Silk is a luxury fabric and we are often asked whether you can iron silk sheets. The answer is yes, assuming you take care. We find however that after a couple of washes, silk sheets will often have fewer wrinkles and don’t generally require ironing, assuming you remove the sheets from the dryer quickly and put them away. Still, if you do want to get out some stubborn wrinkles, you can iron silk. Here are a couple of quick tips to keep in mind when ironing your silk sheets.
- Use a lower heat setting. You don’t want to be ironing your silk sheets at the same setting as your cotton sheets. Choose a setting on the low side (most irons have a silk setting) and then slowly increase the heat if need.
- Keep the iron moving: Never keep the iron in the same place long. Move quickly over the silk.
- Iron from the back of the sheet: Always iron your sheets from backside of the silk (the side with the matte finish). This will reduce the chance of damaging the silk.
- Clean the iron before you start: Some irons can build up rust and other debris in the steam holes. We suggest you release steam from the iron a few times on some cotton fabric before you start.
- Use a clean piece of cotton on top: You can place a clean piece of cotton over top the silk when ironing to reduce the chance of damaging the silk fabric.
With care and a little patience, it is possible to iron silk sheets for a clean result. As always, try out these techniques on your silk bedding in a small section first before proceeding.