If you are reading this post, then you are likely a silk saree fanatic who has indeed got plenty of costly silk sarees in the wardrobe but does not know much about how to store your expensive silk sarees. Well, don’t worry, I’ve got your back! Real silk sarees are undoubtedly a precious asset for any Indian woman. Taking proper care of it is necessary to maintain its quality shine and serve you in the long run.
Best way to store your expensive silk sarees or in general silk sarees is to better to wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep them in the wardrobe. While washing them, make sure to wash with cold water and mild detergent and dry it in the shade without exposing it to direct sunlight before storing them. Also, do not expose them to direct heat while ironing; instead, use a cotton cloth on it.
Why is it Crucial to Store Your Silk Sarees Carefully?
Well, raw silk sarees are one of the most exquisite types of Indian textiles available in the market at a high price.
When you keep silk sarees for a long time in your closet without taking proper care, it can either become weary with time or tend to tear off from the area of its folding.
Another problem that silk owners often face is the ruining of the silk sarees due to silk moths. The cloth moths are very notorious, and they eat away silk garments quickly, damaging the entire saree. Silkmoth infestation sometimes spreads very quickly from one garment to another when you do not offer proper care or leave the saree as it is for a long time.
Now, it is tricky to get rid of the stubborn silk moths as they refuse to leave easily from your silk garments. So, it is better not to give them any chance to grow on your outfits.
How to Store Your Expensive Silk Sarees?
Check out different aspects of storing your expensive silk sarees starting from how to keep them in wardrobe, how to wash them, how to handle them in day-to-day usage and many more.
Tips to Keep Your Silk Sarees in Wardrobe
When it comes to offering a proper amount of care to your silk sarees, do not forget to maintain them properly even when stocked in your wardrobe. Your silk saree’s longevity is highly dependent on how you are caring and storing it in your cupboard.
- While storing, make sure you keep each of your silk sarees wrapped in separate cotton or muslin cloth. You can also swathe in soft towels to maintain them. Some people even prefer to use saree bags to store silk sarees in their wardrobe. I personally recommend using muslin cloth as it lets your saree breathe well. Also, a muslin cloth is excellent in preventing your sarees from getting snagged with other fabrics and offers proper protection from silk moths.
- While storing your expensive silk saree in the wardrobe, make sure to get it aired after every use.
- It is better to refold your silk sarees after every three months. Refolding from time to time helps your saree prevent tears near the folding lines.
- While storing your favorite silk saree in the wardrobe, make sure to keep it in a cool and dark place to prevent fading or discoloration.
- It is always great to use hangers for your silk sarees. It will keep your saree free from wrinkles. Opt for plastic hangers for better performance.
- Lastly, to prevent the risks of cloth moths eating away your expensive silk sarees, use naphthalene balls. But it’s recommended not to place them directly on the saree, as on their sublimation, the saree color can fade. For herbal care, you can use some neem leaves in your wardrobe to keep away the notorious moths.
What to Avoid While Taking Care of Your Silk Sarees?
While storing your silk sarees, you need to avoid a few things to offer proper care to your clothing. Are you wondering what they are? Well, have a look at some of the tips given below.
- Do not use soap for washing silk sarees.
- Never wash the pallu, body, and border of the saree altogether.
- It is better not to use any laundry detergent for washing your silk sarees.
- Avoid wringing silk sarees while washing them.
- Don’t keep your silk saree wet for a prolonged period.
- Avoid washing Zari silk sarees at home.
- Never put your silk saree in a washing machine.
- Do not keep your silk sarees in direct sun, as too much light or heat can fade their colors.
- Do not bundle the silk saree with other sarees, blouses, or petticoats.
- Try to avoid polyester clothing bags for storing your silk sarees in the closet.
- It’s better not to use metal hangers as they can leave a stain on your saree.
- While wearing silk sarees, do not apply perfume directly on them. The perfume stain can ruin the fabric and lead to future wear and tear.
