How to wash and care for silk

• Silk shouldn’t be washed after every wear. Instead, hang silk garments to ventilate, away from direct sunlight which can damage the colour.

• Silk is best hand-washed with a specialist detergent in lukewarm water, without soaking as this can release some dye. Rinse the silk garment without wringing.

• To machine wash silk, wash at 30°C or lower, on a low spin using a small amount of detergent. A mesh bag can help protect silk garments from snagging or twisting too much in the washer.

• To dry, lay the silk garment on a towel and roll up the towel to absorb excess moisture. Then lay flat on a drying rack or hang to air dry.

• To iron silk, use the lowest temperature on an iron, or for an energy-efficient method, simply hang in the bathroom while taking a hot shower. The steam will reduce creases.