Silk Saree Maintenance
Posted 23rd October 2007 at 03:47 AM by krishnaamma
Updated 19th February 2008 at 11:16 PM by krishnaamma
Updated 19th February 2008 at 11:16 PM by krishnaamma
How to keep the saree?
The saree should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Unfold your silk sarees and change the folding preferably every month.
Better to spread them on bed for 4 - 5 hours and then again fold them and keep them inside.
All silk outfits must be wrapped in muslin cloth or cotton bags.
Ensure minimal friction between the cloth and the embroidery when you fold embroidered outfits.
Silk outfits are best maintained if kept in a hanging position.
For wrinkle-free outfits, delicate handling is required.
Washing the Silk Saree
With proper care, silk can be well-maintained for years together.
Do not use soap for the first three washes. Gently rinse in plain cold water.
For the subsequent washes, use a mild detergent.
Wash the pallu, border and body separately.
Avoid washing the saree with inferior quality material or bright colours.
You can use a protein shampoo with warm/cold water.
The shampoo protein will feed the protein in the silk.
Avoid using chemicals – these may damage and reduce the lifespan of the silk.
Do not brush or lash the silk saree; it might lead to tearing the zari.
Avoid twisting or wringing the silk.
Do not bundle and keep wet for long durations.
If you dont want to wash the saree in soap you can use 'soap seeds' - boovandi kotai' in Tamil,
பூவந்தி கொட்டை and in Telugu 'kunkudu kai'
Take 12 - 15 soap seeds and put them in hot water for 15 min. remove seeds from them and use the water to wash the 'pattu saree' You will feel the saree is too soft after wasing it. YOu will get a good smell also.
Drying Silk (Pattu) Saree
After washing, the saree must be dried immediately.
First, roll the saree in a dry towel to remove the excess moisture.
Then, hang it on to a padded hanger.
Dont put the silk saree in direct sunlight.
You can put inside the room itself.
Dry - Cleaning
In dry-cleaning, fluids are used to remove stains from the fabric.
The fluids contain little or no water and do not penetrate the fibre as water does.
Dry-cleaning is the best way to care for silk, since the solvents used do not affect silk.
The following points must be kept in mind when taking your silk clothes to the dry-cleaner
Take the stained garment immediately and inform the nature of the stain
Be sure to indicate even the unapparent stains
Point out areas that have lost the colour / lustre, so that the dry-cleaner can restore them
Dealing with Stains
Firstly, wash with cold water immediately.
For hard stains, soak the stained area with petrol and brush with a soft cloth.
Stained silk must be dry-cleaned as soon as possible.
By rubbing acetone on the area, nail polish stains can be removed.
For lipstick stains, use dry-cleaning fluids, followed by washing soap and water.
Greasy stains can be removed by dabbing talc.
Once this is done, the talc should be brushed off and stain remover applied.
The stain can then be washed off in the hottest water possible.
For treating food stains like milk, ice-cream, chocolate, gravy, etc., use a dry-clean solvent.
By applying detergent and then washing off with cold water, the protein part of the stain can be removed.
After using a stain remover, it should be washed off in hot water.
Protein stains like blood, deodorant, egg, meat juices and perspiration can be cleared with detergent.
They should be soaked in cool water and laundered. If they persist, try rubbing a mixture of a few drops of Nh2 with hydrogen peroxide.
The saree should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Unfold your silk sarees and change the folding preferably every month.
Better to spread them on bed for 4 - 5 hours and then again fold them and keep them inside.
All silk outfits must be wrapped in muslin cloth or cotton bags.
Ensure minimal friction between the cloth and the embroidery when you fold embroidered outfits.
Silk outfits are best maintained if kept in a hanging position.
For wrinkle-free outfits, delicate handling is required.
Washing the Silk Saree
With proper care, silk can be well-maintained for years together.
Do not use soap for the first three washes. Gently rinse in plain cold water.
For the subsequent washes, use a mild detergent.
Wash the pallu, border and body separately.
Avoid washing the saree with inferior quality material or bright colours.
You can use a protein shampoo with warm/cold water.
The shampoo protein will feed the protein in the silk.
Avoid using chemicals – these may damage and reduce the lifespan of the silk.
Do not brush or lash the silk saree; it might lead to tearing the zari.
Avoid twisting or wringing the silk.
Do not bundle and keep wet for long durations.
If you dont want to wash the saree in soap you can use 'soap seeds' - boovandi kotai' in Tamil,
பூவந்தி கொட்டை and in Telugu 'kunkudu kai'
Take 12 - 15 soap seeds and put them in hot water for 15 min. remove seeds from them and use the water to wash the 'pattu saree' You will feel the saree is too soft after wasing it. YOu will get a good smell also.
Drying Silk (Pattu) Saree
After washing, the saree must be dried immediately.
First, roll the saree in a dry towel to remove the excess moisture.
Then, hang it on to a padded hanger.
Dont put the silk saree in direct sunlight.
You can put inside the room itself.
Dry - Cleaning
In dry-cleaning, fluids are used to remove stains from the fabric.
The fluids contain little or no water and do not penetrate the fibre as water does.
Dry-cleaning is the best way to care for silk, since the solvents used do not affect silk.
The following points must be kept in mind when taking your silk clothes to the dry-cleaner
Take the stained garment immediately and inform the nature of the stain
Be sure to indicate even the unapparent stains
Point out areas that have lost the colour / lustre, so that the dry-cleaner can restore them
Dealing with Stains
Firstly, wash with cold water immediately.
