You can easily wash your silk pillowcases and sheets at home either by hand or in your washing machine. No need to dry clean! Follow these simple steps for successfully cleaning and caring for your fine silk bedding.
At Mulberry Park Silks we are often asked, Can silk be washed? In short, yes! Your pure silk pillowcases and silk sheets are washable and it's easy to do! There's no need for expensive dry cleaning. You can opt for machine or hand washing following the silk cleaning instructions below. Closely adhering to these guidelines from Mulberry Park Silks can keep your sheets and pillowcases beautiful and luxurious for years to come. Washing silk has never been so easy.
When you first unbox your silk sheets, read and follow the care directions especially if this is your first time washing. You'll discover that silk is actually quite simple to care for, and requires only a bit of extra attention.
Download (PDF) of our Washing Instructions for Silk Pillowcase and Silk Sheets |
Whether you choose to hand wash or use a washing machine, choosing the best gentle silk detergent is an absolute necessity. Remember that silk is a natural fiber (this is part of what makes it so great for sensitive skin!). Washing it in detergents that are either too acidic or too alkaline will cause those fibers to harden. That's why we recommend a mild detergent with neutral pH that is specially formulated for silk, like those from Heritage Park Laundry Essentials. This will help maintain the integrity of your fabric with every wash. Also read below about why you should avoid detergents that contain laundry enzymes.
Along with harsh detergents, you should avoid using bleach, fabric softener, or any type of optical brightener when laundering your silk bed sheets and silk pillowcases. These are not good for the silk and can even discolor or damage the silk fibers. Dry cleaning silk is also not necessary. In most cases, you can wash everything from a silk pillowcase to a duvet cover either by hand or in your machine at home.
Also: DO NOT USE any type of detergent with laundry enzymes on silk bedding or a silk garment. These "biological detergents" can be damaging to silk fiber; understanding why requires a small lesson in laundry enzymes, which are natural compounds included in detergents to break down stains. Many stains—including blood, sweat and other body fluids, eggs, cheese, dairy, and more—are protein-based. Even fatty and oil-based stains contain some protein. Laundry enzymes break down these proteins to release and remove stains. However, silk is protein-based (made from the cocoon of a silk worm) and regularly washing it with an enzyme detergent will wear down its fibers and damage the integrity of the fabric. This is why you should never use an enzyme or biological detergent to wash silk or other protein-based fibers such as wool, cashmere, alpaca, furs, or feathers.
Wash silk in a separate, silk-only, load. Turn silk pillowcases inside out before laundering, and place all silk items in fine mesh laundry bags to help keep the silk from tearing. This is particularly important if your machine has an agitator mechanism. Silk is lightweight; the delicate fabric has the potential to get caught under the agitator and tear and pull. The agitator and the inside of your machine can also have tiny nicks, burrs, and rough edges caused by other laundry items like zippers or buttons. A mesh wash bag will help protect your silk sheets from damage.
Machine washing silk in cool water to cold water is ideal. Temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius) can damage silk significantly. It is best to wash all silk products in cold water. Don't use bleach, which will harm the fabric and cause it to yellow, or fabric softener which can leave residue on the fabric. The natural thread fibers of silk and our specialized charmeuse weaving technique create the softest silk available. Fabric softener is unnecessary and will leave an unpleasant residue on the fabric.
As stated before, we are always asked "can silk be washed?". Yes, you can absolutely hand wash your silk sheets and pillowcases or put them in the washer. In fact, hand-washing silk is preferable to dry cleaning. Wash your silk items by themselves in cold water. Use only a gentle laundry soap formulated for silk. Submerge items and gently agitate with your hand; don't rub or scrub. Thoroughly rinse out all soap.
Never wring out your silk items. Roll them in white towels to blot, or lay white towels out on the bed and blot sheets on top of them. Line or hang dry your silk -- outdoors or inside -- to preserve the fabric. Use a clothesline, a non-slip hanger, or a drying rack out of direct sunlight. Never put silk in direct sunlight, outdoors or inside. Exposure to sunlight can damage the silk fibers and may cause colors to fade, especially in darker colored silk.
Avoid wooden drying racks that can leach dyes or stains into silk. Your silk should dry in about 45 minutes depending on temperature and conditions. Don't put silk items in the dryer. Heat can damage delicate silk fibers. If the dryer is absolutely necessary to use only 'air' setting for 15 minutes or less with NO fabric sheets or dryer balls. Remove sheets before completely dry. For a more in-depth guide, here is how to dry your silk pillowcases and silk sheets after a wash.