Washing, ironing and folding your Silk Sarees for Long Durability?
The alluring charm of your silk sarees will not stay for the rest of your life if you don’t offer them regular care. From washing your sarees to storing them, silk sarees deserve the utmost amount of care as the texture is very delicate.
How to Wash Silk Sarees Properly?
When you wash silk sarees, make sure you are gentle enough. Most of the silk experts suggest dry cleaning silk sarees as silk material is too fragile to get damaged due to heavy washing with rough detergents. But if you are thinking of doing it on your own, you can merely abide by the following tips while being extremely careful.
- If you are going to wash a silk saree for the first time, then it is better to start with soaking the entire saree in saltwater. After soaking it for some time, rinse the saree thoroughly in cold water.
- Do not use regular soap on your saree while washing. The harsh materials of the soap can lead to discoloration or damage to the saree texture.
- Start with washing the saree in plain water 2-3 times. After that, you can use a very mild detergent and give it a quick cleaning. However, I would suggest you skip using detergent and apply shampoo instead. Silk is made of protein-based fibers similar to our hairs. So, a shampoo will nourish the silk texture and offer proper care.
- Never wash your silk saree, along with some other colored cloth, as it can leave stains on your saree.
Tips to Remove Stains from Your Silk Saree
Well, almost every one of us has experienced a stubborn stain on our sarees, which gives us a real concern for washing them. But the stain removal method for silk sarees is not similar to other fabrics.
So, do you want to know how to get rid of stains from your silk saree? Well, here are few tips.
- When your expensive silk gets a stain, it’s better to take immediate action because the dried stain will give you much pain while removing them.
- Start with gentle blotting on the stained area using a clean paper towel or cotton wool.
- After that, you can apply a gentle silk stain remover to it. You can either mix it with vinegar or lemon juice. And then mix everything with lukewarm water. But before using this mix, make sure to gently test it on a small area of the saree to see if it is safe enough for the fabric or not.
- Once you’ve confirmed that the solution is compatible with your silk saree, dab it gently on the stain with a clean cloth. Never rub on the stain, as it can do more damage to your silk threads.
- Finally, wash the silk saree as described in the previous section, or you can even give it for dry cleaning.
Tips to Iron Silk Sarees at Home
Maintaining a smooth and beautifully textured ironed saree can be tricky if you do not know the right way to iron your apparel. So, for your easy convenience, I have enlisted a few tips that you must follow for ironing silk sarees at home.
- While ironing, try to use a very low amount of heat. Exposing the silk fabric to too much heat can damage the soft material.
- Place a cotton cloth over your silk saree and then run the iron over the said cloth. It will reduce the intensity of heatwaves and transfer only a minimal amount of heat needed to iron your saree optimally.
- Steam ironing is always the best option for ironing your expensive silk sarees as it lessens the chances of harming the delicate fabric.
- Maintain an even and gentle motion of ironing on your saree. Running the iron back and forth randomly can stretch and pull the silk material out of its shape, damaging the entire saree.
How Should You Fold Your Silk Sarees?
Now that you are done with ironing your silk saree fold it properly before storing it in your wardrobe.
So, here are a few tactics on how you should fold your expensive silk saree properly to increase its longevity.
- Always try to make bigger folds for your silk sarees. Too many short folds will produce creases on your saree, leaving wrinkles on it.
- Make sure the corners are evenly meeting, and the fold is neat and clean. A messy fold can risk the longevity of your saree.
- As you store your silk sarees in your wardrobe, make sure to unfold them and reverse the folding direction every three months.
- Always consider using a muslin cloth wrapper for folding and storing your silk sarees.
- If your silk saree has elaborate embroidery work on it, you can opt for a netted lining attachment to render special care to the threadings. Also, for giving extra care to embroidery works, fold these sections inward to the saree to preserve their sheen.
How to Store Your Expensive Silk Sarees to Keep Them Wrinkle-free?
