Caring for your silk saree

A good silk saree can stay in a family for decades. Most of that comes down to a few quiet habits after each wear, and none of them takes long.

After you wear it

Let it breathe before you fold it. Hang it over a wide hanger or a clean chair in the shade for an hour or two, so body warmth and any dampness leave the fabric. Keep it out of direct sun, which fades silk.
Look it over while it airs. A small mark is much easier to deal with today than in a month.
Keep perfume, deodorant and hairspray off the silk and the zari. Put them on before you drape, and let them dry first.

Cleaning

Dry cleaning is the safe choice for heavy silks and anything with zari. Tell the cleaner it is silk with zari.
Clean only when it needs it. Airing after each wear often keeps a silk saree fresh for several wears.
Lighter silks: if the care label or the seller says one can be hand washed, use cold water and a mild liquid detergent meant for silk. Do not soak or wring it, and dry it in the shade.

Stains

Blot, never rub. Rubbing spreads the mark and roughens the weave.
Do not put water or stain remover straight on the silk at home. Water can leave rings on many silks.
Take it to a dry cleaner soon, and say what the stain is: oil, turmeric, food or lipstick each need different treatment.

Ironing

Iron on the reverse, on a low or silk setting, with a thin cotton cloth between the iron and the saree.
Press zari borders only from the back. Direct heat can dull the metallic thread.
Do not spray water on the silk to lift creases. If a crease is stubborn, slightly dampen the cotton cloth instead.

Storing

Wrap each saree in soft cotton, such as an old cotton veshti, or keep it in a muslin bag. Avoid plastic covers, which trap moisture.
Keep it in a cool, dry cupboard. In the monsoon, check now and then for damp.
Refold every few months along different lines. Folds held for a long time weaken silk and can crack zari along the crease.
Cover the zari. A layer of plain white tissue or cotton over the zari border and pallu stops them rubbing against other sarees.
Moth balls: many people keep them away from silk and zari. Dried neem leaves in a small cloth pouch are the gentle, traditional choice.
Fold, do not hang, for long storage. Heavy silks left on a thin hanger for months pull at the fold. Store them flat, and do not stack too many in one pile.

The short version

Air it, then fold it. Cotton, not plastic. Refold every few months. Dry clean when it needs it, blot stains and see a cleaner soon. Iron on low heat, from the back.

If you have a silk saree and a question we have not answered here, message us on WhatsApp. We are happy to help, whether or not it came from us.