My First Scarf Washing Experience (turned into a saga… sorry for the massive post!)
Well, I successfully completed my first handwashing exercise. Recently acquired Les Plaisirs du Froid, which I presume is quite vintage. Had some green marks with the seller guessed my have been ink. After reading how aggressive many of the hand washers here have been (acetone!?!? EEEP!), I was confident enough to go straight to dabbing with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol using Q-tips. Didn’t much budge with dabbing, so on to the rubbing/scrubbing. Slowly the spots faded. Other areas that looked like regular ol’ marks got treated with a 50/50 soap and water, rubbed in unapologetically.
Used cold tap water to fill the sink, with the remainder of my 50/50 mix and about a cap or two of Le Blanc® Silk & Lingerie Wash:
Le Blanc® Silk & Lingerie Wash is the best way to wash all delicate items. In addition to cleaning stains, it protects elasticity, thin threads, antique fabrics, sportswear, and more. Silk & Lingerie Wash may be used on all washable, colorfast and organic fabrics including silk, cashmere, wool...
linenwash.com
I’m presuming I learned about this product from Mai Tai’s washing instructions?? I’ve had it for awhile.
And of course, for safety, a Shout color catcher.
In the bath I rubbed the areas I’d treated with alcohol and was slightly panicked when I could see an obvious ring where I did some of that treatment. As I rubbed the areas and swished the scarf around, the circle eventually vanished (WHEW!). I set a timer for 5 mintutes, intending to swish periodically, but as I continued to wash I could see the water changing color, very slightly. So I pulled it about a minute early and refilled for a first rinse (again, tap cold).
Kept swishing, and didn’t notice any color in the rinse water. Waited 5 minutes, periodically swishing. Second rinse had added to it about 1/4 teaspoon citric acid, dissolved in a bit of hot water. This I did for two fiber-arts-based reasons:
First, in hopes of keeping the dye from continuing to bleed. At least in my 20+ years of playing with fiber, and sometimes dyes, I know that our modern, home-dyers products for silk, wool, and other protein based fibers need an acidic environment to cause the dye to “strike,” basically meaning to attach itself to the protein fibers (
@bunnycat may have a better chemical understanding of the process - I’ve only dabbled). Since the water looked fairly colorless, I was hopeful that there wasn’t much dye available to attach itself in unwanted areas.
Second, I long ago learned (well, was told and believed) that adding vinegar to a final wool rinse was ‘good for the fiber’ and ‘makes moths less attracted to the taste.’ Not sure if silk also prefers a slightly acidic environment, but the possibility of deflecting moths is always a win. And I used a tiny, tiny bit of citric acid (home and indie dyers use it as a more economical alternative to vinegar, and we have it on hand for descaling the tankless water heater, too!). I tasted the water and didn’t even notice a hint of sour, so the amount I added probably had more of a placebo effect on me than actually altering the pH of the water.
Second (final) rinse was also 5 minutes of periodic swishing, then into the salad spinner (thank you,
@bunnycat!). Spread it out on an old folded up bedsheet to dry. Stains GONE! Since I heard others mention that handwashing sometimes causes scarves to pucker up around the hems, I went around the hems a few times, pulling them carefully from corner to corner to re-stretch them a bit. Hey, if you can block the bejeezus out of hand knit lace scarves, why not hand stitched hems?
It was silly hot and dry here today, so it dried in less than a couple of hours; I was hoping to iron while still a bit damp, but oh well! After checking to ensure there were no missed stains to be baked in, I ironed it using a thin cotton dish towel as a press cloth. I really need to wash up a scrap of muslin for this purpose!!! I’m not thrilled with my pressing job (even though I pressed), but after it’s been wadded around my neck, er, I mean, “tied,” I’m not sure it’ll matter much!
What did surprise me is how much dye bled onto the white sheet!! Only right at the hems, and not at all into the other colors, but WOW that blue is
so not colorfast!! I know everyone warns of reds and greens but ever since I was a kid, getting my socks and legs stained by wet blue jeans, I’ve never trusted blue, either.
I think I overdid the hem stretching, but not so as anyone will notice when it’s worn. Over all, completely successful! I’m leaving it to dry overnight to ensure there is no hint of moisture trapped in those rolled hems before it goes into the drawer with the rest of the scarf family. Thinking of it, I might give it a light wrap in acid-free tissue, just to be sure. But we live in a very dry climate, fortunately.
Front and back of some of the “inked” areas of the scarf (from seller’s listing):
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Photo, after cleaning:
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Photos of the scarf, before and after cleaning. Taken in the same location, but at different times of day, so the light isn’t a perfect match:
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Color catcher after use, next to a new one for comparison. A lot of dye came out of that small piece of fabric!
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Lastly, a couple of photos of the unexpected “Shroud of Turin” portion of the experiment - where the dye transferred from the damp scarf to the cotton sheet:
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And they all lived happily ever after!!! (At least, I hope so!)
No problem! You just re-work the narrative to make it all justified! Maybe I need a second salad spinner...one for yarn and larger one for scarves and hand woven??? 
(starts taking panoramic pictures to shame me to family later)
). 
