how do you wash silk w/out drycleaning?

Question

the collar's silk but the rest of my top is rayon so i don't really think it's worth drycleaning... my mother said that sometimes, handwashing silk works, but other times, it ruins the material... anyone know how that works?

Answer 1

put it inside a pillowcase and tie it shut at the top. wash in like that in the washing machine on gentle cycle with mild detergent. I do this all the time. You might want to hang it up to dry instead of putting it in the clothes dryer.

Answer 2

If the silk garment is not pleated or if it is not a suit or dress that is lined or might be difficult to iron, wash it by hand with Woolite and drip dry. We don't have a gentle cycle on my washing machine -- or at least I haven't discovered it. But that would probably work too.

Also if it is a two piece garment, and only one piece is dirty, you should wash or dry clean both at the same time because silk does not hold dye well and you would want both pieces to match.

Silk can wrinkle a lot, so needs to carefully pressed after washed. . Classy Granny is right about home pressing not looking like a professional job. No matter how much care I've put into doing my long sleeved blouse, it still looks like I did it myself.

Silk is mostly washable.

Answer 3

I wash my silk items all the time in the washer. I always enclose them in a lingerie bag. I let them go in the dryer for a couple of minutes to reduce wrinkles. Then hang up damp to dry.

The rayon can also be machine washed but will only feel soft once it's pressed with a lightly warm iron.

Most rayon garments say to dry clean them, but with care, they can be washed.

Answer 4

Some people seem to have good luck washing silk either by hand or on a gentle wash cycle. I washed a blouse by hand and it looked ok until I tried to iron it and it just lost that nice appearance. Next time I'll spend the money to dry clean.

Answer 5

You hand wash it in some soft like dish soap.. And then wash it with cold water,.......while its drying on a hanger spray 1/2 vinegar, and 1/2 water in a mister and spray out all of the wrinkles, with this solvent, (the vinegar will dissipate) and I'd spray after oh, about 2 hours of drying w/ a window open.. Your favorite perfume, and its not to get rid of the vinegar, but just to give it your own pretty smell as if it were dry cleaned..... While you have the vinegar on there pull on the blouse to get rid of all of the wrinkles...... This is also good for getting things straight out of the dryer;.using this vinegar/water mister it will really take away the wrinkles once their hanging if you spray directly on those wrinkles, and give it a pull......I haven't used an iron, in years..... Good Luck..

Answer 6

I would just pay for the drycleaning. There are some drycleaners that only do that, no laundry, so are less expensive. Your shirt will be nicely pressed and you won't risk damage from washing in water.

Answer 7

I let my silk blouses soak in a sinkful of cold water with Woolite. Let them soak for 30 minutes or so, then rinse and hang to dry. It does not ruin them. (Be careful if it's a print or bold color though! The color does bleed a little.)

Answer 8

Handwashing in Woolite.

Answer 9

did you ever hear about dryel, the at home dry cleaning kit? If you buy it once you have it forever.