All natural silk is washable if it is treated with proper care and respect. Most soaps are harmful to silk and can effect the dyes. Use a nonalkaline soap
Water used for washing should be soft. If water is hard, add a pinch of Borax or ammonia to soften it.
A good neutral soap either in the form of flakes or powder may be used. However Mild detergents are recommended.
Cleaning may be done in Luke warm soap solutions by kneading & squeezing or suction washing.
Silk fabrics may be rinsed in Luke warm water 2 or 3 times to remove soap and the released dirt.
Finally a few drops of citric acid or acetic acid may be added to the last rinse in cold water.
Silk with doubtful colours may be steeped in cold water with a small amount of citric acid or acetic acid for 1 to 2 min before washing in lukewarm or cold water.
Avoid mechanical handling of silk fabrics under wet condition, Handle silk gently during washing.
Silk after washing may be squeezed lightly by hand, (DO NOT WRING) to remove the excess water.
Silk fabric may be dried uniformly under shade.
Drying under flat condition or horizontal spread for drying of sarees/fabrics is ideal for silk.
Direct exposure to sunlight weakens silk and turns it yellow.
Avoid higher temperatures for washing silk.(Temperature not to exceed 60 C).
Dry cleaning is recommended for combination colours that have a tendency to bleed.
Handwoven silk fabric rarely needs more than a very light pressing. Yarns are usually substantial and resilient so the fabric shouldn't wrinkle much. The iron should be set low, like a rayon setting; high heat destroys silk. In most cases you can iron directly on silk. If a metallic looking shine develops use a press cloth between fabric and iron, or iron on the wrong side. Steam can be used on most silk fabrics. If silk fabric is thin use a dry iron, steam can cause fine fabrics to pucker.
Silk may have a tendency to dry "stiff" after washing and ironing due to residue sericin. This is especially true of a fabric right after it is woven or knit. The amount of finishing required for subsequent wearing and washing is much less. The best time to start the finishing is while the silk goes from damp to dry. Fluff it up or shake it a little two or three times or put it into the dryer on a delicate cycle for a short time. After washing and pressing "whap" the silk against the soft edge of the ironing board to restore lustre and softness.