Secrets of caring for delicate material, or how to wash silk correctly

The main substance found in silk is the protein fibroin. Therefore, the properties of silk differ from the properties of plant tissues.

One of these differences is sensitivity to mechanical stress and high temperature. Because of this, silk needs proper care, part of which is washing.

If you neglect it, silk fabric will not last long. Let's talk in more detail about whether silk can be washed and how to do it correctly.

Can it be washed in a washing machine, at what temperature?

Depending on the production technique, there are 3 types of silk fabric:

• natural;
• artificial;
• synthetic.

Natural

Silk is made from fiber produced by the silkworm larva. It is very thin and sensitive, so it is easily destroyed during washing. However, you can still wash silk fabrics.

During washing, it is important to strictly observe the temperature regime (the water should not be hotter than 30 degrees) and use auxiliary products that will help not damage the fabric.

Silk fabrics are washed only by hand. Machine washable. After the first session, the canvas loses its original shape due to deformation or rupture of microscopic fibers. It becomes visible damage that looks like small stretch marks or damage to the texture.

Artificial

Artificial silk is obtained from vegetable protein or cellulose. These substances are exposed to acid. As a result, a chemical compound is obtained that is very similar in structure and properties to fibroin.

Synthetic

Synthetic silk is understood as a material that is close in properties to natural silk, but is obtained through a chemical reaction using plastics and waste from the oil refining industry. This fabric is also washable.

Washing rules are close to those of natural material. The only difference is a slightly higher water temperature, which is necessary because synthetic silk fabric absorbs sweat and other contaminants better, but is a little more difficult to clean from them.

Despite the fact that artificial or synthetic silk is somewhat stronger than natural and artificial silk, it is not advisable to wash them in a machine. However, in case of heavy soiling, machine washing is still acceptable.

Step-by-step washing instructions

Let's look at the step-by-step process of washing different types of silk fabrics.

How to wash natural?

To wash an item made of natural silk, you will need the following:

• container for washing (a plastic or metal basin is suitable);
• water with a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius;
• a special detergent intended exclusively for silk items (for example, Luxus Professional powder);
• table vinegar 9% strength.

You need to do the following:

1. Fill the basin with cool water, the temperature of which should not exceed 30 degrees Celsius.
2. Dilute in it a detergent intended for hand washing silk fabrics.
3. Dip the item in water and wash it with light movements without applying excessive pressure.
4. Remove the item and squeeze it out very carefully (without twisting).
5. Pour out the soapy water and instead fill the basin with clean water, which should be about 5 degrees Celsius cooler.
6. Gently rinse the item.
7. Drain the water and fill the basin with clean water.
8. Add 9% strength table vinegar to the water at the rate of 5 tablespoons per 10 liters.
9. Rinse the silk item in the resulting solution.
10. Let the liquid drain from the item without squeezing.
11. To remove excess moisture, place the washed item in a terry towel.
12. When the towel has absorbed the liquid as much as possible, remove the item from it.

Artificial processing

The algorithm for washing items made from artificial silk does not differ from that for washing items made from natural material. However, the procedure can be simplified by eliminating rinsing in a vinegar solution.

Also, artificial fabric can be machine washed if it is heavily soiled. In this case, you must adhere to the following rules:

• use the lowest possible washing temperature (on most models of washing machines it is 40 degrees Celsius);
• set the minimum possible drum speed (usually 300-400 rpm);
• choose the most delicate washing modes (usually they are called “Silk”, “Hand Wash” and the like);
• Before washing, the item is placed in a mesh bag (this prevents friction against the metal walls of the drum);
• do not turn on the spin and additional rinse modes.

When machine washing, you must add special products to the powder that help avoid mechanical damage to the item. Examples include CRYSTAL and Nikwax Down Wash.

Cleaning synthetic silk fabric

The procedure for washing synthetic silk is similar. The difference is that if it is washed by hand, you can increase the water temperature to 40 degrees Celsius.

How to preserve the color of an item?

To avoid loss of color, the washed item is rinsed in a vinegar solution, as mentioned above. However, there are other ways to preserve color. The simplest of them is adding starch to water.

To do this, perform the following steps:

• Potato starch is added to water at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius at the rate of 3-4 tablespoons per 10 liters of liquid;
• they place a silk item there;
• cover the container with the item with a lid and leave it for 2-3 hours;
• the item is taken out and washed using detergents, and then rinsed;
• after the first rinse, prepare a water-alcohol solution at the rate of 1-2 tablespoons of ethyl alcohol per 10 liters of water;
• The item is rinsed in the resulting solution.

