If you’ve ever owned a silk tie, you know that they are difficult to tie and even more difficult to clean. The truth is, silk ties really aren’t meant to be cleaned as they are extremely delicate and can fall apart if you just look at them wrong. Even a little rough treatment in simple handling can turn a silk tie into trash.

Having said that, if you absolutely must clean your silk tie, then here are few tips to make the cleaning process as easy as possible and still have a tie left after you’re done.

If your silk tie should get a stain, remove it immediately. Waiting any length of time will make removal of the stain virtually impossible. One thing you don’t want to do is expose your silk tie to water. Water and silk is like turning on the gas in your home and then lighting a match. No water. What you should do is take a soft paper towel and put a very small amount of stain remover on the towel and then dab it gently onto the stain. Then use the paper towel to gently blot the stain.

If you haven’t gotten rid of the stain, which is very likely, then have the tie dry cleaned. The truth is, they’re not meant for dry cleaning but this is pretty much your last resort. When you bring it to the cleaner he will probably tell you that he doesn’t recommend cleaning the tie as it is easily damaged. Tell him you understand but want him to do it anyway. He will use the most gentle chemicals he has. This is still not a guarantee that the stain will come out or the tie won’t be ruined in the process. The hard truth is this. You’re probably better off just getting a new tie.

On softer silk ties, the following works fairly well.

Hang a soft towel over a hot radiator. Take the silk tie and rest it flat on top of the towel while still on the radiator. Then, take a cold water vapor spray and evenly spray the area of the stain, being careful not to soak the area. Use some very soft but absorbent bathroom tissue to blot the tie with. Leave the tie on the radiator overnight. The next morning when you get up, check the tie. If the stain is still there, repeat the process.

If you should get butter or grease on your silk tie, which is pretty much a death sentence, don’t do anything. When you get home lay the silk tie on a flat surface with a towel under it. Get some talcum powder and sprinkle it over the stain. If you don’t have talcum powder you can use corn starch. Leave the tie on the towel overnight or for as long as you have to. This gives the stain a chance to be absorbed by the powder. Afterwards, take a clean soft cloth or towel and gently brush off the powder. If it is still stained, repeat the process. It can take up to three applications.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Silk
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