Don't Make These Laundry Mistakes When Removing Stains From Silk

There's no doubt about it: silk is simply stunning. From silk fabric home decor to bedsheets (particularly the highly hyped silk pillowcases) to luxurious clothing, silk has wormed its way into our hearts, homes, and closets. But this textile is known to be two-faced: while beautiful, it's also difficult to remove stains from. That alone has made it persona non grata for many.

Thanks to the delicate nature of silk's threads, it needs to be treated gently, especially when removing stains. This means that many go-to tricks to clean the worst laundry stains will potentially destroy your silk instead of cleaning it. If you do stain your silk, there are a few traditional stain-removing techniques to avoid: scrubbing, soaping, and waiting.

Due to silk's fragility, scrubbing can not only potentially cause the stain to spread, but it can cause more damage. Soap might seem like a good idea initially, but most concentrations are so sudsy that they could end up creating new stains instead of removing them. Waiting to clean your blouse until your next laundry day may make the stain even harder to remove. And absolutely, always skip the bleach. It might seem like a good idea, but trust us: it's not worth it.

If you accidentally stain your silk, don't panic. First, do a dye test to make sure you won't ruin the dye with a DIY stain remover. Dampen a white towel and dab at an inconspicuous spot. If the color appears onto the towel, the silk may be ruined if you try to remove the stain yourself. Call a dry cleaner for help. If the dye didn't appear on the white towel, you can move forward with a DIY treatment!

For most stains, blot it with cold water and continue dabbing to remove it. If you need a little more cleaning power, mix 1 part lemon juice or white vinegar and 1 part tepid water. (You could use a mixture of silk-specific detergent like Heritage Park Silk & Wool Detergent and water if preferred, but keep the suds at a minimum.) Dab the mixture onto the stain, being careful not to saturate the fabric. Make sure to properly rinse out the mixture once the stain is gone and allow to air dry. If your stain is oil-based, apply talcum powder and let it sit overnight. Brush off the powder, dab on cold water until the stain is cleared, and allow to air dry.

If you wear or have a lot of silk furniture, it may be worth creating a silk stain remover kit with talcum powder, white vinegar or lemon juice, white towels, and a silk-specific detergent if preferred (as well as the number of your favorite dry cleaner, just in case).