Carly asked: I was wondering if you had any advice on fixing silk. My boyfriend was trying to be nice one day and threw some laundry in. My fabulous silk blouse went through the wash, and I want to try and save it if I can. It lost all its luster and doesn’t shine anymore from the washing and drying. The fabric still feels smooth and hasn’t popped a thread or anything. Is there any way to give it back its shine? Is there an oil or anything at all I could use?
Silk 
is a finicky fabric, requiring quite a bit of care when washed. Although dry cleaning is recommended, many silks, lightweight ones in particular, can be successfully hand washed. The side effect of hand washing, however, may be a loss of luster. If your silk has lost its brilliance, the following process should restore some of that shine.
You Will Need:
- Clean sink, tub, or wash bin
- Distilled white vinegar
- Warm water
- Two thick, clean towels
- Padded hanger or drying rack
Steps to Restore the Shine:
- In the wash bin, mix ¼ cup vinegar for each gallon of warm water.
- Stir to mix.
- Submerge the silk in the water.
- Swish the garment around until thoroughly soaked.
- Remove from vinegar water and rinse well with clean water multiple times to ensure all of the vinegar, and the smell, is gone.
- Spread a thick towel on a flat surface.
- Lay the silk fabric over the towel.
- Top with the second towel.
- Press or roll gently to remove excess water.
- Remove the garment from between the towels.
- Hang or spread over a drying rack until dry.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Always spot test a hidden area before you begin.
- Never dry silk on wood, including wooden hangers or drying racks. The wood can stain the fabric.
- Never dry silk in direct sunlight or heat. Either one can cause yellowing.
- If desired, iron silk inside and out on cool or “silk” setting when it’s still damp.
I have a Dior scarf that was my sister’s who died suddenly and it was one of her favorites.
I must have washed it in the machine a while back and it had lost it’s shine. Well, I followed your instructions and it looks brand new again and every time I wear it, I think of my sister.
Thanks for the help!
Thanks! It totally worked! Whew!
How long should I soak my silk clothes in vinegar water?
Sean,
You only need to keep the silk in the water until it is soaked-through. Moving it in the water will help the fabric to absorb the liquid more quickly. As soon as the fabric is completely soaked, it’s ready to be removed.
Is there a way to make silk not shiny?
Could someone please answer Ben? As I am not gay, I am also interested in making a shirt shine less. From above, I guess washing at 40 degrees could work, but is there a method that protects the material and only removes the shine?
I can’t believe how well this works! I thought my husband had permanently ruined my favorite dress!
I really hope this works. I actually took my silk shirt to the dry cleaners, along with two pair of DCO pants, and the dry cleaner’s washed them! I was so upset; I had only worn the shirt once and the pants twice. I asked for my money back to replace what I spent on the clothes and instead of a refund the jerk closed up shop and disappeared.
So again, I hope this works! Fingers crossed xxx
Hi, My silk saree is of contrasting colours–body green and border blue. If I dip the saree in vinegar mixed with hot water, will the colour bleed? Is it safe? Can I try this?
Sapna,
Every item of clothing is different, so there is no way to say for sure that it is safe. However, white vinegar is often used to help set dyes and prevent them from bleeding, so it should be more safe that most chemicals at least. You can always test in a small area by dipping a cotton swab in the water and vinegar mix and then rubbing it onto the fabric to see if any dye is transferred onto the swab. Good luck!
Source: Popsugar: How to Naturally Colorfast Your Clothes For Longer Life
I have to say this saved my silk pillowcase that was washed with other bedding in hot water, normal cycle. The fabric is still thinned out and more fragile, but at least it’s shiny and smooth. I used the iron and it helped a lot. Thank you so much!!
If it doesn’t work the first time, will it work best / is it safe to place the shirt back inside the vinegar again and redo the process?
Yes, I’ve done it three times. Finally, on the third try some of the shine came back. It helps to use The Laundress scented vinegar b/c it leaves a nice, light smell.
This did absolutely nothing for my silk shirt. I hope everyone else has better luck.
I can’t wait to do this!
Would this work for viscose as well?
I have found a silk chair in some things that were thrown out of a home that the people left behind. How do I clean the chair?
Sue,
This is the article that you need: How to Clean Silk Upholstery.
I sent my boss herringbone hemstich pillow sham to dry cleaners and the black silk area was faded. Can I restore it with the white vinegar?
Nicka,
You should consult with your boss first as it was the dry cleaners that ruined the pillow, not you. If you do anything to change it, the dry cleaners might no longer be required to repair/replace the item. Good luck!
Hello! I sewed a pillowcase with a silk thread on linen canvas. But I did something stupid. I kept the pillowcase too long in vinegar and damaged the shine of the silk; looks pale, colorless, deleted. Is there any possibility to fix it? I will appreciate any kind of answer.
Thank you in advance.
Florina,
It sounds like the color (dye) was soaked off. That is an unusual reaction to vinegar, but every fabric and material are unique. Unfortunately, once a dye has been removed, the only way to restore it is to re-dye the item. You can either dye the entire pillowcase, or you could try using fabric markers to color on a design. Once the item has been dyed, soak the pillowcase (briefly! only a couple minutes) in a bowl of water with one teaspoon of hair conditioner mixed in. That may help to restore some of the shine as well. Good luck!
This does work! I accidentally washed a black J.Crew blouse and after air drying and trying to steam it, it looked dull and wrinkled. My shirt is a little shrunk from the wash, so now it is not quite as over-sized, but it has it’s sheen back!
My silk dress was in my suitcase and it must’ve rubbed against the harsher fabrics of my suitcase and has damaged the silk. It looks like the shine or luster has rubbed off and there’s darker areas on my dress. Is it possible that your DIY can fix this or a dry cleaners? Or is it ruined forever?
Hi Francesca,
A good philosophy is that if the dress is already ruined, then it can’t hurt to try to save it. Let us know how it goes!
Good luck,
Melanie
This really sounds promising. My shirt that was washed accidentally is actually velvet with silk sleeves. Is it it ok to soak the entire top in the water/vinegar? Or should I try to avoid the velvet?
Hi Inga,
Since the shirt has already been washed, there is no need to avoid the velvet areas. The vinegar won’t harm the velvet (actually, it may even help; vinegar is a natural fabric softener). Good luck!
I left my silk duponi wedding dress at the dry cleaners to have stains removed. They did a deep clean wash and now the shine has completely gone. Do you think this would work as well for a wedding dress?