You surely have seen the tag ‘dry clean only’ with exclusive, delicate, and gorgeous handloom sarees. The sarees are unique and expensive. So, keeping them well is your responsibility, so they look as good as new, always. Handloom sarees like Kanjeevaram, Chanderi, Paithani, Patola Silk, Banarasi, and Kalamkari should be cared for with tenderness and love. Suppose you attend a wedding and the pallu gets oil-stained while having dinner. It will surely give you heartache. Or the crease on your favorite Patola can make you mad. And to undo the damage, you need to send them to a dry cleaner. But this is not the only way.
Tips To Keep Handloom Sarees Intact
During the times of your mothers or grandmothers, they used to take care of such heirloom traditional sarees at home. They couldn’t afford the luxury of dry cleaning. Still, they could manage the sheen and goodness of the sarees quite efficiently. Let’s have a look at maintaining such traditional sarees and dresses.
Wash Handloom Sarees Properly
Yes, it would be best if you washed your saree. All you need to follow the steps that our ancestors used to. Soaking the hand-woven sarees in salt water for a while is essential. Please don’t keep them soaked for longer. Otherwise, it may bleed the color. Now rinse the same a couple of times with cold water. You may use a mild liquid detergent to hand wash the sarees. Don’t use any abrasive detergent that promises to remove stains. It’s like shampooing your hair. Right away, the soap must be washed off. Use cold water for rinsing off. Wash the body, border, and pallu separately. Don’t use a brush or hot water. Don’t bundle up the saree like a towel. Avoid using the washing machine for washing handloom sarees.
Remove The Stains
But if there is an ugly oily stain, take immediate action. Stains kill the beauty of the saree completely. In case of curry or beverage stain, dip the stained area into the petrol box to wipe off the stain. Petrol works magically. But if petrol is not available, use good quality talcum power. Drab some on the stain and let the powder soak the oil. Now wash off the stain gently. But in case of a tougher stain, dry cleaning would be the right option.
Dry The Saree After Wash
Once the saree is rinsed off, you need to dry it patiently. It may take some time though it is worth it. Dry the saree in partial shade. Don’t squeeze the fabric. Don’t wring them as well. Rather dry sarees on a flat surface. It would be even better to wrap the same in absorbent towels. You can also use a thin mul fabric. Most importantly, don’t wash or dry the saree together with another saree or a piece of fabric. In case of color bleeding, the saree will be ruined.
These are just a few of many steps that you need to follow to take care of handloom sarees.
