How to iron silk correctly: expert advice

Natural silk began to be produced in ancient China. The entire process was manual.

Only noble and rich people could afford clothes made from such fabric. Over time, the secret of fabric production became known in Japan, India, Korea, and then throughout the world.

To ensure that silk items always look beautiful and neat, you need to properly care for them. This fabric requires not only delicate washing, but also ironing. How to iron silk without ruining its appearance?

How to iron silk

Various types of silk materials are used in clothing production today. How the fabric will withstand ironing depends on the composition and quality of the fibers. Therefore, before you pick up the iron, you need to carefully read the recommendations on the label.

It is best to prevent clothes from becoming wrinkled from the beginning: do not leave them crumpled, straighten them immediately after washing, and do not press them down in the closet with other things. And, of course, you need to know how to properly iron silk products.

Vertical steaming

Items with folds, complex cuts or large sizes are best not ironed, but treated with steam. Movements should be fast and uniform. At the same time, you should not focus the steam on one place for too long. Otherwise, water stains will appear on it, and the item will have to be washed.

Silk steaming process:

place clothes on hangers, hang them on a hook or bar;
straighten out all the details and folds;
attach the attachment for delicate fabrics to the steamer;
test steam in an inconspicuous area;
From a distance of 6-7 cm, process the product, moving from top to bottom.

Leave the ironed product to “rest” for several hours. It is not recommended to put it on immediately to prevent the silk from becoming wrinkled again.

How to iron a dress

You can do without direct ironing. This method is more suitable for items made of artificial silk.

Procedure:

Hang the dress on hangers. Cover with dry gauze.
Heat the iron to a temperature of 120-150 °C, turn on the steam mode.
Treat the item with steam, holding the device at a distance of at least 6 cm.

If the dress is not completely ironed, traditional ironing is used. The dress, with the exception of white models, is ironed from the inside out. It is better to start from the wide part of the sleeve, moving towards the folds. Then the bodice and small details are ironed: collar, shoulders, cuffs. Next - the front, side seams, back and skirt.

Hot bath for silk

To iron complex-style clothes, you need professional equipment. At home, it will be replaced by hot steam treatment. A small silk item can be ironed using a kettle:

hang clothes in a well-lit place;
boil the kettle;
Treat bruises with hot steam from the spout.

If the method does not work, then you need to hang the item over the bathroom, close the door and hood, and turn on the hot water. Make sure that splashes do not get on clothes. When the bath is full, close the tap. Keep clothes above water until wrinkles disappear. If necessary, drain the cooled water and add hot water. Leave ironed clothes on a hanger until completely dry.

We steam the folds, maintaining the quality of the product

First of all, we need to hang a silk item in the bathroom.
To do this, you need to turn on a hot shower, and then let the steam thoroughly treat the product. It is the steam that will help smooth out wrinkles. We suggest using a hand steamer. The silk outfit should be hung up. Then you should run the hand steamer from top to bottom several times to get rid of unsightly wrinkles. Pay attention to the instructions for use, because it also happens that your steamer has special nuances that are important to follow.

Interesting to know! Silk threads are used as a surgical suture material in the treatment of wounds and various injuries.

Steam generator

If you have a steam generator, then it is better to iron the silk with it than with an iron. Even if the latter has a vertical steam function. The steam generator has a gentler effect on delicate tissue and, accordingly, does not injure the fibers. In addition, when treated with hot steam, the slightest dirt disappears and allergen particles remaining on clothing are destroyed.

To iron silk clothes, you need to:

fill the steam generator tank with water;
turn on the “silk” mode;
process clothes.

Before work, you need to make sure that the steam generator does not leave wet marks on clothes. To do this, iron a spare scrap or similar fabric. If water stains remain, adjust the device so that when ironing you do not ruin your expensive item.

Wash

Silk products can be washed in a machine at the appropriate setting (up to 30 ° C), but it is better to wash them by hand. If liquid detergents are used, they must be diluted well in water.

It is recommended to first dissolve the powder in a small amount of water until the grains completely disappear, and then add it to a basin or machine. Natural silk also washes well with mild hair shampoo, baby soap or baby powder.

Note! It is prohibited to bleach silk with bleach, since the structure of the fibers is destroyed after treatment. The material quickly becomes unusable.

When washing, do not rub, twist or pull the fabric too much. In addition, silk items should not be soaked for a long time - a maximum of 10 minutes. It is better to dry silk clothes in a shaded place, away from radiators and other heat sources.

How to avoid wrinkles?

To make the fabric wrinkle less, you need to follow some care rules:

Wash .
You can use an automatic machine (mode for delicate fabrics) or do it manually (at a water temperature no higher than + 30 degrees). It is not recommended to use powder; it is replaced with liquid products that are thoroughly diluted with water. Another taboo is bleach. Chlorine quickly corrodes delicate fibers.
Spin .
Silk should not be twisted. The washed item is hung on hangers and gently rubbed over it with both palms to allow excess water to drain. Until the product dries completely, place it on a thick towel, which will absorb the remaining moisture, and then return it to the trempel. On the clothesline, the fabric will stretch and wrinkles will form.

If you couldn't avoid creases

In this case, the folk method will help:

25 ml of glycerin are dissolved in 5 liters of water;
a silk product is placed in a container, then, without squeezing, hang it up and wait until it dries naturally;
then the item must be ironed using one of the above methods.

This method is suitable for both natural and synthetic fabrics.