Ironing is not always necessary. All silk products wrinkle after washing, but the threads will start to relax and straighten after a few nights' uses. If you prefer to iron, one option is to iron only your silk pillowcases (since they're all that show!) on the lowest setting available.
However, your silk sheets and bedding can be ironed if you wish. Always iron sparingly, only on the coolest setting with silk sheets and silk pillowcases inside out. A low temperature iron should glide smoothly over the fabric. You can also place a cloth between the iron and your silk item.
Read more here about how to iron silk sheets and bedding without damaging the fabric.
Store silk carefully in breathable plastic bags, away from direct sunlight, with moth repellent lavender sachets or cedar balls.
Investing in a few helpful products can make caring for your silk bedding much easier.
Fine Fabric Wash: Luxury Silk, Wool and Cashmere Detergent from Heritage Park Laundry Essentials is the ultimate laundry detergent for fine textiles such as silk and wool. This gentle detergent cleans gently and effectively without causing damage and maintains the integrity of silk, wool, linen, and other natural fibers.
Fine Mesh Laundry Bags: Using a laundry wash bag will certainly help to keep your silk pillowcases from tearing especially if you use a washing machine that has an agitator mechanism. The light fabric of silk can sometimes catch underneath the agitator causing it to tear and pull apart the silk pillowcase. A fine mesh laundry bag will help to keep your pillowcase from getting caught.
As we noted, you should not use harsh stain removers, brighteners, or fabric softeners. You can pre treat stains with fabric wash prior to laundering. Looking to purchase your first silk pillowcase? When shopping for real silk pillowcases beware of these 10 things! Feel free to contact us with any questions you have regarding caring for your silk items; we are here to help!
Can I machine wash silk sheets the same way I wash silk clothing and scarves?
While you can machine wash silk sheets on a gentle cycle, the care label on silk clothing and a silk scarf may require hand washing silk for best results. To wash silk bedding like sheets and pillowcases, use cold water (or lukewarm water if specified on the care label) in your machine on with mesh bags for protection. Choose a gentle, enzyme-free detergent made for protein-based fabrics like silk. Always check each item's care label before deciding whether to machine wash silk or hand wash. Silk sheets are typically more durable than silk clothing and can handle machine washing better. However, for silk clothes or a delicate silk scarf, hand washing silk in cold or lukewarm water is often gentler and safer.
What water temperature should I use when I wash silk sheets or hand wash silk items?
Always use cold water when you wash silk sheets, wash silk bedding, or wash silk clothes. Cold water protects the delicate silk fibers from damage. Some care labels may permit lukewarm water for hand washing silk items like a silk scarf or silk clothing, but cold is safest. Whether you machine wash silk or choose hand washing silk, never use hot water which can damage fibers and cause colors to fade. Check your care label for specific temperature guidance, and when you dry silk afterward, always air dry away from direct sunlight rather than using heat.
How should I dry silk sheets differently from how I dry silk clothing?
The method to dry silk is the same whether you wash silk sheets, a silk scarf, or wash silk clothes: always air dry away from direct sunlight and never use a dryer. After you wash silk bedding, hang sheets on a line or drying rack to dry silk naturally in about 45 minutes. Similarly, when you wash silk clothes or a silk scarf, hang or lay flat to dry silk completely. Check your care label for any item-specific instructions; some silk clothing may need to lay flat while silk sheets can hang. The key is to dry silk gently regardless of the item type, avoiding heat and direct sunlight that can damage fibers or fade colors.
Should I always check the care label before I wash silk items?
Yes, always check the care label before you wash silk sheets, wash silk clothes, a silk scarf, or any wash silk bedding items. The care label tells you whether you can safely machine wash silk or if hand washing silk is required, what water temperature to use (cold or lukewarm water), and how to properly dry silk afterward. While most silk sheets can machine wash silk safely, silk clothing and a silk scarf often need hand washing silk for gentler care. The care label also indicates if there are special requirements for your specific silk item—following these instructions when you wash silk bedding or silk clothing ensures your items last longer and maintain their luxurious quality.
We founded Mulberry Park with one simple mission: to design the highest quality silk items in the market and offer them at an affordable price. And we've done just that, with a full range of silk products made from 100% pure mulberry long strand silk fabric. The silk fabric used for our silk sheets and silk pillowcases has also been OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified to be tested for over 1000 harmful chemicals.
Visit us online or call us at (800) 860-1924 to learn more about our silk sheets, silk pillowcases, duvet covers and shams, and real silk accessories including sleep masks, travel pillows, and silk hair scrunchies.