How to wash a karandi suit at home

What the blend changes

Check the composition on the label, the packaging of the unstitched suit or the brand’s product page, then match the method to the most delicate fibre in the mix.

• Mostly cotton: can shrink a little in its first wash and takes a cool hand or machine wash well.
• With wool: heat, rubbing and sudden changes of water temperature make wool fibres lock together, so the cloth thickens and shrinks for good.
• With silk: deep dyes may be less stable in water, and the surface can lose some of its sheen.
• With polyester or viscose: polyester is forgiving; viscose is weak while wet and can shrink.
• Not stated: treat it as the delicate version. Test a hidden seam with a damp white cloth, then hand wash cool or dry clean.

How to hand wash karandi

Wash a new karandi suit on its own, and keep every wash short. If the label does show a machine wash, use the wool or hand-wash programme, cold or 30°C, the lowest spin and a mesh bag; our guide to washing machine settings explains the cycles. By hand:

• Fill a tub with cool water, no warmer than 30°C, and dissolve a small amount of mild, non-biological detergent in it. Enzymes in biological detergents can harm wool and silk.
• Turn each piece inside out and wash the kameez, trousers and dupatta separately the first time.
• Press and swish gently for a few minutes. No scrubbing, no brush, no long soak.
• Rinse in water of the same temperature until it runs clear. A cold rinse straight after a warm wash is what shocks wool.
• Squeeze, do not wring, then roll the piece in a clean towel to take out more water.

Dry it flat, press it on the reverse

Wet karandi is heavy, and a kameez hung up dripping can drop in length and stretch at the shoulders. Lay each piece flat on a dry towel or a mesh rack, ease it back to its shape and size with your hands, and leave it in the shade away from radiators and direct sun. Once it is only slightly damp it can finish on a wide hanger. Keep it out of the tumble dryer.

Press karandi from the reverse while it is still a little damp, at the setting the label allows, starting low and testing on an inside hem. A pressing cloth on darker shades prevents the shiny patches described in our article on pilling, static and shine. Lay embroidery face down on a folded towel so the stitches are not flattened.

Embroidery, dupattas and shawls

Embroidery changes the answer. A suit with a worked neckline, cuffs and hem, like our embroidered karandi suit, needs gentler handling than plain karandi, so ask us how to care for the fabric when you order. As a general rule, light thread embroidery can be hand washed inside out if the label agrees, and dense or metallic work is dry cleaned. Check the dupatta or shawl separately too, since it may be a different fabric from the kameez, and a wool shawl follows wool rules.

Planning care before the suit is made

If you would rather have a winter suit you can wash at home, say so at the start. With Fabric + Stitching, tell us in your enquiry and we propose a fabric with that in mind, agreed with you before cutting. If you are sending your own karandi, include a photo of the label so we can see the blend, and mention whether it has been washed. Our comparison of karandi and marina may help you choose between the two. Request a quote to begin.