Wash & Care
With proper care and attention, Silk Sarees and products with yarns of other construction can be preserved for ages without losing its lustre or freshness. Follow the directions below carefully and your Silk Saree would last longer with the same sheen as a new one!
SILKS :
Never Machine-wash a sari. A Saree should be either delicately hand washed or dry cleaned. If you choose to wash the saree at home please wash a very small corner of the saree as a test for fabric and colors running ( must be done for all colors on the same saree independently.
- Do not wash with detergent in the beginning
- After two or three plain water washes, use a good detergent and clean quickly. Do not keep the sari soaked in detergent for long.
- Do not brush or lash a Silk Saree. This would lead to tearing of the silk or zari
- Wash (Pallu) Mundi and Border separately in the beginning
- Do not bundle and keep wet for a long time
- In case of stains, wash with cold water immediately
- For hard stains, get the Sari Dry Cleaned.
- Do not bundle the wet saree along with other garments liable to cause staining
- While ironing, keep the iron in medium or low heat.
- It is recommended to iron the saree between two pieces of white cloth. It is not recommended to wet the saree prior to ironing or to use a steam iron.
- Store Saree in a cool dry place. Do not store silks with zari/metal yarns in plastics , plastics react with and turn the zari dark. Zari will also oxidise if in contact with humid air, they are best protected in cotton lined boxes or covers.
- Only pre-washed silk is washable. Read the label!
- Dry cleaning is generally preferred, since laundering detergent and dyes in other clothes may adversely affect silk fabric.
- For washable silk, follow the care instructions carefully.
- For items without linings and without embellishments attached, careful hand washing is permissible, with mild soap and lukewarm water.
- Chlorine bleach should never be used on silk.
- For long-time storage, silk should be sealed against light, air and insects, storing the silk rolled on a cardboard pipe will prevent creases and hence also prevent the silk from getting cut due to cracking.
- For specific instructions, you can always refer to the garment’s sewn-in care label.
1. Dry-Cleaning is Preferable
generally silk sarees should be dry cleaned. In hand washing, the consistency of the silk may be altered, depending on the finishing treatment used to give it sheen and the colour may run. Chlorine bleach damages silk and causes it to yellow.
2. Washing Silks
Certain pre-wash techniques have made certain silks washable. Check a small corner of the product as at test . After washing, one should roll in a white towel to remove the excess moisture, and then hang dry on a padded hanger.
3. Stains
[Below mentioned techniques are only suggestions, taking the help of a professional launderer is recommended.]
Stained silk sarees should be dry-cleaned as soon as possible. Dyes and sizing’s tend to discolour with moisture. Therefore attempting to remove stains with water is not recommended without first testing the silk for colourfastness. It is difficult to remove a concentrated food or beverage stain. Scrubbing or pressing could ruin the fabric.
Protein Stains: These stains include blood, deodorant, egg, meat juices and perspiration. To clear such stains, first apply detergent to the garment. Then it should be soaked in cool water and laundered. In case of persistent stains, try rubbing a mixture with few drops of NH2 with hydrogen peroxide.
Combination Stains: These stains include chocolate, gravy, ice cream and milk. First a dry-clean solvent should be applied and then dried. The protein part of the stain supplement can be removed by applying liquid detergent and rinsing with cool water. Then after using a prewash stain remover, wash silk fabric in lukewarm water.
Nail polish Stain: This can to be treated by rubbing acetone on the area.
Lipstick Stains: First use Dry-cleaning fluids and then washing in soap water used to remove lipstick stains.
Grease: oils, butter, margarine, crayon, medicines and oil-based cosmetics usually cause these stains. Dabbing on talc immediately will lift the stain. After brushing off the talc, a stain remover can be applied and the silk fabric should washed in lukewarm water.
[N.B. – Any stain removal procedures may affect the original colors and fabrics may get damaged!]
ACRYLIC :
- Acrylic garments may be washed or dry cleaner.
- When machine washing, use warm water setting and add a fabric softener during the final rinse cycle.
- Machine dry at low temperature. Remove from dyer as soon as garments are dry.
- Wash delicate items by hand in warm water. Static electricity is reduced by using A fabric softener in every third or fourth washing. Gently squeeze out water, smooth or shake out garment and let dry on a non-rust hanger. Sweaters and circular knits have to be dried flat.
- If ironing is required, use moderately warm iron.
- For specific instructions, you can always refer to the garment’s sewn-in care label.
COTTON :
- Cotton can be easily laundered. It can withstand high temperatures (boiling water does not hurt the fibre).
- Any good detergent can be used to wash cotton.
- Chlorine bleach can be used safely on cotton whites. Use color safe bleach on dyed cottons.