Silk sarees are delicate enough to acquire wrinkles at ease when you don’t take proper care of them. So, do you want to know a life-saving hack to prevent wrinkling of your saree? Store your silk saree in a hanging position to keep it free from crinkles and creases.
Additionally, while wearing a saree, you need to handle it properly to prevent permanent wrinkling of the saree surface. To do away with slight creases, you only need to opt for quick ironing before storing the saree in your closet.
Essential Tips while wearing Silk Sarees
Here are some of the essential tips on how to take care of your expensive silk sarees while wearing them.
- Every time you wear a silk saree, consider leaving it in the sun before storing it.
- While wearing a silk saree with a silk blouse, it is better to use sweat pads to avoid sweat stains on your silk saree.
- Do not throw away the silica gel sachets that you get while buying shoes and leather products. You can keep those gel sachets in your wardrobe to absorb moisture, thereby facilitating better caring for your silk sarees.
Tips for Storing Silk Sarees Based on Their Categories
Silk is a vast family of fabrics. So, not all the silk saree variants come with similar textures and characteristics. Hence, each of the sarees needs its unique way of caring.
So, here is how you can do it.
How Do You Take Care of Designer Silk Sarees?
Designer silk sarees deserve the best care as they are costly, and it is also quite hard to retain the beauty of the saree for a long time.
So, here is how you can take adequate care of your designer silk sarees.
- While washing designer sarees, do not use warm water. Also, it is better not to use any harsh soaps on them. Only use mild detergent or shampoo to clean your designer silk sarees.
- After washing, dry the designer sarees hanging under a shaded place and not in direct sun.
- While storing, do not fold the sarees tightly as they can get wrinkled.
- While maintaining your designer Zari saree, do not use any brush, as it can harm its texture, tearing apart the silk Zari fabrics.
- Use a saree bag for storing your designer sarees safely within the wardrobe.
How to Care for Kanjivaram Silk Sarees?
Do you have a knack for South-Indian kanjivaram sarees? Well, then let me tell you, to ensure its longevity and maintain its beautiful glamor, you need to opt for the dry-cleaning process.
So, here is how you can care for kanjivaram silk sarees at home.
- For washing your kanjivaram saree, try to apply shampoo, and never forget to use cold water.
- You can use soapberries or soap nuts for cleaning these silk sarees to retain their natural glow without any damage.
- Make sure you are never wringing the sarees after washing. Instead, it is better to roll the saree in a dry towel and remove the excessive moisture. Then, you can place it on a hanger and let it dry under a shade.
- After proper ironing, use cotton saree covers or muslin cloth to store your expensive kanjivaram silk sarees in the wardrobe.
FAQs
1. How do you soften silk sarees?
Silk sarees are very delicate and soft. Thus, there is no need for softening silk sarees after washing. However, if you still want to soften it for additional care, you can put a few drops of liquid fabric softener in cold water. Then, add your silk saree to it and swish it for some time. After that, soak the silk saree for only a few minutes in the water, and then carefully allow it to dry in a shaded place.
2. Can you machine wash raw silk?
In case you do not have sufficient time to hand wash your raw silk sarees, you can opt for machine washing. But make sure the appliance comes with a delicate washing cycle. Consider using a mild detergent for machine washing the raw silk sarees. Also, adjust the spin setting and set the shortest spin cycle to ensure your saree’s proper care.
3. Will silk shrink when you wash and dry?
Silk will shrink post washing only if you pre-wash it for more than five minutes. Exposing the silk fabric for a long time in water twists and tightens the fibers, leading to shrinkage. Also, if you dry it under direct sun or with a hot dryer, the silk material will reduce in size.
Conclusion
Silk is an auspicious fabric with its luster and smooth texture. Hence, knowing how to take proper care of your expensive silk sarees will be a beneficial venture for you. The best care for your expensive silk sarees will help you enhance their durability and maintain a glorious charm so that an ethnic shine and beauty stays forever.
I hope by now you have found your answer from this article. Hence, every time you care for your silk saree, make sure you are doing it in the right way.
