Can I put my silk sheets or silk pillowcases in the dryer?

We strongly recommend against it. High heat from a dryer can permanently damage silk fibers, stripping the fabric of its natural luster, softness, and durability. The good news is that silk air dries surprisingly quickly — typically in about an hour when hung on a line away from direct sunlight, indoors or out. If time or space make air drying truly impractical, you can use a dryer on a no-heat setting only. That said, making air drying your default habit will significantly extend the life and beauty of your silk bedding.

Do I need to iron my silk sheets and pillowcases after washing?

Not necessarily. After washing, silk will have some wrinkles, but with a few nights of use the silk fibers naturally relax and smooth out on their own. A helpful pro tip: put your silk sheets on the bed while slightly damp and smooth them out by hand; this prevents most wrinkles without any ironing at all. If you do prefer to iron, focus on your silk pillowcases since those are what you see most, and always iron on the coolest setting available with the pillowcase turned inside out and a clean cloth placed between the iron and the silk. A light steam helps the iron glide smoothly without stressing the fabric.

What's the best way to dry silk after hand washing or machine washing?

After washing, gently blot your silk bedding with a clean white towel to absorb excess moisture; never wring or twist, as this can distort the fibers. Then hang on a line indoors or outdoors, away from direct sunlight, which can cause silk to fade. Skip wooden drying racks, as the wood can leach stains or dye onto your silk. If you need to use pins, choose soft-grip clothespins to avoid leaving marks or dents in the fabric. Silk dries quickly and beautifully with this simple approach, wash after wash.

How should I store my silk bedding once it's dry?

Store your silk sheets and pillowcases in a breathable bag — not a sealed plastic one — away from direct sunlight, ideally in a closet or drawer. Sunlight can degrade and fade silk fibers even during storage. To protect against moths, tuck in lavender sachets or cedar balls, both of which are gentle and effective. Make sure your silk is completely dry before storing, as any residual moisture can lead to mildew. With proper storage, your silk bedding will stay fresh, beautiful, and ready to use whenever you need it.

How to Dry Silk Pillowcases and Silk Sheets

Key Takeaways

Heat is silk's biggest enemy — in the dryer and the iron.Silk is a protein-based natural fiber that requires protection from extreme heat at every stage of care. Always air dry your silk pillowcases and silk sheets away from direct sunlight, and if ironing is necessary, use the lowest setting possible with a protective cloth between the iron and the silk. Better yet, skip it altogether and let the fibers relax naturally with use.
Drying silk is easier and faster than you might think.Silk air dries quickly — typically in about an hour — when hung on a line indoors or outside out of direct sun. A few simple precautions make all the difference: don't wring out wet silk, blot excess moisture with a white towel, avoid wooden drying racks, and use soft-grip pins if needed. If you absolutely must use a dryer, use a no-heat setting only.
Proper storage keeps your silk beautiful between uses.Once your silk bedding is fully dry, store it in a breathable bag away from direct sunlight (a climate-controlled closet works perfectly). Add lavender sachets or cedar balls to protect against moths and keep your silk smelling fresh. Careful storage is the final step in making sure your silk sheets and pillowcases stay looking and feeling their best for years to come.

Treating Silk as a Natural Fiber

Like wool, silk is a protein-based fiber and as such has special properties: shine, luster, softness, durability, temperature regulation. Because of its protein-based molecular structure, however, silk requires special care. It should be washed with an enzyme-free mild detergent (enzymes break down protein and over time can damage silk) and should never be exposed to extreme heat in either the wash cycle or drying process. We recommend always washing your silk bedding in a gentle cycle in cool water and using a mesh laundry bag made for delicate fabric to preserve the integrity of the silk fiber. (Click here for a gentle detergent formulated for silk that's also good for sensitive skin).

A woman with long brown hair sleeps on her side on a bed with beige silk sheets, wearing a white patterned top.

But there's more than just the washing machine: how you dry your silk sheets and silk pillowcases can also affect how long they last.

Drying Silk: The Good News

The good news is that silk can be dried safely, easily, and quickly, simply by hanging on a line indoors or outside, out of the sun. In our experience, our silk sheets air dry in around an hour's time.

How to dry silk bedding

A few quick tips on drying silk bedding:

Don't wring out your silk bedding after you hand wash or machine wash. If it's very wet, blot it with a white towel.
Hang on a line away from sunlight, indoors or outside (sun can cause silk to fade!)
We prefer no clothes pins but if needed, use a soft grip style pin to avoid marking/denting your silk bedding
Avoid wooden drying racks which can leech stain or dye onto silk sheets
DON'T put your silk sheets in the dryer*

Silk clothes are drying on a white rack indoors, including white, black, gray, and pink garments.

*We get it: sometimes space and time constraints make hanging mulberry silk pillowcases and sheets impractical. If you absolutely must use a dryer on your silk sheets, use a NO HEAT setting.

To Iron or Not to Iron Your Silk Sheets and Silk Pillowcases?

Ironing silk bed sheets is not always necessary. After washing silk it will be a little wrinkled, but after a few nights of use the silk fibers will start to relax and straighten out. If you prefer to iron, we recommend ironing just your silk pillowcases (since they are really all that you see) on the lowest setting available to protect them from heat.

Always iron sparingly, only on the coolest setting with pillowcases turned inside out. We recommend that you place a cloth or towel between the iron and your silk item. A light steam will enable the iron to glide smoothly over the fabric.

PRO TIP: put your silk sheets on the bed while slightly damp and smooth them out to avoid wrinkles.

Ironing is not always necessary for silk bedding
Consider ironing just your pillowcases - it is the silk bedding item you see the most
Iron sparingly, use the coolest setting, turn pillowcases inside out

The Ideal Way to Store Silk Bedding (after it is dry)

Store your silk bedding carefully in breathable plastic bags, away from direct sunlight, with moth repellent lavender sachets or cedar balls.

Store silk bedding in a breathable bag
Store away from sunlight - in a closet
Store with lavender sachets or cedar balls

Mulberry Park: Accessible and Affordable Luxury Silk

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.

How to Properly Dry Your Silk Pillowcases and Silk Sheets after Washing for Best Results