Can you hand wash silk at home?

When hand washing is reasonable, and when it is not

Four things decide it. If the label says dry clean only, take it at its word; what dry clean only means explains why.

• Dye: pale and mid shades in one colour are the safest. Deep reds, blues and blacks, prints with strong contrast and hand-dyed pieces often release colour.
• Weave: smooth, soft silks tolerate water. Raw silk can lose its crispness and water mark, organza softens, and crepe weaves can shrink.
• Lining and structure: a lined kameez, interfaced collar or pleated panel dries unevenly, so the layers pull against each other.
• Embellishment: metallic thread, beads, sequins and dense embroidery rule out washing.

The hidden-spot test

Do this before the first wash of any silk piece, on an inside seam allowance or the back of a hem facing. It is a smaller version of our colour-fastness test.

• Mix a drop of your detergent into a cup of cool water.
• Dampen a white cotton cloth or cotton bud and press it on the spot for half a minute.
• Look at the cloth. Any colour on it means the dye is loose: dry clean.
• Let the spot dry and look again in daylight. A ring, a dull patch or a change in texture also means dry clean.
• Test each colour in a print, and any contrast piping.

How to hand wash silk, step by step

Never use bleach on silk; chlorine bleach destroys the fibre. For more on the last step, see our ironing guide.

• Fill a clean basin with cool water, no warmer than 30°C, and dissolve a small amount of non-biological detergent for silk or delicates. Enzymes in biological detergents break down protein, and silk is a protein fibre.
• Wash one piece at a time, inside out.
• Swirl it gently for two or three minutes. No soaking, rubbing or scrubbing, even on a mark.
• Rinse in cool water until it runs clear, changing the water instead of holding silk under a running tap.
• Lift it with both hands, press the water out, then roll it in a clean white towel. Silk is weaker when wet, so never wring it.
• Dry it flat or on a padded hanger in the shade, away from heaters. No tumble dryer.
• Press on the reverse at a low setting while it is evenly damp. Do not sprinkle water on dry silk, which can leave spots.

After washing, and before ordering

Washed silk sometimes dries a little stiff or less glossy than before. Gentle pressing while damp brings back most of the smoothness, and the fabric relaxes with wear. Once it is clean and fully dry, put it away as described in how to store silk.

If you want a silk or silk-blend outfit you can wash at home, raise it before anything is cut. Through Fabric + Stitching, tell us and we propose fabric with that in mind; if you are sending your own, include a photo of the label. What is possible on your fabric and design is confirmed in the written quote. Start a quote.