Caring For Your Silk

After spending several hundred dollars on high quality silk bedding, the last thing you want to do is ruin it by not caring for it properly although it is not as hard as many people think. Most silk bedding products can be safely washed at home using the guildelines below.

The care tips listed below are general for most types of silk and satin-silk bedding products. If you are not sure how to care for them or are confused by the instructions do not hesitate to contact us for assistance!

Did you know that besides the cost barrier, the misconceptions about the difficulty to care for them are the biggest reason why people do not purchase silk sheets or other silk bedding? While it is true that silk bedding can be expensive and is an investment, caring for it shouldn't scare you or stop you from purchasing.

Silk Comforters

"Sun curing" is the traditional way to care for a silk comforter. You should air out your silk comforter using this technique periodically, whenever it becomes heavy or starts to lose heat retention. To do so, place the comforter in the sun (with the cover on for protection) for an hour or two at the most. Because silk has the ability to absorb moisture, this process will dry it out, making it more fluffy and lighter, and improving its insulating properties. Alternatively, you may place the comforter in the dryer on extra low heat for a short time, not to exceed 30 minutes.

What To Wash Your Silk Bedding In

Keep in mind that silk is a very strong natural fiber. To keep that fiber strong, avoid subjecting it to harsh detergents and soaps that will break those fibers down and strip it of its natural properties. Woolitetm is a mild detergent that many people use to clean their silk products but we do not recommend it. We think the best soap for silk is Charlie's Liquid Laundry soap which can be purchased online. It is non-toxic and completely biodegradable.

When you first purchase your silk bedding, wash it by hand for the first few washings. Doing this helps to preserve the sheen of the silk and softens the silk fibers. Don’t wring out your silk. Lay it flat to dry.

After hand washing for the first few times you can switch to machine washing if you want to, but always wash the bedding on your machine's delicate cycle and never use hot water. We recommend washing our silk products at 30 degrees Centigrade (86 degrees Fahrenheit) which is water that is cool to the touch.

If your machine has an option to allow an extra spin cycle to wring as much water out of your fabrics as possible, DON’T use it. Use the spin cycle sparingly on silk bedding because it is hard on silk fibers. That is why it is important to use the delicate or hand washable cycle on the machine.

It is okay to use fabric softener if you would like to.

Do not use bleach, even color safe bleach – ever, not even if you have stains.

Also resist scrubbing the fabric vigorously to remove a stain.

Let the bedding hand dry, if possible, but keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents because that is just like putting it in a hot dryer.

It is especially important to keep dark colored silk out of the sunlight because it will visibly fade in a very short amount of time. Because finding a safe place to air dry large silk products such as king size sheets can be difficult, some people have had good luck drying their silk using the lowest temperature setting on their dryer, the one that is just barely higher than "air dry."

A good place to dry silk bedding is outside on a clothesline that is protected from the sun.

Do not iron your silk bedding. If it is gently washed and dried, it won't need to be ironed.

One other note about washing silk bedding – do not put anything else in the washer with it. Wash it separately from your other laundry.

Take Care of Yourself To Help Prolong the Life of Your Silk Sheets

Silk, while durable, can unwittingly be damaged by you. If the heels of your feet get dry and rough, it can be like rubbing your bedding with sandpaper every time you get into bed. The same goes for sharp broken fingernails or toenails. They can pull the threads in your silk, breaking them Taking care of your skin and your nails is not only beneficial to your bedding but also beneficial to your skin!

Some Shrinking of Fabric is Normal

It is normal for silk bedding to shrink a little during the first few washings, usually about three to four percent. It is a normal occurrence and should not make you feel like you are doing something wrong. We take shrinkage into consideration when making our products so they should still fit your bed just fine after those first few washings.

As a recap, gentle washing and gentle drying is what your silk needs to help it last a long time and give you many years of happy dreams!