Air dry silk fabric in a cool, dim place, out of contact with direct sunlight. Either hang silk, or lay flat to air dry on an indoor drying rack. Drying silk properly will help to preserve the quality and sheen of your silk clothing for longer. Never tumble dry silk in the dryer.
This is How to Dry Silk: The Proper Way!
Our article How to Dry Silk will show you the correct way to dry silk shirts, blouses, pajamas, dress, pillowcases, and more, while also explaining the things you need to avoid in order to maintain your silk's quality.
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Use the guides below to provide the proper care to your silk fabrics, garments, bedding, and upholstery.
How to Dry Silk
Anything made from 100% silk must be air dried. Never place silk products in the dryer, as the heat and tumble dry action produced by the dryer can severely damage silk fibers and may also lead to shrinkage.
Carefully read the instructions below to learn how to properly dry silk.
How to Dry Silk After Hand Washing
When hand washing silk, the final step before drying is to rinse the garment under cold water. This will leave your garment soaking wet, which means it will need to be rolled in a towel to remove excess water before it can be left to air dry.
To do this, lay an absorbent towel on a flat surface and lay your silk item evenly on top. Roll the towel inwards as if you were making a sushi roll, and continue until the towel is completely spun up with your silk item inside. Apply pressure to the roll to help remove excess water from the silk fabric. Continue this until your silk garment is left slightly damp and ready to air dry. To air dry silk, hang or lay flat on an indoor drying rack in a cool place out of contact with direct sunlight.
How to Dry Silk After Machine Washing
If you’ve just machine washed your silk garment, it should come out from the spin cycle perfectly damp and ready to be air dried immediately. Simply remove the silk from the mesh laundry bag that is required for machine washing silk, and take it to a cool, dim area out of direct sunlight to hang or lay flat to air dry.
How to Dry Silk Pillowcases
Air dry silk pillowcases by hanging or laying flat on a drying rack. Keep the pillowcases flat and even while drying to avoid creating any wrinkles. The pillowcase should be slightly damp, not soaking wet, when preparing to air dry. If the pillowcase is too wet to begin air drying, then roll the pillowcase in an absorbent towel to help remove any excess water and moisture. Do not use the dryer to dry silk pillowcases unless the care label explicitly allows for it.
Continue reading: How to Dry Silk Pillowcases
How to Dry Silk Pajamas
Silk pajamas must be air dried, and the best way to air dry them is to hang or lay flat on a drying rack. Hang your silk pajama shirts, and flat dry your silk pajama pants for the best results. Doing this will help to avoid creating wrinkles during the drying process.
When hang drying your silk pajama shirt be sure to button it up completely and properly so that it dries with the proper shape and form. If your silk comes out of the wash inside out, make sure to turn it back out again so that the glossy outer surface is once again on the outside while drying.
How to Wash Silk
The best way to wash silk is by hand, although some silk garments can be machine washed as well.
Before attempting to wash your silk belongings, always check the item’s care label to see if you are allowed to hand and machine wash, or if the item is for dry clean only.
To hand wash silk, fill a basin with lukewarm water and add detergent for delicates. Submerge the silk in the water and let it soak for 3 minutes. Agitate the silk in the water until the dirt and stains have been completely removed. Rinse the silk under cold water until all the soap has been removed, and then roll it in an absorbent towel to remove the excess water. Finish by hanging or laying the silk flat to dry in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
If your silk is allowed to be machine washed, turn it inside out and place it inside a mesh laundry bag to protect it from damage during the washing process. Place the laundry bag into the washing machine, add silk detergent, and adjust the settings on the washing machine to delicate/gentle and cold water.
Read our detailed step-by-step instructions for washing silk by clicking on the link below.
Continue reading: How to Wash Silk
How to Dry Silk FAQ
How do you dry silk fast?
Silk needs to be air dried, so the drying process will always move at nature’s speed. However, by rolling your silk in an absorbent towel to remove excess water and moisture from the fabric before you air dry, you can help to reduce the total drying time necessary.
Can you dry silk in the dryer?
Silk should never be placed into the dryer. The heat combined with the tumble action of the dryer will likely cause damage to your silk garment. If you insist on machine drying your silk, use the air dry or tumble dry low setting to minimize the amount of damage caused to the silk fibers.
How long does it take silk to dry?
Silk should take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours to dry, depending on the environment it is stored in. Always air dry your silk fabrics in a cool, dim place, out of direct sunlight.