Taking care of your silk at home is surprisingly easy. Here are the top tips on how to wash, dry, and protect your investment without a single trip to the dry cleaner.
1. The Hand Wash: Show It Some Love
If you want your silk to last for years, hand washing is the gold standard.
-
The Setup: Fill a clean basin or sink with cool or lukewarm water.
-
The Product: Drop in a splash of specialised pH-neutral liquid detergent meant for silk or delicates. Do not use regular detergent, it’s too harsh and will strip the natural sheen right off the fibres.
-
The Motion: Submerge your silk, gently swirl it around for 3 to 5 minutes, and let the soap do the work. No scrubbing. We aren’t trying to exfoliate the fabric.
-
The Rinse: Drain the basin and rinse thoroughly with cold water until the suds are gone.
The Golden Rule: Never wring or twist your silk to get the water out. That snaps the delicate fibres. Instead, lay it flat on a clean, light-coloured towel, roll the towel up like a burrito, and press gently to absorb the excess moisture.
2. The Machine Wash: For When Life Happens
We get it. You're busy, and sometimes the washing machine is the only way it's going to happen. You can do it, but you have to play by these rules:
-
Protect It: Put your silk items inside a mesh garment bag. This prevents them from getting snagged on the machine drum or tangled up with the hardware of your other clothes.
-
The Settings: Turn the dial to the Delicate or Hand Wash cycle. Set the spin speed to the lowest setting possible.
-
The Temp: Keep it strictly cold. Heat alters the structure of silk and causes shrinkage.
3. Air Drying: Step Away from the Dryer
The dryer is to silk what humidity is to a fresh silk press: total destruction. The intense heat and friction will shrink the fabric, dull its lustre, and leave it looking tired.
-
How to Dry: Hang your silk on a padded hanger or lay it flat on a drying rack.
-
Where to Dry: Keep it inside or in the shade. Direct sunlight and radiators are UV traps that fade the vibrant colours and weaken the natural fibres.
4. Getting Rid of the Wrinkles (Safely)
Silk relaxes naturally when it hangs, but if you need it perfectly smooth right now, proceed with caution.
-
The Steamer (Best Method): A garment steamer is your best friend. Hold it a few inches away and let the steam gently drop the wrinkles out.
-
The Iron (Risky, But Doable): Turn the garment inside out. Set your iron to the absolute lowest "Silk" or "Cool" setting. Always place a pressing cloth (like a clean cotton pillowcase) between the iron and your silk so there’s no direct heat contact.
By keeping your Kova Silk items clean and cared for, you’re ensuring they keep doing their job: protecting your skin, saving your hair, and keeping you looking effortless night after night.
