Silk is what beauty sleeps are made of – it’s hard to imagine otherwise. It’s easily the best kind of natural fabric to ever come in contact with your skin and hair.
But just like any other fabric, silk can get dirty with your moisture (among other things). You’d need to care for it well so it can give you the same benefits over and over again.
Here’s a guide to keeping your silk pillowcase and sheets SHEEN, SHINY, and SMOOTH:
1. Hand-washing or machine-washing is fine.
Generally, people would recommend hand-washing or dry-cleaning silk due to its intricate nature. But not many people have time to do these, so they instead opt for machine-washing.
A good metric to look at is the density of your silk fabric – Momme. Should the Momme be higher than 20, it’s safe enough to be inside the washing machine. If you know it’s less than 20, choose to hand-wash instead. The Ecosa silk pillowcases, for example, are 25 Momme, so you can trust that they can handle being machine-washed with enough love and care.
2. A delicate fabric merits delicate treatment.
To avoid the wearing out of fibers, never wash your pillowcases/beddings on a high temperature. ESPECIALLY for silk as it can be damaged easily. When using a machine, keep the temperature at 86 degrees Fahrenheit or under.
Turn the silk pillowcase inside out, place inside a mesh laundry bag, and wash with a mild detergent. Use a basic detergent (with low pH) such as washing soap. Heavy chemicals can only harden the silk (e.g., alkaline, bleach). There are also detergents specialized for silk in the market.
Only wash silk along with your other delicates and watch out for laundry items that have sharp elements like zippers or hooks. Try to run in the shortest spin possible to prevent any damage.
3. Air-drying is recommended.
Don’t try removing absorbed water in silk by twisting it – this can result to intense wrinkling. It’s good to always be extra careful when handling silk, so keep it away from direct sunlight when air-drying.
4. Iron it out.
Most irons would have a ‘silk’ setting available on them. If you fail to find one, use the lowest setting possible. Be mindful of your iron’s metal surface and make sure it’s free of any stains.
Iron it on the back side to avoid any damage on the sheen side. You may even use a thin sheet of cotton as a barrier between your iron and the silk fabric.
How Often Should You Wash Your Silk Pillowcases and Sheets?
Wash them as often as you should with all bedding in general. Be prepared with other sheets and pillowcases for rotation so you don’t keep washing the same ones over. This can contribute to wear and tear too.
Now who’s ready for a luxurious night’s sleep?
It’s true that silk pillowcases require more love and care than any other pillowcase. But isn’t it all a small price to pay for a luxurious night’s sleep?
After all that washing, we believe you deserve to rest like Sleeping Beauty tonight. Sweet dreams!