• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
go to homepage

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

go to homepage

How To Clean Stuff.net

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

Home / Cleaning Guides / Clothing & Fabrics / How to Clean Silk Upholstery

How to Clean Silk Upholstery

Table of Contents:
  1. Cleaning Silk Upholstery
  2. Additional Tips and Advice

Silk is a luxurious natural fiber that makes beautiful upholstery. Silk furniture is an investment that must be actively maintained! It is important to clean silk furniture with great care and attention to detail.

Cleaning Silk Upholstery

You Will Need:

  • A vacuum
  • Cold water
  • Mild laundry detergent
  • A hair dryer

Steps to Clean Silk Upholstery:

  1. Begin by vacuuming the entire piece of furniture well to remove all loose dirt. Be certain the upholstery attachment for the vacuum is clean before you begin.
  2. Generally, silk upholstery can be cleaned with a soft cloth dipped in a solution of cold water and mild laundry detergent such as Woolite. However, exercise extreme caution and be sure to test a small, inconspicuous area first as many types of dyed silk will discolor easily. Skim the suds off the top of the water onto the cloth, then wring the cloth out well so it’s only damp, not dripping.
  3. To prevent water stains, dry the silk with a hair dryer on cool air.
  4. When in doubt, have your silk upholstery cleaned professionally.

Additional Tips and Advice

  • Be cautious not to overwet the fabric.
  • Do not place your silk upholstery in direct sunlight, or in close vicinity to a heating/air conditioning sources.
  • Clean spills promptly, blotting at them with a firm, lifting motion; never rub the stain as this will force it deeper into the fabric.
  • Never use a hair dryer on hot air to dry a wet spot or spill on silk upholstery as the heat may cause shrinkage of the fabric.
  • Sometimes when cleaning silk upholstery water marks will remain that are nearly impossible to remove. If this occurs, you may want to consider using a dry-cleaning method.
  • One site user wrote in (Thanks!) to say that for white silk with water stains, blotting with a mix of witch hazel and peroxide can work to remove them, though it may take a while to work. Do not use the method on colored silk though as it may lighten or remove the dye.

Cleaning Guides, Clothing & Fabrics

Was This Guide Helpful?

+39
-10
Rating: 80%. From 49 votes.
Please wait...

Related Posts

  • How to Clean Leather Upholstery
  • How to Clean Velvet Upholstery
  • How to Clean Nubuck Upholstery
  • How to Clean Velour Upholstery
  • How to Clean Suede Upholstery
  • How to Clean Cloth Upholstery

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, conse ctetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit sed diam.


Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

About the Author

Avatar photo

Mark

Mark is the founder and lead content planner here at HowToCleanStuff.net. He spent 4 years as a professional carpet cleaner followed by a career providing professional cleaning services to businesses and residential homes.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

show comments +

Comments

  1. DeeDee says

    February 3, 2017 at 12:07 am

    Hello,
    I have an old wooden Japanese jewelry box that I “insanely” purchased. There are some stains of unknown origin on it. The silk brocade is set into the top of the box. I can’t vacuum it or it could come loose. I can spot test the rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab OR the white vinegar. (Unfortunately, I will also have some embroidery repairs with thread that I can do also. I do sewing crafts so I am not intimidated by the task.)
    I would like to send an email for your opinion.
    Thank you. Debra

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      February 3, 2017 at 6:15 am

      DeeDee,
      The post How to Clean Stains from Brocade Upholstery might help. To vacuum a delicate piece, you can use the hose and wrap a breathable fabric over the mouth, such as cheesecloth or a sock, to cut down on the suction. If you have a more specific question, it (and pictures) can be submitted via the Ask A Question form. Good luck!

      Reply
  2. Jean says

    June 17, 2017 at 9:54 am

    I have a white silk chair with a dirt stain on the seat…Best thing to clean it without leaving ring…alcohol or dry cleaning solvent or baking soda??????

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      June 17, 2017 at 2:12 pm

      Jean,
      The order of those items for which is least likely to leave a ring is:
      1) baking soda (since there is no liquid at all)
      2) alcohol (since it dries very quickly)
      3) dry cleaning solvent
      However, you should always test a cleaning solution in a small hidden area first. If the alcohol or dry cleaner damages the area in any way (removing the dye, etc.), then it would leave a different kind of ring.
      Good luck!

      Reply
    • Stevie says

      January 22, 2019 at 5:59 pm

      I have a silk antique chair with beautiful light blue silk upholstery. It has what looks like water stains on it. Is there a way of removing that instead of reupholstering? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Avatar photoMelanie says

        February 9, 2019 at 4:46 pm

        Stevie,
        Here is a trick for removing water stains. Wet a cloth with distilled water, then wring the cloth out so it’s only damp, not dripping. Pat the stain lightly to wet it, then immediately use a hair dryer on cool air to dry the area.
        If that doesn’t work, try cleaning the stain with dry cleaning solvent. Good luck!

        Reply
  3. Christina says

    September 18, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    I have a living room set of yellow, peach & gold silk.I don’t know how to clean it. What do I use?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      September 23, 2018 at 8:34 pm

      Christina,
      The steps above should work, but be sure to test on a small hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction. Do a complete test (start through drying) to get the most information you can about how your material may react. Good luck!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Featured Guides

How to Clean a Hairbrush

How to Clean a Microwave Oven With ZERO Chemicals

How to Clean Every Dental Retainer

How to Clean your Macbook’s Screen

Join our mailing list.
Be the first to know about new arrivals, sales, and special events.
Thank you for subscribing!

Footer

Browse by Category

  • Automotive
  • Clothing & Fabrics
  • Floors & Carpets
  • Housecleaning
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Outdoors
  • People & Pets
  • Household Stuff

Contact

  • Ask Us Your Cleaning Questions
  • Contact Form

Follow us on Social Media

Site Information

  • Cookie Policy
  • Guest Post Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • XML Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 · HowToCleanStuff.net · All Rights Reserved · Website by Anchored Design