You spent more time than you care to admit this morning picking out the perfect outfit. At the center of your ensemble is that silk top you just bought after eyeing it for weeks. You're on the way to the office, coffee in hand, and ready to face whatever the day brings… uh oh... you spilled coffee all over yourself… the day is officially over.
If the above is a recurring theme in your life, or you just happen to have silk clothes that you want to take care of properly, this guide is for you.
Silk fabric is a luxury – a delicate one. This means that it requires special care and attention when cleaning and removing stains. Doing so ensures odors don't set in and the fabric's integrity and shape are kept – ensuring garment longevity.
5 Tips to Get Stains Out of Silk
Here are a few important practices to employ when removing stains from your silk clothing:
Use Gentle Cleaning Methods
Water stains (juice, coffee) require mild solutions – laundry detergent or gentle soap diluted in water will suffice. There is no need for harsher methods or chemicals (don't use bleach) at this time.
Test in an Unseen Area
Start any cleaning method (whether you're using a stain remover, laundry detergent, vinegar, etc.) in a small, unseen part of the garment as a test. Known as a colorfastness test, check for any discoloration, fading, bleeding, or damage to the fibers.
Treat Tougher Stains with Vinegar
If detergent or soap were a no-go in removing stains, try white vinegar. Create an equal parts mix consisting of water and vinegar. Dab the stain, leave it for a few minutes, and then blot with a clean cloth (more on this technique below).
Using Talcum Powder for Oil Stains
In the unfortunate scenario that your silk shirt is stained with oil, try applying talcum powder (or cornstarch) to the stain. Let it rest and absorb for a few hours (ideally, leave it overnight). Make sure to gently brush it off afterward.
Seek Professional Cleaning Services for Stubborn Stains
Think of your immediate reaction to the stain the equivalent of a paramedic. The dry cleaner will be the hospital to get your garment back to full health. Chances are your stain is small and comes off with your quick actions (if so, great!). However, it is more likely that the stain will be stubborn and not want to leave.
If this is the case, a visit to your professional dry cleaner is in store.
How to Get Stains Out of Silk in 4 Easy Steps
Armed with the above tips, we will go through the actual step-by-step process of removing stains from your beautiful silk:
Wipe, Don’t Press
Use a damp cloth or towel to gently wipe or blot the stain. Be careful not to apply too much pressure to the stained area, as this may cause the stain to set faster by pushing it further into the silk fibers.
The faster you act, the more efficient the treatment will be – try to avoid having the stain set.
Keep the Garment Away from Heat and Sunlight
After you're over your "oh crap" moment, the next thing to do is reduce the stain's exposure to natural and artificial light and heat until you can get it to the dry cleaners. Ideally, you’d want to take the garment off as quickly as possible, because even your body heat can further set the stain.
That said, if you’re in public, we recommend toughing it out until you find a suitable place to change into your second outfit choice. Once you’ve changed, the best thing you can do is hang the garment up. If that isn't possible, place it gently into a laundry bag and try to avoid allowing the stain to come in contact with the clean portion of the shirt or other garments.
In addition, make sure to use cool water – hot water will likely damage the fabric (lukewarm water is okay).
Bring the Garment to a Professional Cleaner
Silk isn’t something you want to attempt to clean at home. Cleaners use a variety of solvents to remove tough stains. These include specific tannin removers, vegetable-based products, and hydrogen peroxide. When they have the right information, professional cleaners have an arsenal of tricks that can remove your stain without adding unnecessary heat, pressure, or detergents which can compromise the fabric of your garment.
Give Your Cleaner as Much Detail as Possible
Information is power for your cleaner. It is critical for the cleaner to know what type of stain is on the garment (what and when it happened). Your dry cleaner removes stains based on what specific substance was introduced into the fabric.
While it might seem like unnecessary information, the treatment is different if you spilled plain coffee vs. coffee with cream and sugar. Specifically, since creamers contain dairy and coffee alone does not. The cleaner would use a protein stain remover for the milk and vegetable tannin stain remover for the coffee. Even the slightest detail can help the cleaner remove the stain completely. The more specific you are about the source of the stain, the better chance the cleaner has to remove the stain entirely.
Keep Stains Away from Your Silk Clothes with Rinse
Let us leave you with one final recommendation. After the initial shock of discovering a stain on your silk clothing, recovering from that, and following our guide to treating it, the last part is taking the garment to a professional cleaner.
Sure, you can go to a local dry cleaner, or you could try a proven professional service – Rinse. We have an arsenal of tricks acquired over the years that ensure your stained silk clothes are cleaned to the highest standard.
It gets even better though – we offer pickup and delivery services right to your home, all 7 days a week. You don't even need to be home. Not only do we offer dry cleaning, but we can take care of all your laundry with our Wash & Fold services. Say goodbye to laundry day and watch your silk be dry cleaned flawlessly with Rinse!
Contact us at Rinse today to see our skill in action.
