Top 5 Best Detergent for Silk

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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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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.

  1. Fill a basin or bucket with cool or slightly warm water.
  2. Add a little bit of your delicate laundry detergent of choice, not too much!
  3. Let it soak for a few minutes.
  4. Agitate the item in the water. Give it a bit of a stir, but don’t be rough with it.
  5. Rinse it out in cold water, making sure to rinse well. You don’t want any detergent residue left.
  6. Use a towel to soak up the water from the garment. Don’t wring it out or put it in the dryer.
  7. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Always use the most delicate cycle in your washing machine, and don’t use hot water either.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash

Eucalan Lavender Fine Fabric WashEucalan Lavender Fine Fabric Wash is both non-toxic and biodegradable, so not only is it great for silk and other delicate fabrics, but you also know that you are not poisoning the world around you.

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.

The Laundress Delicate Wash Detergent

The Laundress Delicate Wash DetergentRight off the bat, many people love the scent of this detergent, a herbal and citrus blend of rich amber, bergamot, lavender, and musk. Moreover, keep in mind that this product can be used for silk, synthetics, spandex, polyester, nylon, rayon, acetate, and blends.

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.

Le Blanc® White Flower Detergent

Le Blanc® White Flower DetergentLe Blanc® White Flower Detergent is made with all natural ingredients, it is non-toxic, eco friendly, and 100% biodegradable, so you can be sure that it’s healthy for both you and the world around you.
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.

Tide Studio Liquid Laundry Detergent

Tide Studio Liquid Laundry DetergentThis product is ideal for use with wool, silk, and lace, and it features a very gentle formula that will not damage those materials. Although this is not the most powerful detergent around, it does still help to get rid of some stains, plus it has great odor fighting power too.
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.

Ecover Delicate Wool and Silk Soap

Ecover Delicate Wool and Silk SoapThis particular detergent can be used with both hot and cold water, and it also works in both standard and HE machines. That said, this product is actually best used for handwashing those delicates.
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.


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.


Susan G Baird

Susan G Baird

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