- Since cotton, fibres are inelastic cotton fabrics may wrinkle easily. In addition, fabric may need frequent pressing.
- However, cotton fabric can be treated with a wrinkle resistant finish to create a more resilient fabric/garment. The label will tell you if this finish has been applied.
- A higher heat setting is needed in the dryer to dry cotton. Cotton will take much longer to dry than less absorbent fibres.
- Cotton can be ironed with a hot iron, and does not scorch easily
- For specific instructions, you can always refer to the garment’s sewn-in care label.
LINEN :
- Some linen is washable, while others are dry clean only. Be sure to check the label.
- Washable household linen, handkerchiefs, and linen apparel can be washed easily and become softer with use.
- White linens should be dried in the sun, if to help them to keep their whiteness.
- Dry cleaning is recommended for drapery linens, upholstery linens and decorative linens.
- Linen fabrics may need frequent pressing, unless treated for crease resistance. (Permanent press and soil release finishes are now being used effectively on 65% linen/35% polyester tablecloths, napkins and placemats.)
- For specific instructions, you can always refer to the garment’s sewn-in care label.
MICRO-FIBERS :
- Acrylic, nylon and polyester micro-fibres are machine washable, machine dryable or dry cleanable
- Follow the instructions for washing fabrics consisting of these individual fibres.
- For specific instructions, always refer to the garment’s sewn-in care label.
There is nothing more refreshing than draping a pristine white tant, jamdani or garad saree to a ceremony or function. Yet during a careless moment, a drop of curry from your plate onto the plush fabric might ruin all your joy. Some food stains are too stubborn to soaps and detergents, which have little or no effect on them. Here’s a handy tip on how to deal with such stains.
Wet the stain areas with water and apply a thick coat of white toothpaste over the stains on both sides of the fabric. Hang the saree to dry for 3-4 days. Now wash off the toothpaste. If the stain is completely gone, then good. If the stain is lighter, but still visible, repeat the process until the stain vanishes. Most oil, turmeric and other food stains can be completely removed from white clothes in this manner, without causing any discoloration to the fabric. Use a toothpaste containing bleach for better effect.
Make a dilute solution of distilled white vinegar and lukewarm water in a clean bucket (Use 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every litre of water). Soak the saree thoroughly in the vinegar solution for 3-5 minutes. Remove the saree from the solution and rinse it thoroughly in cold, running water. Make sure that all of the vinegar and its smell are washed off. Squeeze the saree gently without twisting or wringing.
Now dry the saree by wrapping it in a large, fluffy towel. You may need to fold the saree to fit it along the length of the towel. Gently roll and press the towel to remove excess water from the saree. Remove the saree from the towel and hang it to dry completely. Do not hang it in direct sunlight, as it may cause some discoloration. Silk sarees dry very quickly, and once dry, the lost sheen of the saree is restored.
If the saree needs ironing, then don’t wait for it to dry fully. When still damp, iron it on the inside or using the ‘silk’ setting on the iron. It is always advisable to spot test a small, hidden area of the saree before ironing it completely.
Caution: Never use a machine dryer to dry a silk saree. The dry, intense heat from the dryer can ruin the silk irreversibly.
It is always a pleasure to drape crisp cotton sarees, when properly starched and ironed, to meetings and formal events. However, the stiffness in starched sarees can make them rather unmanageable too. This is often the case with brand new cotton sarees or some very fine silks such as garad or tussar. Here are some simple ways in which you can reduce the stiffness in your starched sarees.
1. If you want to soften the saree without removing the starch completely, then steam iron the saree. Remember to use the correct setting in your iron based on the saree fabric.
2. If you want to remove the starch completely, then soak the saree in cold water for 30 minutes. Then rinse, dry and steam iron the saree to remove all traces of starch.
3. For heavily starched sarees, add half a cup of distilled white vinegar to a bucket of cold water and soak the saree in it for 30 minutes. Then rinse, dry and steam iron the saree. It is now soft and starch-free!
All sarees, and especially the white ones, run the risk of getting your lipstick accidentally smudged onto it, when you are putting on your makeup in a hurry! Don’t worry! Even the darkest of lip colour stains can be removed if you can take action quickly.
1. Place the stain area of the saree on a white tissue paper, with the stain side down.
2. Dab the stain with a mild soap, using a clean white cloth. Let the soap sit on the stain for 10 minutes.
3. Press the stain area with a clean white cloth. The lipstick and soap will seep into the paper towel underneath. Now replace the paper towel quickly. If not, the lipstick will spread on it, and may stain the saree back. Repeat this as long as the lipstick seeps into the paper towel.
4. Rinse and wash the saree as you would normally do, in cold water.
5. If some stain remains, repeat steps 2-4.
6. Dry the saree only after the stain is fully gone.