Silk ties are not only a delicate material, their very design is delicate. From the multiple layers to their rolled edges, silk ties are unlike any other item of clothing, which is why traditionally they are not meant to be cleaned. Launder? Never! Dry clean? Not even that. However, there are some tricks you can try to clean the tie, freshen it, or remove stains.
General Cleaning
If your tie absolutely needs an all-over cleaning, you have two options. Select an option below based on what is best for your tie.
- Home Dry Cleaning Kit.
These kits are much gentler on your tie than a commercial dry cleaner. They can be found in the laundry aisle of your local supermarket. Two common ones are Dryel and Woolite At-Home Dry Cleaner. Follow the instructions on the label of your selected product. - Air steam it.
Bring your tie in the bathroom and hang it on a towel rack. Take a hot shower with the bathroom door closed. The steamy bathroom air will freshen up your tie. - Wash it.
Older silk ties are not meant to be washed at all, but some new ones have features to help them withstand washing. Test a small hidden area on the fabric to look for any dye bleed or water stain (let the tie dry to determine if there is a water stain). If you think your tie can get away with a washing (by which we mean a very gentle hand wash, not machine laundering), use the guide How to Wash Silk.
Immediate Stain Removal
Should an offending blob of something get past your defenses, act immediately. Remove the tie. If you drop a glob of something like mustard or salad dressing on the tie, first scoop it off with a spoon or dull knife. After that, choose one of the options below.
Use absorbent powder.
This process works especially well for grease stains like salad dressing, as well as for red wine.
- Sprinkle salt over the area. (You can also use corn meal or corn starch, baking soda, or even a little flour instead of salt if needed. Basically any absorbent powder will work, even sawdust. Do not use sugar though, which could dissolve and add to the stain. Also avoid powders like coffee grounds that could leave a stain.)
- Leave the powder on the stain for 30-60 minutes, then brush it off. Hopefully, the powder will have absorbed the stain. If not, you can apply more powder to try again.
Use Seltzer.
Keep in mind that water can also stain a silk tie or cause the dye to bleed. It’s best to it on a hidden first area to look for dye bleed. Use the tips below to avoid water stains as well.
- Put a small amount of seltzer or club soda on a paper towel or white napkin and dab the stain with it. Do not use plain water. It is the carbonation in the seltzer that enables it to remove the stain.
- After you blot off the stain with the seltzer, press a dry towel onto the area to soak up as much of the moisture as possible. This will reduce the possibility of a water stain.
- If there is any cool air you can use, such as a hair dryer on the cool setting or a fan, put the tie in front of the cool air stream to help it dry as fast as possible, which can also help to avoid a water stain.
Use alcohol.
Many people have left comments on this page over the years saying that they successfully removed stains by dabbing the spot with some alcohol (isopropyl or vodka), then drying the area with a hair dryer. However, several people have mentioned that the alcohol lightened the entire area, so if you decide to try this, don’t use a lot of alcohol and don’t rub the area too hard. (Thanks for posting this tip Sonia!)
Use a stain remover.
Keep in mind that ANY stain remover could discolor or damage your tie, so it’s always best to test a product on a small hidden area first.
- Dab a small amount onto the stain with a cloth or paper towel.
- Follow the instructions on the label of your selected product. If the stain remover needs to be rinsed, use as little water as possible and soak up as much as you can with a towel afterward to avoid getting a water stain. Drying the tie with a hair dryer on the cool setting or if front of a fan can also help prevent a water stain.
- One of our site users (thanks!) says that they have used Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover to successfully remove stains from a silk tie. The benefit of using a carpet stain remover is that they usually do not need to be rinsed.
- If you don’t have any stain remover available, you can use white foam shaving cream instead. That also does not need to be rinsed.
Overnight Stain Removal
If you have more time to treat the tie, you can still use one of the options above, but here are two more options to consider as well.
Use a radiator.
This process also works well to remove wrinkles.
- Hang a towel over a hot radiator (not an automobile radiator).
- Take the silk tie and rest it flat on top of the towel while still on the radiator.
- Then, take a cold water vapor sprayer and evenly spray the area of the stain, being careful not to soak it.
- Use some very soft and absorbent bathroom tissue to blot the tie.
- Leave the tie on the radiator overnight.
- The next morning when you get up, check the tie. If the stain is still there, repeat the process.
Use a dry cleaning stain remover.
- Some of the home dry cleaning kits, such as Dryel, contain a stain remover. There are also dry cleaning stain removers you can buy directly, such as Guardsman Citrus Dry Cleaning Fluid or K2r Spot Lifter. These products can be found online if not at a local hardware store or home goods store. Use the stain remover, following the instructions on your selected product.
