Silk Care

Silk is very much like hair. It is very sensitive and when cared for is lustrous, shiny, soft and beautiful. There are simple ways to keep your veils in good condition and to clean them so the color stays as intense as the day you received it.
When the veil is new it may have some static and feel a little stiff. Silk becomes softer with use and responds to humid or dry conditions.
To get rid of static - lightly spray with water from a water spray bottle. You can add a tiny bit of hair conditioner to the water to give the silk some moisture. If it is a small spray bottle one small drop is enough. Shake the veil as you spray to evenly distribute the water. Repeat this between ironing the veil till the static is gone. If it still has static it may need to be rinsed in cold water and hung dry and danced with a couple of times for all the static to disappear. It depends on how humid the climate is.
Keep the silk veil away from grease, lipstick, ointment, oil and cream of any kind. These will leave a mark that is very difficult to remove. Also never use bleach on silk. Silk will dissolve when bleach is applied.
To wash the silk veil. Use a bucket of cold water with a small amount of laundry soap that you would use for wool. Rinse and shake the silk in the bucket for a few minutes. Rinse in new cold water and if you like add a little white vinegar to maintain the color intensity, though it is not necessary. Hang dry in the bathroom or outside. Do not squeeze or twist the silk tightly as this may cause damage to the veil. If you can hang it out fully stretched out on a line outside that will reduce the need to iron the veil. The silk veil is treated with citric acid to set the color. There may be a little bleeding of the color when you wash but it won't affect the color unless you wash in very hot water. Please don't wash in very hot water. If you have a stain take the veil to a dry cleaners. They can do the best job to take the stain out or to minimize it as much as possible.
To iron the veil. The best way is to use a warm to hot iron very rarely. Before a performance or when you need it to be perfect. Hang drying the silk will give you a wrinkle free veil. If you do iron, fold the dry veil to make it easier to iron then open it up and iron the creases till it is crease free.
To store the veil, gently fold it till it is about an eighth of its length and then roll it gently into a tube. That will minimize the amount of wrinkles it has. Use a cloth bag or a plastic bag to store it. Keep it in its own bag separate from other silks or clothing. This helps in case you have an accident with liquid. It will avoid the dye bleeding onto any other silks or clothing.
The veil will get softer as you dance with it or wear it. Like hair it is affected by the humidity or dryness of the air. As you get to know your veil you will see when you treat it well how well it responds and lasts.