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If you’re lucky enough to own silk shirts or a pair of silk gloves, then you know how wonderful the fabric feels. You probably also know how fragile and easily-damaged it can be. If you want to protect your silk garments so that they last a lifetime, then follow these simple tips.

1. Don’t hang up silk shirts – especially not if you’re storing them for a long time. Silk loses its shape easily, and the last thing you want is hanger indents on the shoulders.
2. Save your silk gloves for special occasions. Carrying bags or spending time out in the rain while wearing silk gloves is a quick way to ruin them.
3. Fold silk garments gently, and keep them in a roomy drawer that is lined with tissue paper. There’s nothing worse than pulling your silk scarf out of the sock drawer to find it wrinkled, or worse, to hear it tear as it snags on a rough part of the drawer.
4. Take the time to get perspiration pads sewn into all your silk shirts. The cost is minimal, and it will add years to your shirt’s life.
5. Read the care instructions on your silk gloves. They may have been treated with something to keep the dye in. If that’s the case, hand washing them could be out of the question.
6. If you do decide to hand wash your silk shirts or silk gloves, then do not soak them. As with most natural fibres, silk loses its colour quite quickly.
7. Do not ever tumble dry silk garments. If you want to make them dry more quickly, pat them dry with a towel, and then iron them for a couple of seconds on the absolute lowest setting.
8. Take care to choose mild soaps when washing silk garments. If a soap does not specify that it can be used to wash silk, then it probably isn’t suitable for that use.
9. Never wring silk. Also, don’t hang it up to dry. Lay it between towels, blot it dry, then leave it out flat for a few hours to finish drying.
10. If all else fails, pay for your silk shirts and silk gloves to get cleaned by a professional. Some hardwearing fabrics can survive multiple home-cleaning attempts with various chemicals and home remedies, but silk isn’t one of those materials.

Your silk shirts and silk gloves were a big investment, and they’re worth looking after. It may sound like silk is a big hassle to take care of, but once you get into the routine of gently folding your silk shirts and making sure that your silk gloves don’t get scrunched up in your bag, you’ll find that you learn to love the way silk feels on your skin.

Silk garments have a timeless appeal that makes them suitable for almost any occasion. If you take good care of your silk shirts and your silk gloves, you’ll find they last a lifetime.