How To: Care for Your Silk

How you store, wear, and wash your silk will help the longevity of your silk's life, that's why we'll be talking about it from a 360° approach.

Silk is an investment. It’s a fabric that should be bought with a long term relationship in mind. Picking timeless styles and avoiding quick trends will help keep your investment pieces relevant beyond a season. And how you store, wear and wash your silk will also help the longevity of your silk’s life. That’s why, when talking about caring for your silk we’re talking about the whole 360° approach.

We sell our silk between 2-3 times markup. We do this so you’re able to access one of the world’s most ancient and luxurious fabrics, at an affordable price. We also create timeless styles that are designed for easy mix and match with pieces that are already in your wardrobe. This means you can wear our colours and cuts with a feeling of modernity, and without worrying about it going ‘out of style’. By buying a high-quality fabric like Chinese Silk that’s thoughtfully crafted using the world’s finest fabric, your investment piece will last longer.

To Start

Like our label says, when it comes to washing your silk leaving it to the experts at the dry cleaners is the absolute best way to extend the life of your silk and keep its subtle lustre and delicate hand feel (especially if we’re talking stains). However, if you ever find yourself in a jam or want an at home way to freshen your silk, then here is how you can safely hand wash your favourite pieces.

Hand Wash

You’ll want to make sure to do colours separately and read the detergent label before using it on your silk. Words like “suitable for silk” and “delicates” are your best friends when it comes to washing silk by hand. Bleach will damage your silk’s fibres so it’s always a big no.

Steps

1. Place your silk garment in cold water with a mild silk-friendly detergent.

2. Leave to soak (no more than 5 minutes).

3. Swish the garment slowly and gently.

4. Rinse with fresh water

5. To help keep its hydrated feel, use a fabric conditioner in the final rinse (or even a small amount of hair conditioner).

6. Rinse well in cold water.

7. Ball your silk together to remove excess moisture (wringing your silk out will damage it’s fibres). Then lay it flat and roll it in a towel to absorb any lingering moisture.

8. Lay flat to dry.

Wrinkles and Creases

Most wrinkles in silk can simply be steamed out, but not everyone owns a steamer. A great steamer hack is to hang your silk in the bathroom and let it steam while you take a hot shower.

If you can’t steam the creases out then here are a few tips on how to safely iron your silk:

- Flip your garments inside out and set the iron to low heat (or the silk setting).
- Iron silk only once it’s dry and be sure to put a cloth between the silk and the iron.
- Do not spray or wet silk while ironing, you may get water-stains.

Hanging and Storing

To avoid ironing, the best solution for your silk is to store it by hanging it in a cool dry place. Silk creases so it’s best not to fold or leave it bunched up for long. If you’re storing your silk for a long period of time then make sure it’s clean and stored in a breathable fabric bag (avoid plastic ones because they lock in moisture). Another tip for long term storing is to store your silk away from the sun to avoid fading the colour and weakening the fibre. Silk is a protein, this means it can attract moths so, if you add a natural moth repellent into the bag your silk will be sure to thank you.

The 360° Approach

At Grana, we think it’s important to look at all your pieces from a holistic approach, all 360°of it. Consider how you store, wear and wash your silk and know that by buying less, buying better and making our clothing last – we’re all helping to reduce unnecessary waste. It may seem like a simple concept but keep in mind, every step forward towards sustainability, is a step in the right direction.