AKICIF: How do you wash a sari?

[lydy]

I have a beautiful silk sari in midnight blue and teal with extremely elaborate silver embroidery that I adore. It looks beautiful, and it makes me look beautiful. I've had it for five years or so, and while I don't wear it often, I know that skin oils can damage fabric such as silk. At what point should I start to worry about washing it.

When that time comes, just exactly how does one wash 8 metres silk heavy with embroidery? And have it be smooth and ironed at the end of the process? I talked to a dry cleaner once, and he was unable to estimate, but said it could be more than $100. I'm thinking, no, not a chance.

I should really ask one of the sari shops that are starting to spring up on Central (Minneapolis has sari shops!), but I'm feeling lazy and also curious. Anybody know how this is done, even if it is feat to be performed by professionals only?

Comments

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I've never washed a sari, but I often hand-wash silk by leaving it to soak in cold water with bodyshop bubblebath for about an hour, and then rinsing it in more cold water, and then -- this is the bit that's counterintuitive but useful -- hang it on the line soaking wet without wringing at all. If you do this, the silk will dry flat and as if ironed, and obviate any need for any ironing at all. Ironing silk is a bad idea, apart from the likelihood of scorching or melting, heavy silk can actually set on fire. Well, so I've been told. It was in another country, and before any of us were born that my Auntie Floss started a fire in the scullery while ironing her silk stockings. (It was before the War, so probably in the 1930s.) I've never dared risk it myself. But the hang wet thing really works.

[fgherman.livejournal.com]

From http://www.silkhandicrafts.com/info/37.html:

Maintaining your silk sarees :

1. Dry-Cleaning is Preferable

Generally silk sarees should be dry-cleaned. In hand washing, the consistency of the silk may be altered, depending on the finishing treatment used to give it sheen and the colour may run. Chlorine bleach damages silk and causes it to yellow.

2. Washing Silks

Certain pre-wash techniques have made certain washable. Raw silk, china silk, India silk, crepe de chine, Pongee, Shantung, tussar, dupion and jacquard silks are safer to wash. After washing, one should roll in a towel to remove the excess moisture, and then hang on to dry on a padded hanger.

3. Stains

Stained silk sarees should be dry-cleaned as soon as possible. Dyes and sizings tend to discolour with moisture. Therefore attempting to remove stains with water is not recommended without first testing the silk for colour fastness. It is difficult to remove a concentrated food or beverage stain. Scrubbing or pressing could ruin the fabric.

Protein Stains: These stains include blood, deodorant, egg, meat juices and perspiration. To clear such stains, first detergent should be applied to the garment. Then it should be soaked in cool water and laundered. In case of persistent stains, rubbing a mixture of a few drops of Nh2 with hydrogen peroxide should be tried.

Combination Stains: These stains include chocolate, gravy, ice-cream and milk. First a dry-clean solvent should be applied and then dried. The protein part of the stain supplement can be treated by applying liquid detergent and rinsing with cool water. Then after using a prewash stain remover, the silk should be washed in the hottest water that it can stand.

Nailpolish Stain: This can be treated by rubbing acetone on the area.

Lipstick Stains: First Dry-cleaning fluids and then washing in soap and water can be used to remove lipstick stains.

Grease: These stains are usually caused by oils, butter, margarine, crayon, medicines and oil-based cosmetics. Dabbing on talc immediately will lift the stain. After brushing off the talc, a stain remover can be applied and the silk should be washed in the hottest water that it can stand.

Silkguard: Some manufacturers have developed a protective process using chemicals from 3 M corporation of US, which accidental spills (of tea, coffee, food particles, ketchup, oil, etc.) do not spoil the fabric. This treatment is effected at the yarn stage and hence the permeability of the fabric is not affected.

HOW TO CLEAN A SARI & saree care instructions-HOW TO CLEAN A SARI & saree care instructions

[joelrosenberg.livejournal.com]

I was going to say that I'm sari that I can't be of any help, and then decided not to, and then thought worse of that.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

I am in a virtual state of apoplexy.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to figure out how to hang 8 metres of silk on a clothes line. Even if we had one, which we don't and I kinda wish we did, the chances of it being fully 8 metres is kinda unlikely.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

What a sorry joke that is.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

So, like, how many dry padded hangars do you figure?

[papersky.livejournal.com]

You do it in loops. It helps if you're upstairs, too. I could quite easily hang eight metres of silk in loops on my perhaps five metre long clothes line.

I have seen a sari hung like that -- from a train window while passing through Birmingham.

You know, though, maybe you could just sponge whatever might need cleaning and not worry too much about it.

[fgherman.livejournal.com]

All of them, I think.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

It's actually not soiled, except so much as wearing it causes it to come in contact with skin. I guess I'll not do anything until I spill something on it or something.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

It so happens that one of the most expensive fabric-artifacts I own is silk -- 2 square meters of tie-dye which I spent over a hundred dollars on, and was happy with the bargain.
I asked the guy who did it about washing it, and he said dish soap in cold water, which I've heard elsewhere since. This piece is a very light, gauzy weight, but I can attest that simply hanging dripping wet, smoothing carefully, and allowing to air dry works wonderfully. (It's what I do with my silk shirts. The biggest hassle is the smoothing, which is more complicated with a shirt than a sari!)
You have enough space (assuming the back yard is available without rousing hostility from The Gardener) to hang it in loops, so go for it!

cleaners

[(Anonymous)]

There's a great cleaners on Lyndale Ave in Minneapolis that can clean anything. I purchased a beautiful gown that had a ton of bead work, then promptly dumped a plate on food on it the first time I wore it. I was heart-broken, because most dry cleaners won't touch beadwork, much less guarentee their work. However, Colonial Cleaners on Lyndale uses different techniques and took care of all the spills and didn't lose a single bead. It was quite impressive and cheap! I think it was around $20 or so. Hope this helps.

Re: cleaners

[lydy.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the people to talk to. I know where they are, they're really close to where I live.

Hello

[(Anonymous)]

I'm new here, just wanted to say hello and introduce myself.