How to wash Tant sarees

We are all aware that Tant is a popular type of saree worn by women in West Bengal and Bangladesh, i.e. Bengalis. Murshidabad, Nadia, Dhaka, Tangail, and Hooghly are all recognized for weaving this sort of saree. 

This saree is designed for everyday wear, and its lightness and transparency make it the most ideal and pleasant garment to wear in India’s hot and humid climate. Tant and muslin became well-known during the Mughal Empire, but it is alleged that the British government attempted to eliminate the sector to protect the Manchester textile industry. Well, today the demand is growing again for this saree. I will give you brief details about Tant sarees and how to wash them and maintain them for a long time.

Tant saree can be washed by soaking in warm water with rock salt if it is first time. Next time onwards, you can wash by soaking it in water for 2-3 minutes with mild detergent or shampoo, followed by hand rubbing, cleaning it, and then applying starch and water, followed by further cleaning.

Weavers utilized handlooms in the past, but these were eventually superseded by power looms. These sarees are frequently available in lovely pastel colors with well-designed thick borders. The motifs utilized in Tant include flowery and paisley in general, giving it a relaxed yet elegant appearance. The women in several Bengali films wore this saree to give them an ethnic Bengali look.

How Tant Saree is Different From Other Sarees

The weaving technique is what makes the Tant saree apart from any other kind of sarees. Bundles of cotton threads are cleansed to remove any chemicals, sun-dried, bleached, and dried again, and then dyed by dipping them in boiling colored water. They are then starched and further treated to make them finer and more durable. The threads are coiled on bamboo drums before being fed into the loom.

The design on the border, pallu, and body of every Tant saree is distinctive. These designs are created by an artist and then perforated onto soft cardboards, which are then suspended from the loom. Everything is now ready for the weaving to begin. It takes roughly 10-12 hours to weave the simplest Tant saree.

How To Wash A Tant Saree

• The Tant Saree should be soaked in warm water with rock salt before being washed for the first time. 
• There will be less color bleeding in subsequent washes as a result of this.
• It also becomes as good as new after using Charak. 
• Only mild detergent should be used, and it should not be dried in direct sunlight to guarantee lifespan.
• You can use any mild shampoo in a big pot and soak the saree into it for 2-3 minutes.
• Use your hand to rub the saree and clean it. Don’t use any other material or brush as it can damage the saree.
• Soak it into clean water then and clean it again.
• Now you can add some starch & a bit of water into it to maintaining the glow of the saree.
• Now let it soak in the sunlight, so the starch can dry up.

Bengal Tant sarees are simple to clean and maintain. You don’t need to spend money on dry cleaning them because a simple hand or machine wash would suffice. You may also make them last longer by dipping them in starch once in a while.

Precautions while washing Tant saree

1. Soak a Tant saree for 10-15 minutes in a bucket of warm water mixed with rock salt before washing it for the first time.
    
2. This will ensure that the color is permanently attached to the saree and will prevent the saree from ‘bleeding’ color during successive washing of the garment. Use a mild detergent to wash a Tant saree to keep it from shrinking. Instead of wringing it out excessively, hang it over a water faucet and allow the extra water to run away from the fabric.
   
3. Always starch Tant sarees (after washing them) to guarantee that they retain their crispness and remain stain-free after washing.
   
4. When laying the saree out to dry, make sure it is in a shaded area because allowing direct sunlight to strike the saree will cause the color to fade.
   
5. Keep the saree in an airy cupboard that is free of humidity and direct sunlight to maintain its freshness.

How To Polish A Tant Saree?

There is a potential that the saree will lose its sheen when it is washed at home or when it is sent to the dry cleaners, whether you do it yourself or have it done. Simple procedures can be taken to restore some of the lusters to your sarees if they have lost some of their sheens.

In a clean bucket, combine a weak mix of distilled white vinegar and lukewarm water and set aside (Use 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every liter of water). Allow the saree to soak in the vinegar solution for 3-5 minutes, or until completely saturated. Remove the saree from the solution and thoroughly rinse it in cold, running water to remove any remaining solution. Check to see that all of the vinegar and its scent has been removed from the area. Squeeze the saree gently, avoiding twisting or wringing it at all times.

The saree should now be completely dried by enveloping it in a large, fluffy towel. It is possible that you may need to fold the saree in order to fit it along the length of the towel. To remove excess water from the saree, gently roll and press the towel against it. To finish drying your saree, remove it from the towel and hang it up to dry entirely. It is not recommended to hang it in direct sunlight as this may cause discoloration. Tant sarees dry quite rapidly, and once they are dry, the luster of the saree is returned to its former glory.

If the saree requires ironing, do not wait for it to dry completely before doing so. While it is still moist, iron it on the inside or use the “Tant” option on your iron to finish it. Whenever possible, it is preferable to spot test a tiny, hidden section of the saree before ironing the entire garment.

Avoid using a machine dryer to dry Tant sarees because they will shrink and fray. The dry, strong heat from the dryer has the potential to permanently damage the Tant.

Conclusion 

Tant sarees are now available with designs that are hand-painted, printed, and embroidered on the fabric, in keeping with the current fashion trends. ‘Tant Banarasi’ is a variation on the classic Tant in which zari work is woven into the borders and the Pallu of a Banarasi silk saree along with the patterns, giving rise to the term the “Tant Banarasi” saree.