Handle scarves with care, especially when dealing with stains.
Keeping that new silk or wool scarf looking new years after you first wear it may prove challenging as any stain threatens the appearance of these delicate fabrics, even a simple water stain. Chemicals are not recommended, nor is casually tossing the garment into your washer and dryer. These fabrics require special care. Before you trek to your local dry cleaner, however, simple items found around your household can provide fashion rescue on the spot.
Instructions
1. Address the stain as quickly as possible in both types of material. Once any stain dries, it sets and is harder to remove.
2. Avoid harsh cleansers -- such as bleach -- that can damage your scarf. Use vinegar mixed half and half with cold water instead, graduating to ammonia mixed with cold water should the stain prove more stubborn.
3. Decipher what made the stain before you begin. If the stain is chocolate, do not wet the stain at all. The oils or butter may further blend into the material and make stain removal more difficult. Instead, put the scarf in the freezer so that you can brush away dried particles. If the stain is oil-based, use talc powder to pull the oil from the material.
4. Test the color fastness of your material before addressing the stain, both in silk and in wool. Apply a small mixture of the water and white vinegar on a white cloth and dab onto a small, discrete spot on the inside of the scarf. If the color transfers to the white cloth, do not treat the stain yourself. Instead, take it to the dry cleaner. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
5. Blot the stain with your cleaning mixture. Never rub. Rubbing any stain will only smear it. Instead, blot the stain, allow it to rest and then dab it with a dry towel. Repeat this step as much as necessary until the stain disappears.
6. Launder only if you have a gentle setting for your silk garments, or if the wool is labeled as washable. Place scarves in a mesh bag suitable for smaller, delicate items and run through the gentle cycle using cold water and a gentle cleanser. Check that the spot has been suitably treated so that it does not set during the drying process.
7. Look at your dryer's heat settings. Do not use the dryer for your delicate wool or silk scarves if you are unable to use a setting with no heat. Do not wring the material; instead, put it on a towel and roll it up to absorb all the excess moisture. If air-drying your silk scarf, avoid direct sunlight to prevent fading.
Tags: water, other, stains, silk, wool, scarf, cold water, silk wool, white cloth, with cold, with cold water
