Can You Iron Silk? How It Should Be Done

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One or two years ago, I bought a silk dress, which was a nightmare! It got wrinkled somehow, and I had no idea whether I could or could not iron it! I bet you are fronting the same problem right now!

In this article, I will answer the question “Can You Iron Silk?” so that I can ease the job for you if you have doubts! Let’s start!

Key Takeaways

Silk is one of the most extraordinary, unique, and delicate materials that you can ever find, and it needs appropriate care!
Silk can be ironed but it requires some things that you should know!
The main things that should be remembered in ironing silk are to wet the material and to use another cloth which should be laid on top.
The iron’s heat setting should be adjusted to the lowest level.
The best and safest option is to use the silk setting on your iron. The silk setting can be found on many irons.
Sewing silk is a process that you should be very careful about.

Can Silk Be Ironed?

Silk is one of the prettiest and yet the most delicate type of fabric that you can ever encounter. Still, you can iron a silk garment without any problem and without damaging it!

When ironing silk, whether it be silk bedding, a silk scarf, or silk clothing, you should use the coldest temperature possible because silk fibers burn quickly.

Thankfully, most modern irons have dedicated silk settings as well as specific settings for different types of delicate fabrics.

However, being super delicate, you should know that it requires proper care and is not the fastest procedure.

How to Iron Silk? – Step-by-Step

You probably know that you cannot iron every material or fabric the same way, and that concludes with the fact that a silk garment also has its own manner of ironing. I would like to share the easiest things that you can do!

1. Preparation

Once you have a silk material in front of you on the ironing board and you want to iron it, you should know that it can never be ironed while dry!

The first thing to do is spray it with a spray bottle so it can dampen easily. That said, you can also take your silk just after it is washed so it is dampened enough to start the ironing procedure.
The second thing to do during the preparation process is to turn the silk cloth inside out. This way, you can easily avoid the direct contact of silk with the iron as the inside part is a bit different and more durable.
Moving on, you should lay the silk super-flat anywhere that you might want to iron it, especially on an ironing board.
Another essential thing to remember is that you should put another cloth above the silk you are about to iron, known as the press cloth, and it should be a lint-free material.

2. Iron Settings

When it comes to iron settings, there are not many steps to mention, but you should know that you should adjust the heat of it to the lowest temperature because if you use a high temperature, your silk-made clothes will turn yellow in some parts.

Also, remember that the iron should be very clean before using it in silks or other materials. A dirty iron can destroy everything it touches.

3. The Ironing Proces

Suppose everything mentioned above is clear and you have followed the steps. In that case, the first thing to do is to put the iron on the center part of the silk material that you are ironing, find the best way to move the iron, and create some directions for easing your ironing process.

For example, if you are ironing a silk tie, you can start from the bottom part and create movements while moving on to the top. Remember, from the bottom to the top.

Pressing the iron on the silk material is also an excellent way to go, but you should remember that it will make you lose more time.

4. Finishing the Ironing

After you are done with everything that is mentioned and appropriately done, you need to wait for everything to chill out and cool off before moving it.

The last thing to do is hang your silk clothes or anything made of silk anywhere you want because by now you should have wrinkle free silk.

Sewing Silk – Things to Know

As a seamstress, I cannot leave unmentioned some tips on how you can sew silk garments easily because a fragile material on ironing is fragile when it comes to sewing as well. Here are some “tips and tricks” that you can do in order to sew silk garments properly!

Marks

Every tailor uses chalk or any other pen to first mark the materials before starting to sew. When it comes to silk, you should remember to use some pens or chalk that doesn’t dirt the silk as it is a material that can make the colors move around.

Cuts

Whenever cutting the silk material you should make sure that you put the parts well on one another since it is a very light material that can easily slide and move.

Pins

In order to mark the silk material with pins, you should know that it is the procedure that requires more attention and care. Silk is a material that loves to show marks, and we don’t like this fact. When using pins on silk you may encounter some tiny holes which are quite noticeable. I would advise you not to use too many pins.

Sewing

Everything sewing procedure is dependent on the material that you have in your hands. That’s why when sewing silk you should be careful with the stitches. If the silk you have in hand is a thin one, you can use 1.5-2 stitches; meanwhile, for a thicker one, you can use a 2-2.5 stitch.

Final Words

There you have it! An answer and the best way to iron your silk-made clothes or just a silk material that you have in your hands and it is all wrinkled!

The steps you should follow may seem a little bit complicated at first, but once you follow them, you will notice that ironing silk is easy. Still, you should never forget that silk is a unique and delicate type of material and is not compared to any other.

I hope this article will help you bring out the best of your job while ironing silk!