Scarves Cleaning and Caring for Hermès Scarves
- Thread starter dianagrace
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Do be careful; the silk thread which you buy may be thicker than that in the scarf itself, and it can end up doing more damage.
An alternative would be a very small piece of iron on soft interlining on both sides of the scarf; it will seal together in the hole and support the surrounding area. Good luck with whatever you try
Thank you so much Willowbarb. I could kick myself for not realising what I was doing at the time - common sense bypass! However, it is what it is and I only paid a fraction for it of what others are going for ...but I am just annoyed that it has lasted all this time and I am the muppet that put a hole in it ( at least I was not the one that infused it with strong perfume !). I will buy some iron - on interlining and try that instead. It sounds a much gentler way of preserving it than attacking it with a needle and thread! I am grateful for your help. 😊Do be careful; the silk thread which you buy may be thicker than that in the scarf itself, and it can end up doing more damage.
An alternative would be a very small piece of iron on soft interlining on both sides of the scarf; it will seal together in the hole and support the surrounding area. Good luck with whatever you try
You could also use a tiny tiny dab (like tip of a toothpick amount) of Fray check. It will leave a small mark, but well, there is already a small mark there....
Thanks bunnycat; sounds interesting. I wonder if it exists in the UK. Looks like I am going to have a busy day tomorrow!!!!😃😃 Having looked closely at the hole I can see that I have only removed the threads in one direction so maybe Fraycheck would do the job. I don't want to plasticise the silk though! 😨😨☺
It is true. I have had varying degrees of success with fray check leaving a mark. Once I was trying to stop fraying on the edge of a tote and it blended great. And like you, one time I was trying to clean a spot on some old fabric and it deteriorated. I put a small dot of fray check but it left a mark. I figured I wasn't really any worse off at that point anyway but you have to weigh your feelings on that.
I think it is now damage limitation rather than prevention! I will head to my fabric shop tomorrow and take the poor victim with me!!! At the end of the day I had no choice but to clean it....I would rather wear it with a little hidden mark than have it lying all smelly and unused in a box! Thanks again for your advice.
I wanted to share that I use laundress detergent to clean my scarves and they have all been ok. I've been doing this the past year or so. I normally place my scarves in a washer bag and stick it in the washing machine. I select wool cycle for both silks and cashmere/silk blends. When it's partially damp I steam iron them. They look as good as new.
We don't get that here but I had read that baby shampoo is the best thing to use, even more so than silk detergents (in the UK anyway!). I could never, ever entrust a Hermès scarf to the washing machine (the modern ones are too expensive and the older ones too fragile, in my book!) so you are a far braver person than me! My heart was in my mouth just handwashing. 😊 BTW, I had looked at the Laundress site for tips but got click baited which took ages to sort out.
You are most welcome Pautinka! If you can't find delicate a teaspoon, really just a drop, of regular liquid will work just as well. Don't use the pods.
Good luck washing your scarves.
Hi Pautinka, you have inspired me to have a go at cleaning one of my new scarves. Yesterday I received a 1969 Ingrid which I bought second-hand, it's in reasonable condition but does not smell good. In my case I suspect cheap scented drawer sachets may have been the culprit! Emboldened by your success with the 1967 Les Roues du Canon I shall give it a wash. Keep your fingers crossed, I'll let you know how I get on...Just FYI for anybody interested. I took delivery today of a 1967 Les Roues du Canon in burgundy. A beautiful scarf with sumptuous deep colouring. It came with a stain in the lower right corner, which I knew about but oh God! The smell!!!! It stank of stale perfume to the extent that I was gagging. Anyway, I tried to get rid of the stain first and stupidly used a cotton bud which wore a tiny hole into the fabric. Grrrr! So, I thought to myself that I had nothing to lose by washing it as I would never wear it with a stink like that to it. I don't think fresh air would have helped or, if it could, it would have had to hang outside for weeks! I filled a clean basin with coolish water, added a little baby shampoo (apparently silk is protein, just like hair) and swirled it round and round. As soon as I saw the tiniest bit of pink in the water I pulled it out and plunged it into a bucket of cold water with a tiny bit of ammonia in it (the ammonia was to neutralise any remaining odour) then swirled again in pure cold water. I rolled it in a bath towel and then gently ironed it on the lowest setting (not touching the edges). It has worked wonders, doesn't smell and didn't run at all. It didn't get out the biggest stain but it has reduced it and I think that, for a fifty - year old scarf it doesn't look bad at all. All I would like to know is should I repair the hole? I have posted a couple of pics. I am hust delighted that I can wear it!