Additional Tips:
- If you want to take the tie to a dry cleaner as a last resort, ask them to use the gentlest chemicals they have. This is still not a guarantee that the tie won’t be ruined in the process though.
- Never iron a silk tie. This is similar to the pressing method at commercial dry cleaners that can leave ties with flattened edges (as opposed to rolled as they are intended to be), crush the tie’s layers, or even damage its luster.
- If you need to remove wrinkles from a silk tie, use the air steam method in the General Cleaning section above, or use the radiator method in the Overnight Stain Removal section.
- There are commercially available fabric pre-treatment sprays which can make your tie stain-retardant. Some neckties are manufactured with a blocking agent already added.
- Use a tie restraint such as a clip or tack, and tuck a napkin in your shirt collar when you eat. Then you won’t need to worry about stains. Remember your necktie is a thing of beauty, not a bib.
- Always remove a tie by doing the steps of tying it in reverse. If you try to pull out the small end, it will twist and stretch the fabric, causing the fibers to weaken over time.
Sources:
- Clean It Fast, Clean It Right by Jeff Bredenberg
- Haley’s Cleaning Hints by Graham and Rosemary Haley
- The Spot & Stain Remover Handbook by Jean Cooper
Sonia says
I just read elsewhere on the web that some people have very successfully spot cleaned their silk ties using plain old alcohol and a blow dryer to quickly dry the cleaned spot (to prevent a ring). I have NOT tried it myself yet, so do not know firsthand how it would work, but it’s worth a try on a tie that might just be ruined anyway! Best wishes!
Tie-de-spotter says
Better than talc or corn starch is diatomaceous earth or attapulgite, a very fine siliceous powder with a strong affinity for oil and grease. Simply blot the stain with a paper towel and then apply the powder to generously cover the grease stain. Gently pat the powder into the weave of the tie and allow it to sit overnight. The next day, gently brush away the excess powder, and then flick (not pick) at the fabric with your nail to dislodge the powder embedded in the weave. If the grease stain is still present, reapply the powder and try again the next day. Diatomaceous earth and attapulgite are both in the class of substances known as Fuller’s Earth. Fuller’s Earth has been used for centuries to clean and degrease clothing.
Lisa C says
I was looking for tips on how to remove stains from a silk tie tonight and came across this site. I tried the alcohol and blow dryer tip that Sonia posted and it worked perfectly. I purchased a Gucci tie from a thrift store that had a few small set-in stains and they are now gone! Thanks Sonia.
Sue says
I was skeptical, but Sonia’s tip above using alcohol and a blow dryer really worked for me on a milk stain that ran down the entire length of my son’s light-colored silk tie. JUST KEEP REPEATING. After the first couple of applications, it may not look like it’s working, but eventually it will. Hooray!
Bill says
I couldn’t get to this tie for five hours. When I got home, I dabbed the stain lightly and repeatedly with Spray ‘n Wash with plain white paper towel. Knowing that you can’t touch or do anything else with fine silk and knowing that this treated area would show a shadow where the Spray ‘n Wash dried, I proceeded to spray the entire length of the front of the tie till it all was wet. In the morning, I had a dry tie, stain perfectly removed and the tie was only slightly darker than originally. If it were new, you wouldn’t know the difference. Just a slight color change.
Joe says
After two attempts of cleaning a stain at a reputable dry cleaner, I tried Sonia’s rubbing alcohol suggestion, which worked great. Warning, though – on my stain, I needed to rub and soak it for it to lighten, which it did, but my repeated process also lightened the base tie as well – the tie can now be used, as my wife could not find the stain nor the lightened area upon inspection until I told her where it was. So the idea works GREAT – but I did this “extreme” by soaking and rubbing really hard five (5) times. Thanks Sonia – your idea saved my tie to be usable as a tie and not as dust cloth.
Paul says
I first used alcohol and powder to remove stains from two rather expensive silk ties. It did not work. I already knew taking them to the dry cleaners would not work. As a last resort, I bought some club soda and wet the areas thoroughly. The club soda fizzed a little when I poured it on. After some light rubbing, the stains disappeared. I was skeptical so I poured on more club soda. Then I let them dry naturally. Now, the ties are dry and there’s no sign of the stains. I just saved about $150 worth of my favorite ties. Amazing.
Moxamomma says
I am going to try the suggestion posted here, but first, answer this question: If water should NEVER be put on silk ties (I read online), then how can SELTZER (a.k.a. Carbonated WATER) be safely used to clean a silk tie? Need an answer please. Thank you.
