How to wash a silk pillowcase, and why two is easier

Saturday morning, the bed stripped, the washing machine open. The cotton sheets go in without a thought. The silk pillowcase waits on the chair, because somewhere you heard that silk is difficult.

It isn’t. It asks for a cooler wash, a gentle cycle and a little patience while it dries. Here is the whole method, from the care label to the pillow.

What does the care label say?

The sewn label on a Siluxe pillowcase gives the rules in symbols. In words:

• hand wash, or machine wash at 30 °C on a delicate cycle;
• a pH-neutral detergent made for silk;
• no bleach;
• no tumble dryer;
• iron on a low setting.

The product page adds the details that make the difference: wash it inside out in a mesh bag, skip the fabric softener, and dry it flat, out of direct sun.

Why so careful? Silk is a strong fibre, but Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that it is weaker while wet and that long exposure to sunlight breaks it down. Every step below follows from those two facts: gentle while it is wet, shade while it dries.

How do you wash a silk pillowcase by hand?

Hand washing takes about ten minutes, most of it waiting.

1. Fill a basin with cold or lukewarm water, no warmer than 30 °C.
2. Add a small amount of pH-neutral silk detergent and swirl it in before the pillowcase goes in.
3. Turn the pillowcase inside out and lower it into the water. Move it gently for two or three minutes: swish, press, lift. Don’t scrub or rub the fabric against itself.
4. Rinse in clean, cold water until no foam is left.
5. Lay it on a dry bath towel, roll the towel up and press to take the water out. Don’t wring or twist it.

How do you wash it in the machine?

The machine is fine, and on a busy week it is the easier choice.

1. Turn the pillowcase inside out. The envelope closure has no zip or buttons to catch.
2. Put it in a mesh laundry bag, on its own or with other light, delicate pieces.
3. Choose the delicate, silk or hand-wash programme at 30 °C, with the gentlest spin your machine offers.
4. Use a pH-neutral silk detergent; no bleach, no fabric softener.
5. Take it out as soon as the cycle ends, so it doesn’t sit creased in the drum.

Wash it with similar colours, and keep heavy items such as towels and jeans for another load: a light load moves more gently.

How do you dry a silk pillowcase?

Flat, in the shade. Smooth it with your hands while it is damp: it saves most of the ironing. Keep it away from direct sun, the radiator and the heated towel rail, and never put it in the tumble dryer.

How long it takes depends on the room. Laid flat in a warm, airy space, a pillowcase washed in the morning can be dry by the evening; in a chilly bedroom in autumn, give it the whole day.

Should you iron it?

Only if you want a crisp finish. Use the silk or low setting, iron on the reverse while the pillowcase is still slightly damp, and keep the iron moving. A light crease or two is normal in silk.

How often should you wash it?

Treat it like the rest of your bed linen and wash it whenever you change your sheets. A routine helps more than any rule: the same day each week, the same gentle cycle, and the silk pillowcase goes in with the delicates instead of waiting on the chair.

Why are two pillowcases easier?

Because silk dries in the air, not in a dryer. With one pillowcase, washing day means a night on cotton or a damp pillowcase. With two, the rhythm is simple: one for sleeping, one in the wash. Swap them on washing day, and the clean one goes back on the pillow that evening.

Two also make sense for two people: his and hers, or two colours you like side by side. Each Siluxe pillowcase is sold on its own, at the same price each.

Which mistakes should you avoid?

• Hot water. Keep it to 30 °C, by hand or in the machine.
• Wringing. Press the water out in a towel instead.
• The tumble dryer. Never, even on a low-heat setting.
• Drying in the sun. Shade, always.
• Bleach and fabric softener. Neither goes near silk.
• A heavy load. Towels and jeans can drag on the fabric; wash silk with light pieces.

Where Siluxe fits

The Siluxe silk pillowcase is 100% mulberry silk, 22 momme, Grade 6A, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, certificate 26.HCN.36686, tested for harmful substances (Label Check), and designed in Paris. It comes in Standard 50 × 70 cm (Rose gold or Gold) or Euro 65 × 65 cm (Gold), with an envelope closure and an embroidered S monogram, at 84 € each. See the pillowcase.

Complimentary delivery from $100 on USD orders: two pillowcases qualify.

For the beliefs about silk that keep it in the drawer, read 5 silk myths, and what’s true.

FAQ

Can I put a silk pillowcase in the washing machine?

Yes, if the care label allows it, as ours does: inside out in a mesh bag, on a delicate or silk cycle at 30 °C, with a pH-neutral silk detergent and no bleach or fabric softener. Take it out as soon as the cycle ends and dry it flat in the shade.

Can I use my usual detergent?

Use a pH-neutral detergent made for silk or delicates. Many everyday detergents are made for cotton and synthetics; for silk, choose a gentle one and use a small amount.

How do I dry a silk pillowcase quickly?

Roll it in a dry towel and press out as much water as you can, then lay it flat in a warm, airy room, out of direct sun. Never use the tumble dryer or the radiator to speed it up.

Can I wash it with my cotton sheets?

Better not in the same load. Heavy cotton sheets and towels tumble against the silk and can drag on it, and they need warmer water than silk does. Wash the pillowcase in a mesh bag with other light, delicate pieces, or on its own by hand while the sheets go through their usual cycle.

Do I need to iron a silk pillowcase?

No. Smoothing it by hand while it is damp removes most creases. If you want a crisp finish, iron it on the reverse on the silk or low setting while it is slightly damp.

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Sericulture: silk has good strength; wetting reduces its strength; long exposure to sunlight breaks it down.