How to detach silk?

How to remove a stain from silk? Silk is soft, silky and chic but it is also very delicate and fragile and therefore requires special maintenance and cleaning.

So to properly detach and clean it, here are some good tips and tricks for removing a stain from silk.

Before trying Grandma’s tips and remedies below, it is important to always read the care label of the garment to clean it well and especially not to damage the silk.

• Washing a silk garment in the washing machine: Wash the silk garment on the delicate cycle and use a detergent specially formulated for silk and other delicate fabrics.
• Washing a silk garment by hand: Fill a basin with cold or lukewarm water and add a mild soap. Soak the silk garment in soapy water and swirl gently for 3-5 minutes, rinse and dry to finish.

A fragile and delicate fabric!

Silk is a fragile and delicate textile so be careful, it is better to test the tips and products on an inconspicuous part of the garment.

2. Remove a grease stain from silk

A grease stain on a garment is difficult to remove, so imagine this stain on a silk garment!

So here is a trick to remove a stain with talc:

1. Sprinkle the grease stain with talc and rub gently with your hand.
2. Leave the talc on for 1-2 hours and shake (dusting) to remove the talc.
3. Finish in the washing machine or with a hand wash as indicated above.

3. Oil stain on silk and Terre de Sommières

Similar to the previous tip, here is another tip for removing an oil or grease stain from silk with Terre de Sommières.

Here are the steps for this anti-stain tip on silk:

1. Sprinkle a good quantity of Terre de Sommières on the oily or greasy stain.
2. Apply 3 or 4 layers of paper towels to the stain and iron over the paper towels.
3. Any oil stain will be absorbed with the hot iron and paper towel.

If the stain is still visible on the silk you can finish by dabbing the stain on a soft cloth and turpentine.

4. Removing a red wine stain from silk

Regardless of the stain on silk, it is important to act quickly to fully remove it, and this is even more « true » for a red wine stain!

A recent red wine stain on a silk garment is much easier to clean than an old, dry and fixed wine stain.

So here’s how to detach red wine from silk:

• Dab the stain with a paper towel to remove excess red wine.
• Use a cloth with water and a little vinegar and dab the stain again.
• Finish with a machine wash on a gentle cycle, following the cleaning instructions on the garment label.

5. Remove a makeup stain from silk

Did you just stain your beautiful white silk shirt with makeup?

Stain of foundation, eye shadow, lipstick, whatever the stain here is a grandmother’s tip that works pretty well on silk:

1. Soak a cotton ball or cloth in alcohol at 90°C and gently dab the make-up stain.
2. Rinse with a new damp cloth and finish cleaning the floss on the delicate machine cycle.

This 90°C alcohol trick is also effective against stains from coffee, tomato juice and other liquids that have fallen on a silk garment.

For other tips and tricks for removing foundation on fabric, it’s here: Removing a foundation stain from clothing.

6. Detach silk with lemon juice

To easily remove a stain from silk, a natural trick is to use lemon juice.

This trick is particularly effective for removing paint and ink stains from clothing, a tie or a silk scarf.

Here are the steps to properly detach the garment:

1. Remove the excess paint with a spoon or better still a spatula.
2. Use paper towels to soak up as much of the ink or paint as possible on the silk.
3. Soak a cloth in white spirit or nail polish remover and dab the stain gently.
4. Rinse the silk and finish with a machine wash to complete the cleaning.

For a stubborn stain on a white silk shirt (like spagh sauce) here is an article with several other cleaning tips: Tomato sauce stain on white shirt.