Silk is of course a very delicate material. It looks very nice, it’s as soft as can, and wearing it is definitely quite the status symbol too. That said, due to the delicate nature of this material, you can’t wash it with just any detergent. Luckily for you, today we are here to help you find the best detergent for silk. Let’s get to it and help you make the right choice.
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- Biodegradable
- Good scent
- Ideal for silk, wool, cashmere, and more
- Biodegradable
- Ideal for silk and many other materials
- Helps preserve fabric
- Decent stain fighting power
- Good odor fighting
- Natural, safe, and non-toxic
- Enjoyable scent
- Gentle on clothes
- Ideal for various fabrics
- For wool and silk
- Odor is not too strong
- For all types of washing
Overall #1 Rated Pick
Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash
When it comes to the best detergent for silk, our number one pick is Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash. When it comes to stain cleaners and odor removers for silk and other delicate materials, it’s simply one of the most effective options out there.
- Great for handwashing
- HE machine friendly
- Non-toxic
- Concentrated
- Contains lanolin
This Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash comes in a concentrated formula, which is nice because you don’t need much of it, and it is quite cost effective in this sense. In case it matters, this product is actually made in Canada.
Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash is made without harsh chemicals, it contains no parabens or phthalates, and it is made with all natural and biodegradable ingredients. It’s healthy for you, your clothes, and for the world around you.
Although Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash is gentle on the world and on your clothes, it does do a pretty good job at fighting stains and odors, all but the most severe of stains.
Remember, this stuff can only have so much stain fighting power, because it does need to preserve the integrity and shape of the fabric, and no, this product won’t cause silk to stretch, shrink, or deform, and this is true whether you use it in a standard machine, an HE washing machine, or if you want to use it to handwash your silks.
The fact that Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash contains lanolin is nice because it helps to actively restore fabric. The lavender scent which this product comes with doesn’t just smell nice, as it also acts as a great moth repellent.
Silk Laundry Detergent Information & Buyers Guide
Before we get to talking about specific detergents for machine washing silk, as well as for handwashing silk, let’s go over some important facts that you need to be aware of.
How to Care for Silk
There are a few important silk care tips that you need to follow in order to preserve both the fabric and the colors for as long as possible.
- Don’t hang wet silk up vertically. The weight of the water may cause it to stretch. Instead, to dry silk, lay it down on a flat surface.
- When drying silk clothes, don’t use heat and try to keep them out of the sun. Silk and heat, and even UV rays, don’t mix well.
- If you plan on ironing silk, do so on the bad side, and when you do, spray a little bit of water on it, but that said, have your iron on a relatively low heat setting.
- If your silk is badly stained, you should have it dry cleaned.
How to Hand Wash Silk
In case you would rather avoid using a washing machine, follow the tips below to hand wash your silk garments and clothing.
- Fill a basin or bucket with cool or slightly warm water.
- Add a little bit of your delicate laundry detergent of choice, not too much!
- Let it soak for a few minutes.
- Agitate the item in the water. Give it a bit of a stir, but don’t be rough with it.
- Rinse it out in cold water, making sure to rinse well. You don’t want any detergent residue left.
- Use a towel to soak up the water from the garment. Don’t wring it out or put it in the dryer.
- You may hang the silk if you wish, although if it is large and heavy, to avoid stretching, it’s best to lay it flat for drying.
Can You Machine Wash Silk?
What is interesting to note is that a lot of people will tell you that you cannot wash silk in a washing machine. Many garments are labelled as such, and many even claim that they need to be dry cleaned.
Now, this may be true in some cases. If your garments are labelled as being hand wash or dry clean only, then you do want to stick to that.
However, if there is no such designation, then there is no reason why you cannot put silk in the washing machine, but you do of course need to follow some specific tips and rules.
How to Wash Silk in the Washing Machine
So, as we have established, it is more than possible to wash silk in a washing machine, as long as you follow the right tips. Follow the tips below for the best results.
- Get a microfiber bag or use a pillowcase. Putting your silks inside of something like this will help protect the colors, and it will help prevent stretching and disforming too.
- Always choose laundry detergent that is specifically made for silk. Your detergent must be mild, as normal laundry detergents are too harsh and will damage silk.
- Always use the most delicate cycle in your washing machine, and don’t use hot water either.
- Never let your silks go through a full spin cycle, as that motion can cause silk to stretch and be damaged. Take the silk out of the washing machine after just a minute in the spin cycle, and then use a towel to soak up the rest of the water.
- In case you have not figured it out, never ever put silk in the dryer.
Best Detergents for Silk: Reviews
Now it is time for the most important section of the day. Let’s get to it and take a look at the five best laundry detergents for silk that your money can buy.
The top best product [hide]
Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash
This product is made with a variety of ingredients, with one of the most important ones being lanolin, a natural substance known for its antiseptic and odor fighting properties.
Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash is designed to provide maximum cleaning and odor fighting power without the need for a rinse cycle, which therefore helps protect your silks from being stretched out or damaged. Lanolin also helps to restore fibers, with the lavender scent keeping moths at bay.
- For all wash types
- Very gentle on all fabrics
- Refreshing lavender scent
- Eco Friendly
- Concentrated
The Laundress Delicate Wash Detergent
The Laundress Delicate Wash Detergent is eco friendly, as it contains no dyes, unnecessary additives, and fillers. It’s made with only natural plant-based ingredients that are biodegradable, not to mention that it’s cruelty free too.
This detergent is great at restoring and preserving silk and other fabrics, it works well for killing bad odors, and can remove dirt as well.
- Preserves fabric
- Gentle on skin and fabric
- Eco friendly and cruelty free
Le Blanc® White Flower Detergent
This product can be used for clothing and delicates that are made out of silk, wool, cashmere, bamboo, and others.
Some of the other properties of this Le Blanc® White Flower Detergent include that it is ideal for cold washing, that it actually fights stains and odors well, it helps prevent clothes from stretching, becoming deformed, and losing their elasticity, and it actually smells quite nice too.
- For silk, wool, and more
- Eco friendly
- Neutral pH
- Prevents stretching
Tide Studio Liquid Laundry Detergent
This product, although not all of the ingredients are natural, at least it does not contain any parabens, phthalates, or phosphates, something that does help with keeping clothes looking new for longer. Keep in mind that Tide Studio Liquid Laundry Detergent can be used with standard and HE machines.
- HE machine friendly
- For various delicate fabrics
- Very gentle
Ecover Delicate Wool and Silk Soap
Ecover Delicate Wool and Silk Soap is designed to help remove light stains and odors from both wool and silk clothing, and it can do so without causing those clothes to shrink, stretch, lose their shape, and losing their softness.
What we do need to say here is that the ingredients in this Ecover Delicate Wool and Silk Soap are not exactly natural.
- Stain fighting
- Odor fighting
- Gentle on delicates
- HE machine friendly
The Verdict
Once again, if you are look for the best laundry detergent for silk, the absolute best product on the list today is Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash. It smells nice, it gets silk and other delicates clean, and it helps preserve their natural integrity too, not to mention that it works well for handwashing and HE machines alike. That said, all of the products we have reviewed today are all great silk laundry detergents in their own right.
