- Store each of your silk sarees wrapped in a seperate cotton or muslin cloth. So that the saree can breathe, the saree doesn’t darken from oxidation by reacting with air, to keep your saree from getting snagged by other fabrics in your wardrobe and to protect it from moths.
- Make it a point to reflod your saress every three months this will prevent it from tearing in the fold lines.
- Air out your sarees after use. There are safe ways of washing it in cold water and mild detergents or shampoos. If you do wash them avoid wringing them, you could instead roll it into a big futty towel to absorb all the water. Hang them in a shaded area to avoid fading. Silks dry very fast. The other safe option would be dry cleaning.
- It is always better to use hangers for your silk sarees, this method will leave your saree wrinkle free. Avoid metal hangers as it may react with the silk and cause rust stains.
- Storing them in a cool dark place will keep your saree from fading or discolouring. Use naphthalene, balls to keep the moths and silverfish away, don’t keep them in direct contact with your saree as they tend to discolour any zari work. An even better option is to use dry neem leaves as they have anti-pest and anti-fungal properties.
- Don’t throw away all those silica gel sachets you get when you buy shoes or electronics. Put them in your cupboard instead to absorb any unwanted moisture.
- Whenever you drape a silk saree even if it is brand new iron it first. This will make your pleats to fall beautifully.
- The most basic difference between washing and dry cleaning is that laundry uses water while certain solvents are used in dry cleaning. We highly recommend to avoid washing your sarees of any type in the machine.
- Wash Pallu / Mundhi and Border separately for the first wash.
- Fabrics like cotton, polyester, linen, nylon, wool and cashmere can be hand washed with cold water and mild / not detergent. Allow them to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, but don’t wring them vigorously. However, if a label says “Dry clean only Opt for dry -cleaning.
- Fabrics like silk, net, rayon, organic, georgette and other acrylic should be kept away from water to avoid damage to fabric. When it comes to unfamiliar fabrics, dry cleaner are the best people to handle them. It your clothes have organic stain from substances such as food coloring, tea, coffee a simple cold wash in water might do the trick.
- In the case of strong stains, such as grease or chemical stain, dry cleaning is recommended.
- Sometimes, washing could result in shrinkage or early damage to your clothes, while dry cleaning increases their longevity. Color bleeding is greatly reduced when dry cleaning is used since no water is used.
- While taking care of hand-painted sarees, (Madhubani, Pattachitra, Soarachitra etc.) never press on the area that is painted directly. Always press on the reverse side. steam press with a soft cotton cloth gives better result. If the hand-painted saree needs to be washed after a few wears, you may consider dry cleaning
- If hand-washed, use a baby shampoo / Ezee and fold the saree length-wise and dip in a cold water, let it soak for 10-15 minutes, once you have rinsed most of the water out, pleace drip dry it in a shaded place once dry. Press saree from the reverse side so that the iron does not get into direct contact with the colors.
Silk Sarees Maintenance Tips
20
Dec