Silk

Villisilkki's selection includes some silk qualities that can be washed gently by hand or in the washing machine with a silk washing program, but for most of our silks we recommend dry cleaning in a professional laundromat. In particular,rigid silks (duchesse, shantung, dupion, taffeta etc.)  silks should never be put in water, because they lose their shine and get softer, shrink and wrinkle, and the fabric is practically ruined. You can always test the washing properties first with a small fabric cutting, and based on that you can decide whether to put the whole garment in the water wash.

 

Silk clothes should not be stored dirty; both sweat and alkales damage silk. Chemicals such as hairspray, perfume and deodorant easily cause changes in the colors of the silk fabric.

 

Stains should not be rubbed, but the garment should be promptly taken to a professional laundry for cleaning. The longer the stains are in the fabric, the worse it is to remove them. Prompt delivery to the laundry might save your clothes.

 

Perchloroethylene can be harsh on silk fibers, causing them to become brittle and lose their natural luster over time. Instead, choose a dry cleaner that uses gentler chemicals like hydrocarbon-based or liquid silicone-based solvents, which don't damage or discolor silk fabric. Ask more from your laundry.

 

Wash both parts of a two-piece suit at the same time, as strongly colored or dark clothes may lose color in the wash and the color tone may change slightly.

 

Airing is a good cleaning method for silk. Air the garment out of the sun, because strong sunlight, especially in the summer months, may fade especially strongly colored fabrics. Silk clothes should be stored as airy as possible (e.g. with a sturdy clothes hanger).

 

Water leaves easily marks on silk, so steaming or spraying may leave marks on the fabric.

 

To help with electrification, we recommend antistatic sprays (e.g. Softcare), which are available e.g. laundries and department stores. The sprayable antistatic spray removes electricity from the fabric. If the garment has several layers (e.g. outer layer and lining), both layers must be treated with a spray. When sprayed according to the manufacturer's instructions, the fine spray should leave no marks on the fabric.

Wool