Silk is among the most luxurious and prized fabrics in the world. Featuring a soft, smooth texture with a natural glossy appearance, it offers the best of both worlds in terms of style and comfort. However, silk garments must be given extra care to protect them from damage. If you own a silk dress shirt, keep reading for some helpful tips on how to clean it.
Spot Treat Minor Stains
The safest way to clean a silk dress is to spot treat the stains using nothing more than cold water and a washcloth. Assuming the stains are minor and haven't settled into the fabric, this method should work. Take a washcloth and run it under cold water until it's just lightly damp. Next, gently blot the stain until it comes clean. It may take some time, but with a little bit of elbow grease minor stains should come out of the fabric. If you need to dry the shirt quickly, place a hair dryer in front of the newly cleaned area.
What About Tougher Stains?
Unfortunately, spot treating isn't going to work for all silk stains. It may suffice for dirt, but if you happen to spill coffee or ketchup on your silk dress shirt, you'll need to come up with a different solution. In situations such as this, it's usually best to soak the shirt in a tub of lukewarm water, at which point you can scrub the stain clean using a washcloth or scrub brush. Depending on the severity of the stain, you may want to add a small amount of laundry detergent to the water. When you are finished, rinse your shirt several times to eliminate any remaining detergent. Lastly, leave the shirt to air dry (don't use the machine clothes dryer for silk).
Dry Cleaning
When all else fails, you can usually clean a dirty silk dress shirt by taking it to the dry cleaners. The problem with silk is that it's susceptible to moisture damage. Therefore, soaking your silk shirt in a tub of water and soap may remove stains, but it could also damage the fabric. Unless you are willing to take this chance, you should consider having it dry cleaned instead. A professional dry cleaner will eliminate stains and dirt from your silk shirt, all without the use of water.
