The short answer to how to wash a silk pillowcase is cool water, a few drops of a detergent made for silk or delicates, and no scrubbing or wringing. Check the tag first. Some silk pillowcases can go in the machine, some need hand washing, and a few say dry clean only. If yours allows the machine, zip it into a mesh laundry bag and use a cold delicate cycle. Either way, let it dry flat on a towel.
Key Takeaways:
- Read the care label first. Some silk items say hand wash or dry clean only.
- Use cool or cold water and a detergent labeled for silk or delicates.
- Enzyme cleaners and harsh powder detergents can damage silk, so save them for cotton.
- Press the water out of silk instead of wringing it, then roll it in a towel and let it air dry.
- Plan to wash a silk pillowcase every week or two.
Can you put a silk pillowcase in the washing machine?
Often, yes, but the tag decides. The Sleep Foundation’s silk pillowcase guide says some silk pillowcases can go in the washer and dryer, while others need hand washing or even dry cleaning. Follow whatever yours says.
For the machine, the Sleep Foundation recommends a mesh laundry bag and a small amount of gentle detergent. Pick the silk setting if your washer has one, or a gentle cycle with cold water. Take the pillowcase out as soon as the cycle ends. If it sits in the drum, it can wrinkle.
Read the detergent bottle too. The Sleep Foundation says to pick one that names silk or delicates on the label, and warns that enzyme cleaners and harsh powder detergents can damage silk. A University of Idaho Extension guide to caring for silk adds that regular laundry detergent is too harsh for silk and that chlorine bleach degrades the fiber.
Wash silk on its own or with other delicates, and never in hot water. The Idaho guide notes that sharp or snaggy objects damage silk easily, so keep zippers and hooks out of the load.
How to wash a silk pillowcase by hand
Hand washing takes a few minutes. These steps follow the Sleep Foundation’s method.
- Look the pillowcase over for spots. Dab a drop of silk-safe detergent onto each one and work it in gently with your fingertip.
- Fill a clean sink or basin with cool water.
- Turn the pillowcase inside out and push it under the water.
- Add a few drops of detergent, or half a cup of distilled white vinegar if you’d rather skip soap.
- Massage the fabric very gently with your fingers, without rubbing it against itself.
- Once it looks clean, rinse it in cold water.
- Press the water out between your palms over the sink. Don’t twist, wring, or squeeze it.
- Lay it on a clean towel and roll the towel up to soak up the extra water. Unroll it and let the pillowcase air dry on top.
Dry it out of direct sun, since the Idaho guide says sunlight yellows silk. Once it’s dry, smooth it out and put it back on the pillow.
How to wash silk sheets
Silk sheets follow the same rules as the pillowcase. A full set won’t fit in a sink, so use a clean bathtub with cool water and a small amount of silk-safe detergent. Move the sheets around gently for a few minutes, then drain the tub and rinse them in cold water.
If the tag allows the machine, give the sheets room. Wash one or two pieces at a time in large mesh bags on a cold delicate cycle. Wet silk fibers break easily, the Idaho guide says, so you don’t want long sheets twisting around each other in a full drum.
To dry them, drape the sheets over a drying rack or a clean shower rod out of direct sun. Keep them out of a hot dryer. If you use one, the Sleep Foundation says to pick the air dry or no-heat setting.
If your bed mixes silk pillowcases with cotton sheets, wash them separately so the silk gets its cool, gentle cycle. For how often each piece of bedding needs a wash, our guide on how often you should wash your sheets covers the timing.
How to store silk and care for it between washes
The Idaho guide says never to store silk in plastic bags, because silk needs to breathe. Use a cloth bag, or make a cover from an old sheet. Keep silk away from direct light too. Light fades many bright silks, and it also yellows and weakens the fiber, the guide says.
Steam out wrinkles. The Sleep Foundation suggests turning the pillowcase inside out and holding a steamer a couple of inches away. It also says not to use an iron on silk. The Idaho guide explains the risk: temperatures above 340°F weaken silk and can fade or yellow it.
Treat spills fast and gently. Wet silk fibers break easily, so blot a fresh spot instead of rubbing it. Rubbing can leave a permanent light patch, the same guide warns. Look for spots before each wash so you can pretreat them.
Sending silk out with your laundry
Not everyone wants a weekly sink session. Pillowcases ($4.95 each) and bed sheets ($24.95 each) are both on our dry cleaning list, priced by the piece. Each order adds a $9.95 service fee and a $3.00 delivery fee, and prices are subject to change. Dry cleaning isn’t currently available in San Fernando Valley, Glendale, or Silver Lake.
When you book, keep silk out of your everyday bag and add a note that it’s silk. Every order has room for special care instructions. The rest of your laundry can go by the bag at $2.65 per pound. You’ll find every price on our laundry and dry cleaning price list, and the Los Angeles laundry pickup page explains how pickup works.
Silk pillowcase FAQ
Can you wash a silk pillowcase with vinegar?
Yes. The Sleep Foundation lists half a cup of distilled white vinegar as a swap for detergent, by hand or in the machine. Stick with plain distilled white vinegar. The University of Idaho Extension also suggests a capful of white vinegar in the final cool rinse whenever you wash silk.
Can you put a silk pillowcase in the dryer?
Only if the tag allows it. The Sleep Foundation says some silk can go in a dryer, but it carries a greater risk of damage. If you use one, pick the air dry or no-heat setting and leave out dryer balls and fabric softener sheets. Take the pillowcase out as soon as it’s done. Otherwise, roll it in a towel and let it dry flat.
How often should you wash a silk pillowcase?
The Sleep Foundation suggests every week or every other week. Your face rests on it every night, so regular washing matters. Keeping two pillowcases lets you swap one in while the other dries. Washing it on the same day as the rest of your bedding makes it easy to remember.
Do you wash a satin pillowcase the same way?
Check the fiber first. A satin pillowcase can be silk or a synthetic, and the care label tells you which. Follow that label. If it’s silk satin, be extra careful: the University of Idaho Extension lists satins among the silks that should always be dry cleaned.
Can you wash a silk pillowcase without a mesh bag?
By hand, yes. Hand washing doesn’t need a bag at all. In the machine, the Sleep Foundation’s steps call for a mesh laundry bag, so if you don’t have one yet, wash the pillowcase by hand until you do.
Done with sink-washing silk?
Flag the silk when you book and we’ll pick it up with the rest of your laundry. A driver collects at your door and brings everything back.
