Product Care Instructions

Silk Care

Care of Silk Fabric: General Precautions

• Silk is a natural protein fiber. Do not use chlorine bleach to clean silk; chlorine will damage the silk fabric
• Substances containing alcohol will damage silk fabric. So let your perfume and hairspray dry before dressing

Hand Washing Silk

• Hand washing silk is our recommended mode of cleaning silk. Almost all silk can be hand washed (and would not shrink if the silk fabric were pre-shrunk before sewing)
• If you have hard water, you may wish to first add a spoonful of borax to the washing water
• Use lukewarm water and mild, non-alkaline soap (such as Ivory Liquid) or baby shampoo
• While rinsing, you can add a few tablespoonfuls of distilled white vinegar to the rinse water to neutralize alkali traces and to dissolve soap residue Or, add a few drops of hair conditioner to the final rinse water for extra silky feel
• Soaking silk for any more than a few minutes should be avoided
• Do not use harsh detergents that contain bleaches or brighteners
• Do not wring or twist; roll in towel to extract water

Silk Care: Drying Tips

• Hang silk garments to dry. The silk garment will hold its shape
• As with any fine fabric, never use direct sunlight to dry silk clothing. Doing so can damage the silk fiber and fade the color. Wet silk may yellow in direct sunlight or on a radiator
• Don’t use a wooden drying rack, as the dyes & finishes can leave stains
• We do not recommend drying silk in a clothes dryer since it can damage silk in two ways: (1) excessive temperature and heat dulls the silk fabric and may also shrink it; (2) friction with the dryer drum might cause yarn breaks or white streaks

Jewelry Care

Sterling Silver

Traditional Sterling Silver and Fine Silver can be cared for in pretty much the same way. You can use these methods to clean and polish traditional .925 sterling silver and .999 Fine Silver:

• Commercial silver/gold cleaners.
• Jewelry polishing cloth. Use lightly to restore luster.
• Additionally, tarnish can be retarded by storing your jewelry in the resealable plastic bag included with each piece, or in a commercial jewelry bag with anti-tarnish papers.

Copper and Brass

Surprisingly enough, copper and brass are also very simple to care for. While they do tarnish more quickly than sterling silver, they can be restored to their original shine easily. Methods for cleaning and shining copper and brass jewelry are:

• Commercial copper/brass cleaner.
• As with sterling silver, copper and brass jewelry will tarnish slower if stored in a recloseable plastic bag or jewelry case with anti-tarnish paper.