Spin

Silk items do not tolerate intensive twisting or line drying. Do not hang out immediately after washing. The structure of natural fibers is destroyed, which leads to deformation and rapid wear of products.

After washing, clothes should be wrapped in a towel or cotton fabric and blotted. Replace absorbent material. Spread a dry towel, lay the product on it, first straightening out the parts and folds, and leave for a while. Hang the dried item on hangers.

Ironing

It is recommended to iron the products while damp. If the item is very dry, then before ironing clothes made of natural silk, it must be moistened.

You should absolutely not spray silk items with a spray bottle, otherwise water marks will remain.

The product must be wrapped in a damp (not wet!) towel or sheet. Place the package in a plastic bag and close it tightly. Leave for a couple of hours. During this time, the silk will dampen well, making it easier to iron. The method will not work if it is “overcooked” in too hot water during washing.

Products made from dark material must be processed from the inside out, light items from the front side.
Acetate silk does not tolerate high temperatures and strong pressure. It is recommended to iron with dampness through cotton fabric.
Lining fabrics are processed from the wrong side.
Fabrics made from raw silk should be ironed with a dampened hot iron on the reverse side.
Artificial silk items are ironed at moderate temperatures. For severe creases, use a moderately heated iron.

How to iron silk items?

First of all, silk items should be washed at low temperatures only by hand using mild detergents. If we have a washing machine with a hand wash program, you can wash the silk in it. When it comes to ironing, it's best to do it while the fabric is still damp.

The temperature on the iron's thermostat should be set as low as possible. To further reduce the risk of burns, you can iron the silk through an additional thin cloth placed over the silk material, which will separate it from the hot iron.

Natural

To avoid heat damage, it is much better to iron silk when it is slightly damp. It is advisable to begin the procedure immediately after washing.

When hand washing silk, gently wring it after rinsing to remove excess water from the fabric. Remember: Do not squeeze the silk as this may tear the silk threads and cause stretching/tearing.

Artificial

Initially, you should carefully study the information on the clothing label. Since caring for artificial silk fabric depends on its composition. Sometimes the fabric can only be dry cleaned, and sometimes you can use an iron, but at a low temperature. However, no matter what, you must definitely follow these rules:

You cannot soak things in advance, because after ironing, unsightly stains will remain on the surface of the fabric.
Do not overdry the fabric, because it will become hard and rough.
It is most convenient to steam items made from synthetic silk. Clothes are hung vertically and covered with a piece of gauze. The ideal distance between the fabric and the steam jet is at least 7 cm.
Items made from acetate silk are dried only naturally. Clothes are laid out evenly on a flat surface.

Useful tips for caring for silk

Before ironing, you need to make sure there are no stains. If there are any, then it is better to entrust complex stains to dry cleaning. The rest can be dealt with with home remedies:

traces of sweat disappear if you wipe them with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
white material will not turn yellow for a long time if vinegar (hydrogen peroxide, ammonia) is added to the last rinse.
A paste of water and crushed aspirin tablets will help whiten stains.

To prevent iron marks from appearing when ironing, you need to use the “silk” mode. The soleplate of the iron must be clean, free of carbon deposits and stuck particles. A special cleaning pencil or a paste of soda and water (1:2) will help clean the surface. It is applied for a few minutes, then removed, and the sole is wiped.

If severe bruises remain after washing, then before ironing, you need to soak the clothes for several minutes in water with glycerin (25 ml of product per 5 liters). Afterwards, carefully pat dry with a towel and dry flat on a soft surface. This method is suitable for natural and acetate silk.

How to smooth out silk from wrinkles and creases at home

Using an iron

Natural silk

We set the mode with the same name. After this, we try the heated sole of the iron on an inconspicuous area of the item, so as not to accidentally spoil it. If the fabric is ironed and not damaged, then you can safely proceed;
iron the silk item from the wrong side. If it has a complex cut, then before ironing, put gauze or thin material on the front side so as not to damage the surface, and the iron will not leave water stains;
Do not iron wet silk, so as not to spoil the fibers. Do not turn on the steam mode. So, silk will quickly become unusable and after such ironing it will become stiff;
If the item is dry, then a few hours before ironing, apply gauze or a towel soaked in water.

Tip : If the fabric is stretched (the same is done if creases form), then it is moistened in a glycerin solution and dried. Prepare the mixture as follows: 1 tbsp. spoon of the substance per 5 liters of water. Then iron it again. When scorch marks appear from the iron, they are lubricated with a mixture of soda and water, then the dried mixture is cleaned with a soft bristle brush.

Using a hot bath or steam shower

Things with a complex cut can be ironed like this:

hang the item on a hanger;
hang it in the bathroom on a clothesline;
open the hot water tap. Do not allow splashes to fall on the fabric;
we close the door to the room so that it fills with steam as quickly as possible;
After a few minutes, the steam itself will gradually straighten out the folds in the fabric.

Using a hot kettle

we take the thing and carry it to the kitchen;
pre-boil the kettle;
keep places that are not ironed over hot steam;
the most stubborn folds should straighten out.

Important : do not damage the fabric with hot steam. These manipulations must be repeated literally for a few seconds.

The best way is a steam generator

The steam generator has the mildest effect on silk. We pour water into the reservoir, turn on the device, set the “Silk” mode and begin ironing.

This ironing method will be the most delicate. It does not damage the fabric and is much gentler on it than an iron.