Sarees have been in trend since its origin. Wearing a saree gives women a gorgeous and sensual look without having to worry about being overdressed or underdressed. It can be worn in any special occasions, or as plain casual wear.
This piece of long cloth can make ladies look glamorous at a party as well as elegant at a wedding function. Women do not hesitate to spend large amount of money on sarees. While selecting a saree you look for perfect material, trendiest designs, best color and amazing texture.
Here are some tips to keep your beautiful possessions bright and beautiful for years to come.
- For the first 2 or 3 washes, do not use detergents but rinse with plain cold water. Do not use hot water. Restrain from washing sarees frequently. For the first wash of cotton saree, dip in the lukewarm water with salt for some 15 minutes. This stops (checks) color bleeding.
- Do not machine wash. Wash the sarees delicately either hand wash or dry clean. Dry cleaning is recommended for hand brocade and crepe saris, heavily embellished and embroidered sarees. Do not use brush. They may tear the zari leaving unpleasant mark.
- Use mild soap or detergents and do not keep the sarees bundled wet for the longer time. Do not soak sarees in detergent. Apply the detergent and gently wash it with hands. Use protein shampoo to wash sarees. Also for cotton sarees, soak in starch solution after wash. This will maintain crisp look of the cotton sarees. Wash the parts of sarees, (pallu, borders and body) separately.
- In case of stain, wash with cold water immediately. In case of dry stains, dry clean them. You can use mild soap on it if required.
- Dry sarees immediately after wash but do that in shades. If you dry sarees in direct sunlight, they may fade.
- Avoid wringing or twisting sarees to remove excess water. This will make your saree lose out its sheen and end up giving permanent wrinkled look. Let it air dry.
- Check for color bleed by washing the part of saree first. Do not wash different sarees together, especially dark colored ones. Colors tend to bleed making sarees discolored with another color mixed.
- Keep iron in low or medium-heat when ironing sarees especially silk and heavy embroidered sarees. Also iron gently to remove creases by keeping a soft cloth on top of the fabric material. Do not iron along previous folding lines.
- Every three to six months, air out the saree in mild sunlight. This would maintain color and shine. This would prevent fungal attack or odor that fabric might have picked up. Make sure to change the saree fold every once in a while you are storing them for longer time. This will prevent the tear of zari and permanent creasing.
- Moth balls and other rodent repellents should not be placed directly in contact or in proximity with sarees. These chemicals can harm the sarees and also even stain them.
- Do not hang silk sarees in metal hangers; it may stain the silk sarees. But hang the cotton sarees after ironing them. When storing silk sarees, store in cool place, folded and covered in cotton cloth, separately. When it comes to heavily embroidered embellished sarees, do not hang them in hangers, fold with work-side inside to prevent snag or tear or stretching of embroidery.
- In case of chiffon or georgette sarees, do not hang them for longer times and avoid using too many safety pins. These fabrics are delicate and easily torn.
Nothing comes without effort. Maintaining your sarees preserving their color and shine requires care. Sarees are your prized possession. Do not ruin it by washing or dry cleaning frequently. Do not get it dry clean for small stain. These are some general tips to take care of your beautiful and gorgeous possessions. Adequate care extends life of fabric and makes it gorgeous as new for years to come.