caring for your silk

How to Wash Silk Linen

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wash silk bedding like a pro

the do’s and don’t of washing silk bedding

Silk is a very strong fabric and can last for many years if cared for properly. One of the key ways to keep your silk linen looking and feeling great for years is to *wash it correctly.

  1. Never, ever use bleach when you wash your silk bedding. Bleach can be very damaging to silk and can cause the fabric to turn yellow. Remember, some detergents include bleach.
  2. Do use ½ cup of distilled white vinegar in a second rinse cycle when washing your silk to help prevent yellowing of the fabric over
    time and to restore luster.
  3. Do use a gentle detergent, such as Woolite or TENESTAR. Many eco detergents can also work well, such as ECOS. If you are hand washing your silk linen you can also use a gentle shampoo, such as Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Soap.
  4. Never dry your silk in a dryer with any heat setting. You can use a non-heat tumble dry for a short period or a specific silk setting if your dryer has this option. Otherwise, we recommend that you hang dry silk indoors in a cool location as sun light can cause fading over time. If you are drying a smaller item, such as a pillowcase, you can use the towel method to help dry the fabric faster. Place a towel down and place your silk pillowcase on top. Then fold the edge of the towel over the silk and roll up the silk pillowcase and towel. Give it a gentle squeeze and then set aside to air dry.
  5. Do use cold water when washing your silk linens. Hot water and silk don’t play well, so save the environment and your silk linen by using cold water.
  6. Do use a small amount of Borax “if” you have hard water.
  7. Do act quickly if you stain your silk linen. Spot cleaners designed for silk work best, but if you don’t have one of these on hand, try cleaning the stain with cold water and detergent (works great for protein stains, such as blood). For tough stains you can bring your linen to a dry cleaner. Just remember that the longer you wait the harder and less likely you will be able to remove the stain. (remember, do not ever use hot water with silk)
  8. Do use a gentle or hand wash cycle when machine washing silk. If you have a top loading washer, be extra careful as top loaders tend to be much harder on fabrics (a wash bag is recommended). Front loaders are a better option and of course hand washing your silk is a safer option.

* Please Note: The only completely safe way to clean your silk is to have it dry cleaned (look for green dry cleaners if possible). However, many of our customers do wash their silk at home and we too wash our silk bedding ourselves. However, silk is still a natural fabric and can be damaged quickly if mistakes are made. If you choose to wash your silk bedding, please note that you do so at your own risk.

silk vs cotton sheets

Silk vs. Egyptian Cotton Sheets

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Both silk sheets and Egyptian cotton sheets have their advantages and disadvantages. When considering which to choose for your bed, you will need to compare these features and decide which is most important to you. As a general rule of thumb, figure out three most important features for your needs and select the product that scores best on those points.

Silk Sheets Egyptian Cotton Sheets
High insulating factor (keeps you warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer) Average insulating properties
High surface moisture wicking (removes surface moisture from the skin quickly) Moderate moisture wicking rate
Natural protein fiber from silk warms Processed thread from the cotton plant
Higher upfront cost Lower upfront cost
Naturally hypoallergenic (Resists mold, mildew, dust mites and fungus) Not hypoallergenic. Frequent washing can help keep allergens at bay
Sold by momme weight Sold by thread count
Extremely comfortable to sleep on High thread count versions can be quite comfortable to sleep on.
Primarily sourced from China in Asia Sourced from Egypt in the Middle East
Machine wash cold with mild detergent Machine wash hot

No matter which you choose, both Silk and Egyptian cotton sheets can be a vast improvement over a standard cotton set of sheets. If cost is a major concern, you may lean towards Egyptian Cotton Sheets or Bamboo Sheets which have a luxurious feel at a more affordable price. If however, you’re looking for the best of the best in sheets, seamless silk sheets should be your first choice.


pink silk pillowcases

Silk vs. Satin Pillowcases

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Silk vs. Satin Pillowcases

silk vs satin pillowcases

What’s the difference between silk and satin pillowcases.

Often we get asked: What is the difference between silk pillowcases and satin pillowcases? To start, you need to understand that this question is a little misleading. Silk is a fabric produced from the silk worm, whereas satin is a fabric weave. In truth, many different fabrics can use the satin weave, including silk. That being said, when people ask this question, what they often mean is: What is the difference between Silk Charmeuse Pillowcases and Polyester Satin (silk) Pillowcases? These are the two types of pillowcases you are most likely to come across on the internet, especially in reference to hair and skin care.

Natural vs. Manmade: To start, it is helpful to understand the difference between polyester and natural silk as fabrics. Satin silk from polyester is a manmade fabric produced from polymers. This satin silk from polyester is essentially a fabric created from oil and has the same chemical composition as plastic bottles. Silk, in contrast, is spun from the natural silk protein filament produced by the silk worm when forming its cocoon. Each silk fiber is produced from 3-5 of these silk filaments which are subsequently spun together to produce silk fabric in an assortment of momme weights.

A very different feel: Polyester silk and natural silk also have a very different feel against the skin. Polyester silk satin is slippery with a clearly distinct texture which you can feel. Natural silk in contrast is softer in feel and the Charmeuse weave affords a more subtle reduction in friction.

Benefits for your skin and hair: Both polyester satin silk pillowcases and natural silk pillowcases provide benefits to your skin and hair through reduced friction. This reduces split ends in your hair, pulling on your facial skin and both diminish crease wrinkles in the face. However, because silk is a natural protein, it also provides additional benefits. Silk pillowcases are often recommended by dermitologists to be benefical to your skin and hair Natural silk is a very good thermal insulator, helping you to stay cooler during the summer months and warmer during the winter months, which supports healthy skin. Last, silk is naturally hypoallergenic and is resistant to mold, mildew, fungus and dust mites.

Inexpensive vs. luxury: Perhaps the most obvious difference between polyester satin silk pillowcases and natural Charmeuse silk pillowcases is the cost. As a manmade fabric, polyester is easy to produce in large quantities from a relatively inexpensive source (Oil and recycled plastics) and as a result it’s generally cheap. Silk on the other hand is a luxury product and is very expensive to produce, since supply is limited and the process to harvest and spin silk is complex and labor intensive. This is one of the reasons the silk trade has more in common with precious metals and gem stones (such as being sold by weight) then other fabrics on the market.

Hopefully this article has helped to shed some light on this often asked question about the differences between silk and (polyester) satin silk pillowcases. If you’re interested in investing a pair of silk pillowcases, checkout our links below. We are confident that you will be pleasantly surprised by the luxury and comfort our pillowcases provide and you will never go back to sleeping on plain old pillowcases again.