Four tips to maintain your silk sarees

Four tips to maintain your silk sarees

Silk sarees are usually bought for memorable occasions and are often associated with memories and sentiments. Given how precious they are, you must maintain them well for them to last long and give you everlasting happiness. Contrary to popular belief, silk sarees are not that hard or expensive to maintain. We will tell you how.

Wash gently

It is not always possible to dry clean silk sarees, due to time constraints or the effort required to make a trip to the dry cleaners. The good news is that you can wash silk sarees at home. Plain water will do! Avoid soap for at least a couple of washes when the saree is new. After a couple of washes, rinse your saree with a mild protein shampoo mixed in plain water. This will keep the sheen and shine of the saree intact.

You can also use soap nut for washing silk sarees because it is known to preserves the softness and lustre of silks. Another tip is to use one-fourth cup of white vinegar in one gallon of water and rinse off the vinegar well.

Avoid harsh chemicals. And do not soak the saree in water for long.

Also, never wring, brush, beat or twist your saree. Avoid drying it in sunlight. If possible, towel-dry the saree so that the water gets drained out quickly.

Store smartly

Never store a silk saree along with other fabric sarees. If possible, wrap it in muslin cloth and keep it separately to avoid friction with other fabrics, which will damage the silk, leading to tears. Never use a brush to remove dust particles from a silk saree.

Every few months, remove the saree and change the fold so that it does not get frayed along the folds. It is a good idea to fold the saree with the embroidery/zari inside and not expose it to external elements.

Use silica gel bags to absorb extra moisture so that there is no fungal growth on the sarees.

Act on stains immediately

Dry cleaning of sarees is good for removing stains but do it as soon as you stain the saree.The petrol used in dry cleaning removes hard and dark stains easily. Sometimes, protein shampoos also help in removing stains from sarees. Oil and ghee stains can be removed by sprinkling talcum powder and washing with a mild detergent and plain cold water. A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and NH2 is also good for removing stains.

Iron with care

Use low heat while ironing silk sarees. If the wrinkles don’t get straightened out, then cover the saree with a fine muslin cloth and iron with high heat. Steam iron is best suited for silk sarees . Also keep changing the crease of the saree every now and then to keep your saree from getting a permanent fold mark.