However all suffer a big drawback from the cleaner’s point of view. While silk has extremely good tensile strength, it is very sensitive to rubbing and abrasion and this can cause problems.
If the fabric is rubbed in any way, while being worn, during cleaning or in stain removal, this can seriously damage the fabric.
Even a light rub with a handkerchief following accidental staining may be sufficient to cause filament yarns to rupture on a lightweight delicate silk fabric.
Abrasion damage usually shows up as one or more areas of colour loss caused by a local variation in the light reflectance in places where the silk threads have been damaged.
To avoid problems with silk, certain steps must be followed.
Always inspect garments carefully at the counter for any signs of abrasion damage.
Always make up a separate “silks” classification.
Never place a silk garment in a net bag and clean it with a normal load of work.
Never use a spatula for stain removal. Tamp the stain with a with a soft brush.
If drycleaning, always use a gentle cycle that is suitable for clothes labelled with circle P underlined, if possible with interrupted cage rotation.
Finally, if you do have a problem possibly from work done by another cleaner, it is worth trying a very light spray with zip lubricant. in an attempt to develop the colour. A re-clean will remove it if too much is applied.
