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How To Treat Specialty Fabrics
The 411 On Specialty Fabrics
Your home (not to mention your wardrobe) is likely filled with an array of beautiful South Asian textiles, rich in colour, texture and style. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to cleaning or spot-treating fabrics. This means you run the risk of damaging textiles, setting in stains or ruining fine finishings. Here’s a cheat sheet of care tips for some of the most common specialty fabrics.
Cashmere
Delicate, sumptuous cashmere needs to be hand-washed in warm water. Dissolve a mild shampoo in a water basin before adding the cashmere, and rinse the cashmere with a gentle conditioner afterward to maintain its softness.
Leather
When leather is brand new, protect it with a spray before using it. Following that, use a leather conditioner and protector on it once or twice each year, depending on the amount of wear. To spot-treat small areas of dirt, use a damp cloth and a leather cleaner, and for anything larger, take the leather to a dry cleaner who has experience in leather care.
Silk
Your expensive silk sari or salwar kameez should mostly be dry-cleaned, but check the care label. If the silk can be washed, be sure to do it by hand in cold water, using baby soap or a very mild detergent. Take precious care of the fabric while you’re washing it, making sure it’s not wrung, stretched or overly agitated. After rinsing out the soap, blot the silk with a towel, then lay it flat to dry.
Suede
Take suede to a dry cleaner who specializes in treating suede products, and use a suede brush at home to remove dust and dirt and to keep the texture like new.
Velvet
A fave fabric during the holiday season is due for a cleaning. Check the care label first, and if the velvet doesn’t need to be dry-cleaned, hand-wash it with minimal agitation, then lay it flat to dry. You can also use a fabric brush or cloth to minimize any crushed spots on the pile.
Wool
Wool should usually be dry-cleaned, but check the care label. For any wool that can be washed, do it gently by hand with a mild detergent in cold water. Like silk, wool should be handled very carefully and not wrung, crushed or rubbed. Roll the wool in a towel to absorb excess water, then lay it flat to dry.
Find more fabric care tips plus much more in my book, Mend & Make Fabulous.
Feature Image Source: walkthroughindia.com
Denise Wild
Author
Denise Wild is a sewing expert, magazine editor (including ANOKHI’s former Beauty Editor), media personality, author, and entrepreneur. Denise founded LoveSewing & The Sewing Studio, North America’s largest sewing school for 10 years, with locations in Toronto and New York City. Yo...
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