Simon says
Moxamomma… it is entirely possible that a weak solution of carbonated water does not damage silk in the same way as tap water. Silk is a protein with tertiary structure held together by hydrogen bonding between amines and carboxylate groups – water disrupts the hydrogen bonding by bonding to the groups itself. Changing the pH of the water may well modify the hydrogen bonding nature in silk so that it is not disrupted.
Jorge says
The alcohol tip works wonders. Just saved a $150 Burberry tie from years at the back of my closet! I didn’t have a blow-drier, but a fan on a really high setting worked amazingly. Thanks!
Ken says
For years, I have had great success removing spots from silk ties using contact lens cleaning solution–not the “all in one–cleaner + soaking solution + saline” kind, but the kind that was used by everyone with soft and hard lenses back in the ’80s and ’90s. Not terribly easy to find, but still out there.
1. Spread a thick, dry terry cloth trowel on the floor.
2. Squirt the lens cleaner on the tie to cover the spot.
3. Lay the tie smoothly on the towel and fold the towel over so that the tie is sandwiched between two layers of towel.
4. Not kidding here–stand on and jump up and down on the towel where the tie is. The pressure forces all the cleaning solution into the towel, bringing the stain with it. Remove the tie and spread it flat on a smooth surface to completely dry if necessary.
Jennifer says
Wow! I followed Sonia’s idea of alcohol and a hair dryer, and it worked! I wiped the stain with an alcohol wipe, then used the hairdryer to dry it, then I used my finger nail to kind of scrape at the stain. I then used a white paper towel and scrubbed the stain. I repeated it three times with three alcohol wipes. Thank you Sonia for the idea!
Steve says
That product mentioned above is actually sold at auto parts stores and Walmart as an oil drying compound. It is used to take oil spots off of driveways, and works quite well on nasty, dirty motor oil. It is also used in some aquarium filters to suck out impurities. Combined with heat from an iron, this stuff works quite well on silk ties in about five minutes. I just saved my favorite $50.00 silk tie this way. I think this stuff is in kitty litter, also. That might also be worth a try.
Brian says
Tried Sonia’s suggestion on a bright blue silk tie. There was a little spot showing where I spot treated it, so I blotted the rest of the area around the spot with alcohol, then dried it with a hairdryer and now the spot is gone. There really isn’t anything that you can see now.
Brian says
I also tried Sonia’s alcohol stain removal technique on a nice Hermes tie I purchased at a local thrift store. I blotted using Q-tips, and dried it with the hair dryer. The spot is gone.
C says
I didn’t have any rubbing alcohol or stain remover, but I managed to save my favorite Kenneth Cole necktie with vodka. Alcohol definitely works, probably with less risk than stain remover. Thanks Sonia!
J. says
I didn’t have rubbing alcohol either, so I also used vodka. Three drops and a light rubbing with a Q-Tip (and immediate drying with a hair dryer), and the stain is completely gone. Much better than paying a dry cleaner and hoping for the best. Thanks!
Dawn says
Sonia! It looks like you’re the star of this show!
Phil says
Vodka with a hair dryer made wonders.
Violet says
This is extremely silly–water by no means ruins a silk tie. Trying to spot clean with water will likely leave a mark, but please use common sense. Silk fabrics are some of the oldest and they have needed to be cleaned since long before dry cleaning or other lab-created chemical concoctions existed.
I know that silks can be washed because I do this myself, as someone who makes their living off of restoring and reselling vintage clothing. I have worked with silk, satin, velvet, crepe, jersey, chiffon, dupioni… the list goes on. I have successfully cleaned all of them, and rid them of many serious and often decades-old stains. Some are much tougher to clean and restore than others, and none ever look quite as perfect as before its first wash, but it’s certainly better than a dingy or stained garment and no one but you who saw that silk item before its wash will truly know the difference (if you clean it carefully, of course!).
If your silk tie is gross and a simple spot treatment won’t do it, you don’t have to lose it! Get a jug of distilled water and a small container (or wash out your sink and plug the drain), then soak the tie in it for at least an hour. If you’ve had the tie for a while, or it is vintage, you might just be stunned at how gross the water gets with this soak. Drain that water, add a soap made for delicate clothing, and let it soak for ten minutes. Drain that, then fill the container with water again until the suds are gone and the water is clear. Rinse with white vinegar to restore the luster of the silk and rinse until the scent of vinegar is gone. Then, lay it flat to dry. It will probably be a bit stiff when it dries, so if you have a steamer, steam it from a few inches away; otherwise, hang it near your shower, turn on the hot water, close the door, and let it get steamy in there for 5-10 minutes. Ta-da; you have a fresh, clean silk tie that still looks incredibly handsome.
