How to care for your hand-painted silk: some practical advice!

Silk is an extremely delicate type of fabric. The fibers should only be washed with mild detergents and with temperatures under 40 °C  (104 °F).

It’s best to keep your silk garments in a dry, dark place. Exposing silk to sunlight can cause the colors to fade or yellow.

If not mixed with wool, silk won’t be a target for clothes moths. Silk can easily be damaged by a high level of humidity that can cause mold and bacteria. Aggressive detergents, strong deodorants and sweat can create white stains or can cause the colors to fade.

You can hand-wash your silk but do not soak it: some components of the pigments are more sensible to water. Soaking your garment for too long might remove the paint, especially metallic details. It’s best to hand-wash your silk, using lukewarm water and a mild detergent. If you happen to stain your silk garment wash the stain by hand immediately with a natural soap (don’t leave the soap on for more than 2 minutes).

Let it dry in the shade, away from the sun or direct heat. Iron on “Silk setting”.

Before purchasing a silk garment check to see if it was sustainably produced by not killing the silkworms. You can find out more about it here:

www.cosetex.it/blog/seta-una-fibra-sostenibile