Last Reviewed:March 22, 2023 by Gabrielle Marks
Can Silk Get Wet?
Most silk garments can get wet, but water makes the fibers more fragile. It should not get wet if your garment is already fragile, such as an old heirloom piece. Explore how to work with silk and water.
Unless using a professional dry cleaner, washing silk means getting it wet. To achieve the best possible results when washing silk, you need to be aware of several facts about silk that could potentially harm your garment.
- Water makes silk fibers more fragile
- Water causes many dyes to bleed
- Water causes looser silk weaves to shrink
- Water causes softening
- Water has the potential to set a stain on silk
Water Makes Silk Fibers More Fragile
Water is no friend to silk. Water weakens silk because it causes the fibers to stretch, which in turn causes them to tear more easily. [1]
Because getting silk wet causes the individual silk fibers to become more fragile, it is important to hand wash silk garments with great care. Fill a washing bucket with lukewarm or cold water. Never use hot water on silk as it will yellow white silk and cause colored silk to run. Use a mild detergent created for delicate fabrics. Use a light hand when handling the wet garment. Never wring the garment to squeeze out excess water. Instead, lay it flat on an absorbent towel and roll it up to remove excess moisture. Hang silk garments to air-dry indoors or in the shade. Sunlight will yellow white silk and fade dyed silk. [2]
It is important to wash your silk garments immediately after wear because silk reacts adversely to the chloride salt in perspiration and deodorant and will leave a permanent stain. [3]
If you are dealing with a fragile heirloom silk piece, it is best not to get it wet. Your only option may be airing it out or vacuuming. [4]
Water Causes Many Silk Dyes to Bleed
Some silks are hand washable; others will only survive a professional dry cleaning. Silk is highly absorbent, so the fiber takes well to dyes. There are many dyes that, when used on silk, will bleed when they come in contact with water. This is usually why many silk items are labeled as dry-clean only.
To err on the side of safety, for those silk garments labeled ‘hand-washable,’ wash these garments separately from any other laundry. The dyes may still bleed. [5]
Water Causes Looser Silk Weaves to Shrink
Two types of silk fabric tend to shrink most when wet. Silks that have not been pre-washed or pre-shrunk before manufacturing and silks that have a looser weave are typically lighter weight silks. Silks with a tighter weave should shrink much less, if at all, when they get wet. [6]
Water Causes Silk to Soften
Some silks tend to soften when wet, so if you prefer a very crisp look for your silk garment, you may utilize a dry cleaner to avoid the softening that may occur when silk gets wet.
Water Has the Potential to Set a Stain on Silk
If you get a spot on a silk garment, quickly blot the spot with an absorbent towel. Be careful not to rub at it. Rubbing can cause the weak fibers to break and may leave you with a light spot. Tide suggests spot treating any stains with cool water and a diluted solution of detergent, making sure to test an inconspicuous spot first. If there is no adverse reaction, blot the stain with the solution before handwashing. [7]
Resources
[1] “Stain Removal.” Museum Conservation Institute. Smithsonian. N.d. Web 7 Feb 2020. https://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/stains.html
[2] “Modern Home Laundering.” Michigan State University Library. Web. 7 Feb. 2020. https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/sliker/msuspcsbs_unia_landersfra21/msuspcsbs_unia_landersfra21.pdf
[3] “Chloride Salt Damage.” National Cleaner’s Association. Web. 7 Feb. 2020. http://www.nca-i.com/chloride.html
[4] “Cleaning Heirloom Textiles.” University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. N.d., Web. 7 Feb 2020. https://fleming.ca.uky.edu/files/cleaning_heirloom_textiles.pdf
[5] [7] “Washing Silk.” Tide.com. N.p., n.d., Web. 7 Feb. 2020. https://tide.com/en-us/how-to-wash-clothes/washing-different-fabrics/how-to-wash-and-care-for-silk-clothes
[6] “Silk: This is the fabric that makes its own statement! Fabrics.net.” Fabrics.net « Hand Selected Fabrics, Timeless Elegance Fabrics.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb 2020. http://info.fabrics.net/fabric-facts/silk/