I promise this works. If it didn’t, I’d be broke and wardrobe-less (given that I’m somewhat of a hedonist and much of my own closet is filled with silk).
Mandinkus says
I just wanted to say thanks for this post! My husband had a silk tie that fell to the bottom of the closet and was then underneath something when my cat urinated on it. I found it when I cleaned the closet. It sat in my laundry room for months, because I didn’t know how to clean it. It is now clean and put away, and it looks great!
JS says
I tried the rubbing alcohol wipe method and it worked somewhat. My stain was on a silk tie; it set in for about an hour and had been gently wiped with a dry paper towel at the restaurant. The alcohol removed about 70-80 percent of the stain after 2-3 alcohol wipe and dry cycles. I wanted to get the rest out, so I wiped a little more aggressively once more. After drying that time, I noted some fading of the material, especially evident since the tie has a bit of a sheen to it. Be conservative with how many times you wipe and with how much pressure. Otherwise, you can end up bleaching the fabric. In this case, better was the enemy of good. I should have just left it alone at 80%.
Ben says
Another vote for Sonia! My stain was very caked on and several months old at least. After each time I applied alcohol and dried with the hair dryer, I very gently used a toothpick to scrape along the grain of the tie to get out the caked-on stuff that the alcohol had loosened. Then several more times with the alcohol, and the stain lightened up a little each time. Thanks!
Al says
Alcohol wipe and a hair drier are definitely the way to go. It just saved one of my favorite ties from the rag bag. Thanks Sonia!
Ellen says
I was nervous about trying the alcohol, however, I figured the tie was trashed anyways, so why not. I agree with y’all that it is the way to go. My husband’s tie looks new again! Wish I would have known sooner. Previously I would have thrown it out. I encourage everyone to give it a try.
Daniel says
Just removed a large 3×2 oily stain from my navy blue Gucci tie. Laid it flat over a wash cloth and blotted with alcohol on a cotton ball. Used hairdryer.
Repeated the process 3 times. Like new. No need to replace.
Saved me $140.00.
Thanks.
Sadie says
Water absolutely does NOT damage a silk tie. I’ve tried a wet washcloth with mild detergent on it to actually RUB in each direction of a small stain (grease?) and then rinsed with the opposite end of a dampened washcloth, rinsing beyond the stain’s edges. Lay it flat on the island to dry. It did NOTHING to remove the stain, but the tie is as smooth & silky as before with no water stains. May try the alcohol/hair dryer next.
Linda says
I tried Sonia’s alcohol and hairdryer method, but it didn’t work. The stain is still there and now there is a ring around it where the alcohol was. Help!
Melanie says
Linda,
This article might help: How to Remove Alcohol Stains from Silk.
Tom says
I had one medium-sized stain (from some vegetable on a pizza) and two minute stains on my bright blue silk tie. I tried Sonia’s alcohol and hairdryer method, and the medium-sized one disappeared immediately. However, the other two were stubborn. I went too far and rubbed more Isopropanol into the area. Then I realised I had one fresh big alcohol stain on top of the two original ones. Thanks to the link posted by Melanie, I attacked them by blotting with warm water straightaway and then used the hairdryer to dry the tie as quickly as possible (with cold air though). Now all the stains are gone and the tie is almost as good as new.
In conclusion, Sonia’s alcohol and hairdryer method does work, but do not act like me by applying the method again and again because silk ties are difficult to maintain and you can hardly get rid of the stains on them completely. Otherwise, try the last solution in Melanie’s link to remove the previous alcohol stain and pray all the stains will go away.
Al says
I happened to have alcohol swabs in my medicine cabinet, which I used by lightly rubbing the tomato sauce stain on the silk tie. The swab showed RED on the first rub. Then the second rub showed none, which meant the stain was gone. I did use the hair dryer and it worked. The tie was not a solid light-colored tie; It had narrow stripes of red, gray & gold. I am comfortable with how the stain came out and or “blended” away!
Diane says
Tide To Go Stain Stick worked great on a silk tie stained with gravy.
Bob says
I do not have stains on my ties, but the knot area is dingy from hand dirt. Any suggestions?
Melanie says
Bob,
Try using the absorbent powder method. It is likely the natural oils on your fingers that are making the area look dingy and the absorbent powder should work to remove that. If not, try cleaning the area with one of the other methods or try the method in the guide How to Restore Shine to Silk. Good luck!