it and rub/swirl it through gently.

Hang it from its waistband loops to dry.

[Deleted User]

I too would have washed by hand ,probably in Lux if you can find any or a soft washing stuff like Stergene or Dreft My days of silk are long gone I'm afraid I am much more a cotton person now and although they are expensive The White Company do a great tee shirt that washes and washes

Mr_Singleton

dandy-candy wrote: »

I got a silk skirt from a market that felt lovely and soft.

Sound like it's fake silk.

Silvertabby

I have a couple of heavy silk blouses. I handwash them in baby shampoo then roll them in towels (this aborbs most of the water) before hanging them on padded hangers.

LadyDee

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

Sound like it's fake silk.

Silk is always hard after washing and before ironing.

Mr_Singleton

LadyDee wrote: »

Silk is always hard after washing and before ironing.

No idea but have washed items of silk in the washing machine on the silk programme then dried them in the tumble dryer on the silk setting and had no problems whatsoever.

Can't comment on Rayon (also known as poor mans silk) though.