Scarves Cleaning and Caring for Hermès Scarves

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#121
Thank you for all your helpful contributions ladies! I have noticed my twilly that I love to wear all the time has started to, um, well, suffice to say you can probably tell I wear it all the time! I will try handwashing with some gentle fragrance-free cleanser and cold water.
 
#122
hello all. i'm a newbie to tpf and haven't really had time to go through this thread to see if anyone talked about brown leather belt staining a scarf. if so, sorry for the repeat, but i was wondering if this type of stain can be removed?
 
#126
fleursetcarlines said:
Hi

I hand wash the majority of my collection of Hermes scarves with success, but invariably most scarf washers will have one disaster or another at some point which serves as a useful lesson as you don't make the same mistake twice.

Hermes do not generally recommend handwashing and the care label states Dry Clean Only, however many people do wash their Hermes scarves (HS) the same way you'd wash a silk blouse. Dry cleaning will in the main only serve to seal in any marks and stains, whereas handwashing can remove or lessen marks. Most dry cleaners also flattten the hems by ironing which is not desirable. I've had scarves dry cleaned by Hermes, but the results were nothing to shout about but the cost was!

The Yahoo scarf board covers handwashing of scarves in some depth and generally there are many do's and don'ts and handy hints. However, to keep it brief, I'd say to keep to the following pointers, however handwashing is entirely at your own risk! This is how I wash my HS but it's just a sharing of my knowledge/techinique so no law suits please.

Use a spotless grease free clean plastic bowl, cool to very very lukewarm water, use the miniumum of detergent ie Yves Delorme, Woolite etc and make sure it is completely disolved. Swish the scarf in the water, very gently squeezing and do not rub or wring out. Keep the scarf moving in the water, do not leave to soak or sit. Always use a colour catcher or two in the water. You must throroughly rinse the scarf in cool water several times to remove all the detergent. I wouldn't recommend the use of liquid starch in the water it leaves a residue. Sorry to correct another member here, but to drip dry your HS is not advised! I would NEVER EVER drip dry or line dry my HS, this is fatal for colour run as it runs down the scarf, I made this mistake once and never again. Ideally the scarf should be left to dry to damp between two fresh clean towels. Iron when just lightly damp. DO NOT iron when wet or too damp or you will get colour run/transfer. Iron only up to the hems do not flatten them. Re-instate folds if you like your HS this way.

So this is a very brief summary of washing events, it's a lengthy process and the one ingredient you do need is TIME. The biggest enemy of handwashing HS is colour run. In part this may be due to the water being too warm but some scarves will loose colour and others will not. I find the dark reds, dark greens and dark blues the worst offenders and you are most at risk if the colours border white or another light colour. You will soon learn which scarves of your collection are the most tricky to deal with. Some people add to salt to the water to apparently set the dye but personally I don't do this. As far as I've found it doesn't stop the dye running and if you then get colour run the salt then sets the colour where it shouldn't be. In a colour run emergency isolate the area of colour run on the HS over a bowl and pour very hot water over that area which should loosen the colour run. This is very scary so only really for the bold and again at your own risk!

So I hope this helps some first timers, if in doubt don't go there or go for the safer option of dry cleaning. I still get some scarves dry cleaned it depends what is going on and what needs attention.

Best wishes,

fleursetcarlines.
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fleursetcarlines, so helpful! thank you so much for sharing with us! :D
 
#128
swepea said:
hello all. i'm a newbie to tpf and haven't really had time to go through this thread to see if anyone talked about brown leather belt staining a scarf. if so, sorry for the repeat, but i was wondering if this type of stain can be removed?
Click to expand...

For stains like this I've sprayed on Woolite Oxy Deep spot remover. Let it soak for 15 minutes, then wash.

I've been handwashing H scarves for over a decade. My secrets are: 1. use tepid (not cold, not hot) water; 2. use a soap that doesn't contain a lot of additives (believe it or not, dish soap is great); 3. put Shout Color Catchers in the water to prevent dye transfer; 4. rinse, rinse, rinse -- when you think you're done rinsing, rinse one more time; 5. don't wring or twist the scarf; 6. don't let a wet scarf sit in a ball (that's a good way to get dye transfer); 7. iron while wet; 8. use a hot hot hot iron.

For those who like the starch/finish/sizing of a new scarf, you can add liquid starch to the last rinse.

I can't stand the waxy coating of a dry cleaned scarf. Hand washing for me all the way!

Hope that helps.
 
#129
DH found a gold Pavois on eBay and bought it. It looked great, but had a few little spots. I brought it down to our boutique to show our SA who knew we had been searching. She was admiring it and taking little strips of sticky paper and marking the stains as we looked at it. She was actually marking it for their cleaning service! She assumed we wanted it cleaned. Not knowing this was a possibility, we agreed to the cleaning. When it came back, it was brand new in appearance (this scarf was about 30 or more years old) and the gold color suddenly was vivid. The folds and the hems were perfect. Next time, I take the scarves directly to the source. Not cheap, but a fine, fine job.
 
#130
I have used Marseille soap for washing leather riding gloves and other delicate things and wondered if anyone who has handwashed their scarves has tried this for stains or in general? It is very gentle, as far as I know, and rinses out completely.
 
#131
I have been washing my silks for years (dresses, skirts and tops -- not H, as well as my H scarves that I have acquired this year). I find that the water must be ice cold to stop colour running and the items losing their shape (more so with the clothes than H scarves) and I use a bit of wool wash. Gentle baby soap or J&J's baby wash does the trick too.

For bad stains, like getting fake blood smeared on a silk dress at a dress up party :push:, I just go straight to a professional drycleaner.
 
#132
I am new on the forum and very happy to discuss with all of you
I am french so "pardon" for my english

I use to wash my Hermès scarves with woolite or ace delicat and they come better than from the drycleaner (unless to know a very good one - that in France in not easy)

just take care with bright (strong colors)
and don't let them in water
Hope it helps.
 
#133
Baja : I'm French also ... have you tried Essence A when there is a grease stain ? It's fantastic . Sorry for the others , I have no idea what it is i English ...
On the other hand , I wash my scarves ( One at the time !) with Mir laine and a dye catcher .
 
#134
a friend of mine ask to a SA where to give her scarves in paris, the SA give her the address where they send theirs - "pressing de la Madeleine" - i will search exactly where it is and give the info.
 
#135
Crazyforhermes : No I never try Essence A. But I remember my mother use to for my father's ties.
but for the oil spots I recently try the Eau Ecarlate - the spot has desepared by leaves some '"aureoles" so I have to wash again the scarve.
Just take care with Essence A - it is very inflammable -
I wash also some of my scarves - not all (just afraid with strong colors) - with woolite or same - and iron when little wet - I will try the dye catcher next time.
 
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