Instead of alcohol, you can use vodka. In this case, add 3-4 tablespoons of alcohol to the water.

Often their use is more effective than using vinegar or starch with alcohol. An example of such compositions is the Woolite line of gels.

How to bleach?

Bleaching a silk product possible in three ways:

1. Using sea salt.
2. By increasing the temperature.
3. Using special means.

Let's look at each of them.

Sea salt

To whiten with sea salt you will need:

• sea ​​salt;
• washing powder for silk fabric;
• ammonia;
• hydrogen peroxide.

You need to do the following:

1. Wash and rinse the silk item as described above.
2. Dilute 8 tablespoons of sea salt, 15 ml of ammonia and 30 ml of hydrogen peroxide in 10 liters of water.
3. Place a silk product in the resulting solution and leave it for 5 hours, covering it with a lid.
4. Remove the item and rinse it twice in cool water.

Temperature increase

To bleach by increasing the temperature, you will need laundry soap and bulky metal utensils. To carry out the procedure, you must perform the following steps:

• Dissolve 1 bar of laundry soap in 10 liters of water;
• place a silk item in the resulting solution;
• place the container with the product on the stove and heat to 90 degrees Celsius;
• cool the item slowly;
• After cooling, remove it and rinse twice in cold water.

Special means

The simplest, most affordable and safest way to whiten is to use special products that can be purchased at household chemical stores.

Usually it is necessary to soak the item in their solution for some time or add them during washing. An example of such a product is the popular Vanish bleach.

How to remove stains?

Typically, stains from silk fabric are removed using special stain removers. But if they are not at hand, you can use other methods. Let's look at ways to remove stains of various origins.

Sweat, perfume ink

To remove stains from sweat, perfume or ink, use ethyl alcohol.

To remove a stain, perform the following steps:

• the item is placed on a flat surface and smoothed;
• pour 1 tablespoon of ethyl alcohol or vodka onto the stain and wait 3-5 minutes.

Then the silk product is washed.

Fat and oil

Grease and oil stains can be removed with turpentine. It dissolves these substances, but does not harm the canvas. To remove a stain, you need to do the following:

• place the item on a flat surface;
• moisten a piece of cotton cloth with 2 tablespoons of turpentine;
• blot the stain with a cloth several times until it disappears.

Afterwards the item needs to be washed.

Drinks and low-fat foods

Glycerin removes stains from drinks (tea, coffee, alcohol) and low-fat foods. The substance can be purchased at a pharmacy. It is available without a prescription.

• place the item on a flat surface;
• Wipe the stain with a piece of cotton cloth or a cotton pad soaked in glycerin.

If the stain is very ingrained, proceed as follows:

• Apply 10-15 drops of glycerin to the stain;
• sprinkle the contaminated area? a teaspoon of table salt;
• leave for 10 minutes;
• wash off the salt and glycerin with cool water.

Upon completion of both versions of the procedure, the silk product is washed.

Blood

Blood stains are removed with starch. To do this, perform the following steps:

• add 2-3 tablespoons of starch to 100 ml of warm water and let the mixture brew for 30-40 minutes;
• place the item on a flat surface;
• 1-2 teaspoons of the resulting paste are applied in a thin layer to the stain;
• leave the item for 20-30 minutes;
• wash off the paste with cool water.

After the procedure, the silk item must be washed.

Household chemicals

Special products also effectively remove stains., which can be purchased at household chemical stores.

The product removes not only dirt, but also stains.

How to dry it?

Since silk fibers are very sensitive to physical stress, they can break even if hung on a clothesline under the weight of wet fabric. Therefore, drying silk items requires a special approach.

To dry the product, lay it out on a flat surface and wait until the moisture has completely evaporated.. In this case, it is undesirable for the fabric to be exposed to direct sunlight.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Video on the topic of the article

Tips for caring for, washing and drying silk items are presented in the video:

Conclusion

Silk is a very delicate material. If washed incorrectly, it can quickly lose its original appearance. Under no circumstances should it be machine washed (with the exception of artificial and synthetic silk).

When washing, do not use water hotter than 30 degrees. It is permissible to use only detergents that are specifically designed for silk. If these conditions are met, the item will last a long time and look beautiful.