How to care for silk bed linen in summer

Five expert tips to care for silk bed linen in summer

To ensure Brits are caring for their silk bed linen correctly this summer, Georgia Metcalfe, founder of luxury bedroom retailer French Bedroom has revealed five essential tips to follow and the benefits of each.

Prevent creasing

Avoid using a tumble dryer for silk sheets as it can damage the fabric. When first ironing, ensure the bed linen isn’t damp and use the coolest setting.

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After a few washes you’ll notice the wrinkles are less visible and the fabric stays smooth. Georgia comments: “If you are worried about the temperature of an iron, try steaming silk sheets, or if you have space, let the steam from a warm bathroom smooth out those creases.”

Choose the right material

Choosing the right type of silk for your bed linen can be overwhelming, so select one based on the amount of care you are able to provide for it, so you can ensure it feels soft against your skin. Georgia comments: “If you’re a fan of soft bed linen choose charmeuse silk, for something with more texture choose tussah. The thread count is similar but the way it is woven has an impact on how it feels. If you’re not a fan of ironing and like luxurious silk, choose sheets that are textured, such as our Mulberry Silk Bed Linen.”

Read the care labels and wash properly

After purchasing luxurious bed linen, the last thing anyone wants is for it to fade or lose its lovely feel. Georgia recommends familiarising yourself with labels to ensure you know how to wash it properly. She adds: “You can either hand wash or machine wash your silk bed linen, but only use a non-biological detergent specifically for silk. Biological detergents can damage the fibres. It should also be washed at 30°C.”

Store linen appropriately

Before folding and storing away bed linen, make sure it is fully dry. Damp fabrics are more susceptible to mould forming.

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Georgia comments: “The best place to store your silk sheets is in a dark, dry space with good airflow as this will prevent moisture damage.  Traditionally bed linen is kept in the cupboard containing the hot water cylinder, a space that ticks all the boxes.”

Removing stains

If staining does happen, then Georgia recommends spot cleaning: “You should use a cold damp cloth and organic cleaning products, then dab the stain directly to remove it."