National Clothesline

Silk is still one of the most misunderstood and problematic fabrics that cleaners encounter. My analysis service handles more silk related problems than any other fabric.

On in-plant consultations, I have noticed that counter people do not properly inspect the garment and cleaners do not properly spot or clean silk.

Silk is not a difficult fabric to handle if you understand its characteristics and weaknesses. I have found that most cleaners either handle the fabric too carefully or not carefully enough.

Silk is a protein fiber affected by many substances that would not affect cellulose or synthetic fibers. Silk is readily affected by chloride salts which are found in perspiration, deodorants, many foods and beverages. It is also affected by alkali, alcohol and household bleach (sodium hypochlorite).

Light and fume fading are also problems with silk due to poor dye fastness. That is the reason why some silks will show fading and discolorations in less than a year’s use while others with more stable dyes do not.

Silk fabrics with fine yarns and loose weave can chafe and shift easily.

You do not need a customer release on every silk garment that is brought in. By the same token, if fading or discoloration is noted, the customer must be made aware of it.

Some counter people who are dealing with regular customers assume the customer is aware of the problem since the garment has been previously cleaned. This is not necessarily so since some customers will not complain unless the damage is so severe that the garment cannot be worn.

Fading should be checked by comparing exposed areas to unexposed areas. I have even encountered fading on some new silk garments that have not even been sold.

1. Mechanical action. Use a silk brush or wrap a cloth around a bristle brush. Use a tamping action rather than brushing.

When brushing with a bristle brush, angle the brush so only the sides of the brush contact the fabric.

2. Spatula. Avoid using the bone or spatula since yarn abrasion can readily occur.

3. Steam gun. Hold three inches from the fabric to avoid yarn damage.

4. Towel. Always flush into a towel to note if bleeding occurs, which indicates poor dye fastness.

1. Oily type paint remover. These agents are safe to silk provided no water is used and the garment is drycleaned immediately after use.

Do not depend on flushing with volatile dry solvent to remove the paint remover. The problem with leaving paint remover in a fabric is that any water contact either from the air or steam gun will release alcohol that will most likely damage the dye on silk.

2. Amyl acetate. This is absolutely safe on silk provided surface prints are not used. When applying amyl acetate, use with oily type paint remover when applying mechanical action.

3. Neutral lubricant is usually safe.

4. Acetic acid 28% is usually safe.

5. Oxalic acid is usually safe, but as a precaution pre-testing should be done.

6. General formula contains alcohol and should not be used.

7. Hydrofluoric acid is usually safe, but testing as a precaution is necessary.

8. Hydrogen peroxide is usually safe, but testing is required.

9. Protein formulas and ammonia are dangerous to dyes on silk.

10. Liquid digesters are usually safe but may affect some bright and vivid colors on silk.

11. Powdered enzymes such as those from Laidlaw are the safest spotting agent that can be used.

The first load in the morning should be a hard, dark load to remove moisture from the system.

Check linings for wrinkling which would indicate moisture in the system.

Run silks in a moisture-free load three to five minutes with a 140°F drying cycle.

Use the proper amount of detergent for removing soil and maintaining the soft look and feel of silk.

Running silk using pure solvent leaves the silk with a hard and stiff feel.

1. Red and purple. These colors are the weakest colors and careful spotting should be done. Always spot into a light colored cloth to check for poor dye fastness. These colors are usually safe to drycleaning.

2. Silk satin is the weakest of all silk weaves and should be turned inside out when cleaning and spotting.

3. Silk velvet. No wetside spotting since pile distortion usually cannot be restored.

4. Silk crepe. Limit moisture since shrinkage can be a problem.

5. Silk gabardine. Water and excessive mechanical action can affect the yarn. Use little or light pressure when finishing.

6. Sized silk. Heavily sized silk will often discolor if moisture is used in spotting. Test an unexposed area before any wetside spotting is used.

When looking to wetclean silk, only consider single layered fabrics. Silk fabrics with linings and padding require more finishing time which makes the cleaning process more time consuming and expensive than routine drycleaning.