Durability, radiance, absorbency, stretchiness, vitality, and more are what you get from silk fabric. Its prominence in the world of fashion is no recent achievement.

If you wonder while it is relatively more expensive than other fabrics, the truth is hidden in its history.

As far back as when China dominated the silk industry, it was regarded as a luxurious material and a delicate fabric.

Only monarchs and wealthy people could afford silk item. It was so invaluable that it was once used as a medium of exchange.

However, the moment the color starts to fade off, it becomes unfit for the luxurious purposes you purchased it to serve.

Although this problem may seem impossible to fix, there are actually quite a few tricks that will keep your natural silk pillowcase looking.

Read on to learn more about color fading problems in silk pillowcases and silk garments and how to fix them.

Causes of Color fading in silk fabrics or silk garments

This problem happens when the pigments in the silk fabric lose their molecular attraction . In return, the material with minor stains starts losing its brightness. And finally, the color change starts becoming visible.

Have you ever wondered why silk fabric color fades? The most prominent cause is bleaching and washing silk with chemical products.

However, in most cases, fading occurs as a result of continuous exposure of silk fibers to sunlight.

Other causes include – the use of low-quality dyes, incorrect dyeing techniques, the use of hot water for washing, wear, and tear, and so on.Steps to fix colour faded problems in silk pillowcases

Get it Professionally Cleaned

If your mulberry silk pillowcase has color-fading problems, it is probably because it has not been hand wash or machine wash correctly.

To remove stains and other dirt from your silk pillowcase, you can get this delicate fabric professionally cleaned by a dry cleaner or you can do it yourself.

For professional dry cleaning, many dry cleaners will offer silk cleaning services.

If they don’t have their own special cleaning solution for silk clothing, they may use an all-purpose cleaner that will be gentle on your silk but strong enough to remove stains.

They also make use of excess water and cold water to hand wash or machine wash your silk fibers.

Get a Good Detergent

Hand wash or machine wash your silk clothing or linens as soon as possible, but if you must do a load of laundry, use a dry cleaning detergent that is designed to be color-safe.

It is a good idea to use a gentle detergent because if it contains bleach it could cause fading and breaking down of the woven fabric faster.

Avoid using chlorine bleach when to hand wash your silk clothing; oxygenated bleach can often contribute to color loss, especially with dark colors.

If you are doing a load of white cloth which are breathable fabric, use about 1⁄2 cup powdered or liquid chlorine bleach as it won’t harm your silk fibres or natural fibers.dd a Little Baking Soda and Vinegar

Did you know that baking soda can be used to hand wash just about anything, including pure silk pillowcases?

Simply add a little baking soda and vinegar to your regular wash cycle and give your pillowcase a good scrubbing with excess water.

The vinegar solution which is a mild detergent will help remove stains while boosting your silk’s luster, too.

To make sure your high quality silk stays looking great, repeat every couple of months or so.

Don’t Add Extra Detergent When Washing Your Silk Pillowcases

Adding extra detergent on your delicate fabric will strip silk fibers of their natural oils and cause your pure silk pillowcases to fade.

This can also ruin your dyes, so don’t use hot water to hand wash your silk items unless you want to end up with a rainbow on your hands.

 Instead, opt for cold water while washing silk fibers. You can also add white vinegar gentle detergent or baking soda to help protect fabric while dry cleaning.

Alternatively, there are pre-treaters made specifically for silk clothing that work wonders when you are machine washing your silk garment.

Dry Your Silk Pillowcases Gently

Woven fabrics like silk pillowcase can fade and even develop color run issues when hand wash together with other clothes, especially during high-heat washing cycles.

It is best to wash your hand wash or machine wash your silk pillowcase alone or with other items made from similar materials such as your mesh laundry bad using cold water.

After washing, gently squeeze your silk pillowcase and air dry.

Use Ice Water Instead of Hot Water

Using cold water when hand washing your silk pillowcase will help lock in color and add less time to your washing cycle.

To minimize fading, we recommend using a mild detergent which as white vinegar solution.

Another good idea is to hang your silk pillow cover outside after washing, so it can dry naturally—sunlight will help to lock in color while drying.

 Avoid Washing And Drying Delicates In The Same Load.

Putting delicates silk sheets with regular laundry can easily cause them to fade.

It can also cause other types of damage. In fact, it us a good idea not to hand wash and dry all your delicates together at all.

If you do have several items that must be washed together, separate them into two loads before sending them through the spin cycle.

Delicates such as silk items are best washed by hand or on a gentle/delicate setting in a basin or sink with cold water.

They are also best air dry or through putting them in an automatic dryer can often cause more harm than good.

Use Sunlight Instead of Heat to Dry

Drying your 100% mulberry silk pillowcase under direct sunlight is a wonderful, chemical-free way to restore color quickly.

