Silk
Check the label first. Some silk can only be dry cleaned, because of the dye or the finish. If your piece is washable, wash it by hand in cool water, under 30°C, with a detergent made for silk or wool. Avoid biological detergents: silk is a protein fibre, and the enzymes in them break it down. Do not soak it for long and do not wring it. Press the water out between two clean towels, then lay the piece flat to dry, away from sun and radiators. Never hang it wet. Iron on the reverse, on the silk or lowest setting, while it is still slightly damp, and do not spray water on it.
Silk marks easily. Water can leave rings, so keep it away from drips. Sweat and antiperspirant can weaken silk and change its colour, so clean the piece soon after you have sweated in it. Let deodorant and perfume dry before you get dressed, because they can mark it.
Wool & Cashmere
Clean wool and cashmere rarely. After wearing, hang the piece to air and rest it, ideally for 24 hours before you wear it again. Brush a woven piece lengthwise with a soft clothes brush to take off the dust that dark wool shows, before it turns into a stain.
When a piece needs washing and the label allows it, wash it by hand in cool water with a wool detergent, press the water out and dry it flat, away from sun and heat. For a lined or structured piece such as the jacket, follow the label. If it says dry clean, take it to a professional dry cleaner, and only when it needs it. Creases usually fall out if you hang the piece in a steamy bathroom.
Cashmere pills. Some pilling in the first wears is normal: loose fibres tangle where the fabric rubs. Lay the piece flat and take the pills off gently with a cashmere comb, in one direction.
A woven piece such as the jacket hangs on a shaped or padded hanger. A knit is folded, because hanging stretches it.
Clothes moth larvae eat wool and cashmere, and they go first for fibres with sweat, food or skin oils on them. Clean wool is much less attractive to them, but not safe. Store pieces clean and dry, in a zipped garment bag or a closed container, and check them when the seasons change.
Tencel
Tencel is a fibre made from wood pulp, and it is generally easy to look after. Check the label, then wash it on a gentle cycle in cold water or at 30°C at most, with a low spin. Hang it over a rail or lay it flat to dry, out of direct sun. Avoid the tumble dryer: heat can shrink and discolour it.
Tencel dries relatively free of creases. If you want to press it, use a low heat setting.
Cashmere pills. Some pilling in the first wears is normal: loose fibres tangle where the fabric rubs. Lay the piece flat and take the pills off gently with a cashmere comb, in one direction.
A woven piece such as the jacket hangs on a shaped or padded hanger. A knit is folded, because hanging stretches it.
Clothes moth larvae eat wool and cashmere, and they go first for fibres with sweat, food or skin oils on them. Clean wool is much less attractive to them, but not safe. Store pieces clean and dry, in a zipped garment bag or a closed container, and check them when the seasons change.
Four rules for them all
- Clean a piece when it needs it, not by habit. Air it, brush it or spot clean first, and do not leave sweat or stains to set.
- Never wring. Press the water out.
- Avoid the tumble dryer. Heat damages silk and shrinks wool and Tencel.
- Keep direct heat and sun away: radiators, windowsills, a hot iron.
Mend early. A loose button or an opening seam takes minutes to fix now and a lot more later.
A woven piece such as the jacket hangs on a shaped or padded hanger. A knit is folded, because hanging stretches it.
Clothes moth larvae eat wool and cashmere, and they go first for fibres with sweat, food or skin oils on them. Clean wool is much less attractive to them, but not safe. Store pieces clean and dry, in a zipped garment bag or a closed container, and check them when the seasons change.