What’s So Special About Silk Posted on April 11, 2011 under Fashion. | no comments.
To quote Oscar de la Renta “ Silk does for the body what diamonds do for the hands.”
It has a beautiful sheen and caresses the skin of the person wearing it, almost like a second skin. Silk is considered to be hypoallergenic due to its protein structure and is soil and odor resistant.
Silk fibers dry clean very well. However if the manufacturer has not tested for the appropriate care instructions certain dyes of finishes applied to the fibers may react adversely to the dry cleaning. One of the more frequent problems that we find with silk is the tendency of the sizing to finish applied by the manufacture to discolor upon contact with moisture.
The moisture effect of water soluble food and beverage spillage, perspiration, and rain may disturb sizing. If an article is badly stained by moisture, and labeled “dry cleanable” it may be very difficult for a dry cleaner to correct this shading. One option available to try and correct this effect is to try a short wet cleaning process but this should only be done at the request of the customer. Perspiration is another issue commonly associated silk. Perspiration contains salt and salt can damage fabrics especially silk. Perspiration is acidic and turns to alkaline on exposure to the atmosphere.
This can cause the fabric to change colors and can disintegrate and weaken silk. Have perspiration stains removed as soon as possible to avoid permanent staining. Some silk dyes bleed or change color when exposed to solutions containing alcohol. Allow perfume, deodorants and hair sprays to dry before dressing Because of the extreme sensitivity of many dyes and sizing to moisture, consumers are not advised to attempt any stain removal using water unless they have pre-tested an unexposed seam and remember when in doubt check with your friendly dry cleaner….
