Cleaning Silk Shawls and Aprons

Prolong the life of your silks by hand washing them as opposed to dry cleaning.

The chemicals used in dry cleaning can, over time, dull the color, and leave a yellowish tinge.

Washing the apron is rather simple and quick.

Start by soaking the apron in cold water with a cap full of Woolite.  Use a clean plastic bin or a very clean sink!

Gently rub any spots away, then rinse with fresh water.  Do not wring out your silks.  It is better to gently squeeze out the water, spread out the apron onto a towel and roll the towel up.  This will help get the excess water out.  Hang the apron to dry.

As for the shawl, washing is the same.  Be careful not to swish the shawl too much, as the fringe will get tangled quickly.  Gently squeeze out the water, spread the shawl onto a towel, and roll up.

Now comes the fun part, untangling the fringe!

Place a couple of towels over the back of a chair.  Pull up a chair for yourself, and gently run your fingers through each bunch of fringe.

Turn the shawl as you finish each side, and use a spray water bottle to lightly dampen if it dries too quickly.

This is great to do with a friend, where you clean each shawl together!