For hard stains, soak the stained area with petrol and brush with a soft cloth.
Stained silk must be dry-cleaned as soon as possible.
By rubbing acetone on the area, nail polish stains can be removed.
For lipstick stains, use dry-cleaning fluids, followed by washing soap and water.
Greasy stains can be removed by dabbing talc.
Once this is done, the talc should be brushed off and stain remover applied.
The stain can then be washed off in the hottest water possible.
For treating food stains like milk, ice-cream, chocolate, gravy, etc., use a dry-clean solvent.
By applying detergent and then washing off with cold water, the protein part of the stain can be removed.
After using a stain remover, it should be washed off in hot water.
Protein stains like blood, deodorant, egg, meat juices and perspiration can be cleared with detergent.
They should be soaked in cool water and laundered. If they persist, try rubbing a mixture of a few drops of Nh2 with hydrogen peroxide.
Total Comments 15
Comments
| | Hai Krishnaamma, I am looking at a blog in IL for the first time. I keep my silk sarees in a cloth bag, where there are soft white partitions with zip to keep the sarees. I got this bag from one of the Mummy Daddy exhibition which is held in Bangalore during the summer vacation some years ago. Regards, Abha. |
Posted 23rd October 2007 at 08:12 AM by abhatv |
| | Silk saree maint. contd.Hi abha, thank you for your comments. Yes is important to keep the pattu saree very carefully. Because we will use them once in a while and we are paying a heavy amount on that. So better to keep them carefully. My co sister, got 4 sarees for her marriage in 76. Generally what people will say you have to wash atleast once. If you dont want to use soap or soap seeds, just wash with plain water and dry it. Because while making the saree, they use some chemicals. If we keep the saree as it is they will get spoiled. But my co- sister will not wash any of her saree. She will wear atleast three four times and then she will wash. For pattu saree, she will not show water at all. After a year or two all her sarees spoiled. She could not wear them. They started 'taring' according to the fold. So ladies, please wash first time immediately after you wear it. Then you can keep and you can wash them rarely. all the best. |
Posted 23rd October 2007 at 10:46 AM by krishnaamma |
| | hi krishnamma, Nice tips on silk sarees. i dont wear them at all..nowadays..as they irritate my sutures in my tummy....but very dutifully wash them and iron them regularly.... |
Posted 30th October 2007 at 10:51 PM by Shanvy |
| | Hi Krishnamma.... thank you for this useful post.........I was in real need of that........ My wedding sarees are so costly and silks with heavy Jardoji/embroidery work...and I din't know, how to manage them.........I will do as you have said to maintain my sarees....... One more thing........can I do the same with my hubby's Sherwanis too............ Thank you. Meeta. |
Posted 1st November 2007 at 10:28 AM by Meeta |
| | Thanks, Krishnamma for these tips. yesterday only i was thinking about how to preserve those silk sarees as i don't use it often, here! sriniketan |
Posted 1st November 2007 at 07:10 PM by Sriniketan |
| | Thanks Krishnamma for these tips... i was wondering how to maintain the sarees..these are really useful tips.. |
Posted 23rd November 2007 at 07:39 AM by rashmigirish |
| | Hi Sri and Rashmi, thanks for your comments. |
Posted 21st February 2008 at 11:22 PM by krishnaamma |
| | Hi Shanti, You can stitch salwar out of your unused sarees. I did like that. so that I can wear them with out any problem. Theyl ook rich also. and easy to maintain. You are having girl baby; so that you can stitch 'pavadi' for her use. Just small suggestion only. If I am wrong .. . sorry ya. |
Posted 5th March 2008 at 02:27 AM by krishnaamma |
| | Hi Meeta, Thanks for your comment. Yes you can do the same for your hubby's Sherwanis too. |
Posted 5th March 2008 at 02:28 AM by krishnaamma |
| | krishnamma, You are not wrong in suggesting. To be frank..I don't like to wear silk..so maybe stitch them into pavadais if veda agrees..because now that m&mil are not there to question only permission should come from him... |
Posted 5th March 2008 at 02:30 AM by Shanvy |
| | Dear Krishnaamma, It is verynnice to read how to maintain silksaree. You are 100% correct in your suggestions. I used to stitch salwars with my silk sarees to my daughter and it was very nice than wearing as saree. Viji |
Posted 6th March 2008 at 11:58 PM by vijikrishnan |
| | Helo Krishnaamma, What you have suggested is 100% correct. I used to make salward with my used silk sarees and it looks amazing when my daughter wear it. |
Posted 7th March 2008 at 12:00 AM by vijikrishnan |
| | Dear Viji, I am using all my weding sarees like this only. We are not wasting it and it is easy towear and wash. and also to maintain. ![]() ![]() ![]() for your comments. |
Posted 15th March 2008 at 02:33 AM by krishnaamma |
| | Pls suggest if any readymade bags are available to keep the Pattu Sarees. |
Posted 12th May 2008 at 05:22 AM by marrgg |
| | Yes, ready made bags are availabe to keep pattu sarees, cotton sarees, shirts and even you can get blouse shaped - blouse bags. you can get those readymade bags, in T.Nagar. They will be very useful to maintain sarees and also helpful while travelling. |
Posted 12th May 2008 at 07:23 AM by krishnaamma |
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. sorry ya.
for your comments.