Caring for Your Silks

Silk is more durable than you might think and by caring for your silk properly it should bring you years of color.   Lady of the Lake Silks are made to be used--which means they are also meant to be washed and ironed. The dye is steam set for colorfastness and then rinsed with a special detergent which helps to minimize colors bleeding onto each other when wet.

When it's time to wash your silk, put just a few inches of cold water in a basin or sink (note: the warmer the water, the more likely the silk is to shrink and bleed).  Swish the silk briefly (10-15 seconds will usually do).   If your silk is particularly soiled, a few drops of mild detergent will help remove oils and odors your silk may have collected.

Rinse your silk under cold running water or in a basin of fresh water.  After rinsing, wring or blot the silk, allow it to air dry, and then carefully iron with a steam iron. Lady of the Lake Silks are 100% natural so you can turn your iron much higher than its "silk" setting (that's really for synthetic silk).

Never put your silk in a dryer because the high heat and tumbling action can damage it.  In addition, even though we don't really notice it, dryer sheets leave residue inside the dryer and that, too, can decrease the life of your silks. 

Dyeing silk is a highly variable process and the age and concentration of the dye, the amount of time in the steamer, and the amount of time in the rinse will all influence the final product. The colors on our silks should remain strong, but some bleeding is inevitable.  We take every precaution to keep dye discharge to a minimum.