Today you rarely see silk products, so few people know how to care for it. Clothing manufacturers, wanting to increase their profits, remove products from natural fabrics from the line, especially expensive materials such as silk: firstly, silk is an expensive or very expensive fabric, and secondly, sewing silk products is a laborious and complex process. Our atelier often sews products from silk, so the article is devoted to the care of products made from this material.
The high price of silk is justified – the process of obtaining a thread is incredibly complicated. In the Roman Empire, silk was so valuable that it was worth its weight in gold and used as a means of payment in trade transactions. Only very wealthy people were allowed to wear silk dresses. Silk is a product of the secretion of the silkworm glands of silkworm caterpillars when curling a cocoon. Silk thread is strong, it is the same diameter as steel wire, but it is much more elastic. Today it is the most wear-resistant thread of all existing ones. But in order for silk to serve for a long time, it must be properly looked after.
Despite the apparent fragility, natural silk is twice as strong as wool. However, it is also destroyed by alkali. Alkali can strip silk of its inherent luster. As you know, soap is alkali, so do not experiment and do not wash woolen and silk items with soap. Also, it is categorically impossible to wash them with ordinary washing powders. The latter, having a high pH level, create an alkaline environment in the solution. It is best to wash silk with a special silk detergent or with a regular hair shampoo (but not for colored hair and without any additives). Shampoo gives the product shine and softness. You can soak silk in water with a little vinegar added. Let the time pass. Then take out the item and shake it. Rinse in lukewarm water. It is not necessary to rub the fabric during washing and wring it out. Do not wash silk in hot water or in a washing machine.
Do not be lazy to collect 30 degrees of water in a basin, lather the shampoo and put your silk product. Whatever the manufacturers of washing machines say, none of them are designed to wash silk.
How to dry silk. Before drying, wrap the silk product in a clean, dry terry towel to absorb excess water. Then lay the item on a flat surface to dry. But it is unnecessary to overdry the thing; it should be slightly damp before ironing. Never use a dryer to dry a silk product, as it may damage its appearance.
How to iron silk. Gently spread the slightly damp cloth on the ironing board in a single layer. When ironing a silk item, do not splash water on the fabric, as stains and stains may remain on it. Divorces are not forever, at the first soaking in clean water, the divorces will go away. When ironing, it is necessary to choose a temperature regime suitable for the fabric. It is necessary to iron a silk product only from the wrong side, I will especially note again – only in one layer!
