We advise using a mild liquid detergent specially formulated for hand washing delicate fabrics. Any detergent used must not contain bleaching agents (sometimes called oxidising agents), enzymes or optical brighteners. We can recommend Tenestar (available below) or Woolite for delicates.

Silk Satin and Georgette:

Garments should be handwashed in water no hotter than 30°C using a mild liquid detergent as above. Do not leave garments to soak. Allow to dry naturally but not in direct sunlight, and iron on the reverse side of the silk (not the lace) before completely dry.

Silk Jersey:

Items may be hand or machine washed up to 40°C (delicate cycle) using a detergent as described above. All colours especially strong ones should be washed separately, especially the first few times to remove loose dye. Short spin and do not tumble dry. Warm iron on the reverse side of the garment if necessary. There is no doubt hand washed items last longer, however with care machine washed items will last reasonably.

Bear in mind silk is a natural fabric, it has to be dyed to gain a colour other than Ivory. It is inevitable that there will be some dye loss in washing.

Why....

Liquid detergent? most powders contain bleach.
No Bleach? It weakens the silk fibres and changes the colour.
Low Temperatures? To avoid too much shrinkage.
No tumble dry? Too hot, and the tumble can damage delicates.
Handwash? Delicates last longer.
No iron on the lace? Fine mesh can melt easily.
Not in sunlight? Sunlight has a bleaching effect and can cause colours to fade.

If in doubt contact us. If you experience a washing problem, we may be able to help you identify the cause so that other garments do not experience the same fate.