While sunlight certainly isn’t a replacement for using heat to dry your silk pillowcase, it is an excellent complement.

 You can also use sunlight on its own to restore some of the natural luster after washing and drying your silk pillowcase at a higher temperature. I

f you’re concerned about fading, you might want to consider hanging it outside once or twice as part of your regular routine.

This works best if you leave it out overnight so that it dries thoroughly, but sunning during daylight hours will also do wonders if you only have time for quick touch-ups during working hours.

Turn Down the Heat

If you use an iron to press your mulberry silk pillow cover, be sure to turn down your iron’s temperature setting.

High heat can cause color fading, particularly on natural fabrics and mesh laundry bag. If you don’t own an iron, choose a silk garment that doesn’t require pressing and check for wrinkles as soon as possible after wearing instead of waiting until later in the day.

Pressing and air dry helps set creases and creases retain more color so it’s better to deal with them sooner rather than later.

Moreover, take care not to rub or bang your silk while washing or drying; friction will cause color loss too.

Put Them into Storage

If you don’t own a steamer, run your natural silk pillowcase through a quick spin cycle in your washing machine on delicate. The spinning motion will be similar to what you get from an electric steamer.

Just be sure to check before doing so as some machines might shrink or damage silk items that isn’t meant for them (this can sometimes happen if you’re not careful about choosing which laundry settings to use with certain fabrics).

 If all else fails, put it into storage for several months. This is especially effective for silk pillowcase that have been stored for long periods of time and need a little freshening up.Switch Fabric Softener

Color fading happens when your fabric comes into contact with certain chemicals, typically while they’re out in direct sunlight.

To help prevent fading or your duvet cover, remove silk natural fibre from direct sunlight before you wash or wear it.

Putting it away under wraps (literally) will keep it protected and looking new for longer.

 If you don’t have room to store your silk natural fibre inside or if you want to enjoy them outside on a sunny day, put them away once their full of rays so that any dyes that may have bleached out can settle back into place.

That way, you will still be able to enjoy silk pillowcases for many years to come. Your silks should last between one and five years depending on how often they are used and care that is taken of them.

 Get them Professionally Repaired if All Else Fails

If you have tried all of these fixes and your silk pillowcase still has color fading issues, then consider going to a tailor or seamstress who can cut out and resew any faded sections.

 This is usually inexpensive, but it will require professional skills to get everything looking crisp again.

If you’re not sure if your local tailor or seamstress can do that, do some research online first to find out what their experience level is with color-correcting issues.

Most good tailors or seamstresses should be able to fix most stains that aren’t permanent and will be familiar with how to fix gentle sequence damage like color fading caused by regular laundering routines.Simple homemade remedies to fix faded silk.

Method one: Add salt and use excess water

Adding salt to excess water during your regular wash is one of the remedies to making your faded silk material look brand new again.

The use of normal household supplies like hydrogen peroxide mixed with equal cold water is not left out, soak the silk items in this solution for some time and then hand wash carefully.

Method two: Soak with vinegar solution

Another way out is to soak with white vinegar solution before washing. It also helps in taking away a faded look.

Method three: Use baking soda and dye

The first two methods are most appropriate if the fabric got faded as a result of stains. But in case you have tried them out and your silk is still dull, you can make use of baking soda and dye.

What you should do before purchasing a silk fabric

Before getting a silk fabric, ask your manufacturer to give you the test report for the colorfastness of the silk fabric.

As a buyer, whether a direct customer or retailer/wholesaler, it is imperative that you know how the silk fabric you’re buying reacts to washing, ironing, and sunlight. Plus, colorfastness reveals the fabrics’ resistance level to sweat.

You may choose to overlook some details of the report if you are a direct customer. However, doing this as a seller could set your business on a down slip.

Here’s your best bet. Before shipment, make sure what the manufacturer is offering meets your needs or the requirements of your target customers as the case may be. This way, you won’t have to struggle with customer retention. Value is enough to attract loyalty.

But if the test report is not available, you can run some checks yourself. Request a part of the fabric you’re buying from the manufacturer and wash it with chlorinated water and seawater.

 Afterward, press it with a hot laundry iron. All these would give you an idea of how durable the silk material is.

 Conclusion

Don’t throw away your 6A silk pillowcase or sheets just yet. Just because they are stained and faded doesn’t mean you can’t use them for their intended purpose.

In fact, most people would think a silk pillowcase is all about luxury and comfort, but how luxurious is it if you end up with red skin from using it to sleep on every night?

Instead of tossing your silk bedding, clean up those stains with a touch of white vinegar solution or soap, rinse them out well with cold water and hang them up to dry.

Once they are good as new, bring back that natural shine by placing on top of a sun-filled window sill for at least an hour each day.