How to Remove Tough Stains from Silk Sarees?

Undoubtedly, silk sarees are the heritage of India. And we do not want it to get stained, do we? I know how difficult it is to get stubborn stains out of silk sarees. Most of the time, we fear staining and avoid wearing an expensive piece. But what if I tell you some mind-boggling hacks to keep your silk attire spotless? Yes, you’ve heard it right! I learned many tips to remove rigid stains from silk sarees over the years. Let’s discuss each of them in detail!

To remove tough stains from silk sarees, you can treat tea, coffee, and dried stains on your silk saree using lemon juice or vinegar. Also, you can remove oil and lipstick stains from your garment with talcum powder. Use petrol if you want to remove ink stains from your silk sarees.

How to Remove Tough Stains from Silk Sarees?

Spot removal from silk sarees depends on the type of stains. The characteristics of stains determine the supplies you require to deal with them. Let’s check out all sorts of spots on a silk saree and the methods to eradicate them below.

1. Soak in Detergent to Handle Food Stains

Enjoying a delicious recipe in your silk saree often leads to staining them with food stains. You can simply soak the affected saree area in detergent water and rub it gently. Rinse it off to remove the stains completely.

2. Lemon Juice to Conquer Dry Stains

Let’s admit that dry stains are the toughest. You can wet the stained fabric and apply lime juice if the detergent cannot deal with them. Also, you can use petrol to remove dry spots effectively.

3. Ink Stains are the Easiest

Ink stains might ruin your saree appearance dramatically. So, remove them by dipping the affected fabric in warm water and treating it with petrol afterward. Finally, you can rinse it off using some mild detergent and normal water.

4. Treat Tea and Coffee Stains with Lemon Juice and Vinegar

Tea and coffee stains are the most common of all. Try blotting the beverages as soon as they spill over your silk garment. Next, take some lemon juice or vinegar, dip a sponge into the liquid, apply over the affected fabric, and rinse it thoroughly using detergent to remove the stains entirely.

5. Oil Stains Fear Talcum Powder

Oil has a negative reputation of staining silks disastrously. However, you can pour some talcum powder on the spotted fabric as soon as oil spills on your saree. Allow some time for the talcum to absorb the oil completely. Now, you can wash your garment using detergent and water to wave goodbye to tough oil stains.

6. Masking Tape and Talcum Powder Combats Lipstick Stain

We cannot escape wearing makeup when wearing a silk saree. Consequently, you risk staining your saree with tough stains like lipstick. Here’s a solution for you! Attend the lipstick mark at the earliest by sticking a masking tape on it. Now, rip it off speedily to remove the lipstick with the tape. Next, dab some chalk dust or talcum powder on the saree to remove makeup oils. Finally, rinse the silk saree with mild shampoo and water to retain its sheen fully.

How Do You Get Old Stains Out of Silk?

As time passes, stains become more stubborn. So, how to deal with timeworn stains on your silk sarees? It’s not as difficult as it seems! Prepare a mild stain removal solution by mixing a few tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar with warm water. Although the solution falls feeble, it might affect your saree fabric rarely. So, go for a dab-test before removing old stains using the solution. 

Can Dry Cleaners Get Oil Stains Out of Silk?

Oil stains have the most rigid character out of all. They do not prefer leaving your silk sarees in peace! However, as described earlier, you can dab some talcum powder on the stained region and let the oil get absorbed completely. Next, washing the fabric with mild detergent will remove the oil stains in the blink of an eye.

Also, you can get them off by handing them over to professional dry cleaners. The dry cleaning liquid has effective oil and grease dissolving properties. Once they subject your silk saree to such chemicals, the oily spots vanish in the blink of an eye. Many times, home remedies to remove oil stains make them tougher. So, it’s better to leave your oil stains unattended before taking your saree to the dry cleaners.

How Do You Remove Yellow Stains from Old Silk?

You must have noticed that old silk sarees tend to get yellowish regardless of how carefully you store them. I hear my elders grieving about old silk sarees losing their sheen and glamor. However, you can restore them with a few steps. All you need is to collect the following ingredients and prepare a silk whitening solution.

• Vinegar – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – 1 tablespoon
• Lukewarm water – 400 ml (approximately)

Now, wet your silk saree and immerse the affected fabric into the mixture. Also, you can dip a sponge into the solution and apply it over the stained area. You will find the silk saree regaining its whiteness after rubbing the spotted fabric gently. Once the saree turns white, it’s time to rinse the yellowed area. Your saree will turn entirely white once it dries off in the air.

How Do You Get the Smell Out of Silk Sarees Without Washing Them?

Silk threads have natural protein at the core. So, they are more likely to acquire surrounding odors. Many times, you find your silk sarees smelling pungent, leading you to give up on the idea of wearing them. Not anymore! 

You can spray a mild solution of lemon juice and vinegar in water over your sarees to remove most smells effortlessly. Also, exposing your silk sarees to open-air but away from sunlight removes boxed odors from them. Furthermore, you can steam iron your saree at the lowest temperature to remove stubborn smells without any difficulties.

Now, you know everything to shield your expensive silk sarees from stubborn stains and lingering odors. Try the above tips and keep your silk apparel new and shining!