Scarves Cleaning and Caring for Hermès Scarves

[ChloeClad]

Hello dear scarfies!

Has anyone created their own “wash” scarf by putting their regular scarf in the washing machine? Or perhaps some of you inadvertently get that floopyness and don’t like it! And if so, will you please share how it happened.

I love the hand of the wash scarves and would like to convert a few of my oldies (and a new one) to washes. I already hand wash all my scarves and they do not quite have that lovely velvety feel that Hermès does so well with their wash scarves. I wonder if it simply requires many more hand washings or if I can rush the process safely by tossing them (by themselves, naturally) in the machine on the gentle cycle (or maybe regular cycle?) with a color catcher sheet.

Has anyone done this or shall I be the explorer?!?

 

[marietouchet]

Color catcher sheets ...
They absorb dye to prevent one dye (green for ex) being redeposited onto another color (eg red).Ex: they're great if you want to wash your blue jeans and white polo shirt together but wont stop the jeans from fading.
Be careful lest you wind up with a washed out look, unless that is what you are aiming for.
If you look carefully at the closeups of wash scarves at h.com, you will see the colors all have a faded whitish look
the catcher sheets do not prevent color loss, they prevent color being deposited where you dont want it

 

[marietouchet]

More washings, longer washings - will just cause more dye to be lost - more fading, be careful

You do want to wash out all the sizing , no idea how long that takes ... and the sizing has changed with time, so the answer might be diff for a 40 year old scarf and a 5 year old one. I think the trick is to get rid of the sizing .. that makes a scarf softer

Also, an acid wash is surely used by H to set the colors after an Hermesmatic wash. I have used a VERY LIGHT white vinegar rinse and no harm happened but I also did not notice any softening. Try researching acid washes at fabric sites

I have never managed to soften one of mine, but I never use hot water, wash for more than 2 minutes, I dont squeeze, tumble etc I baby the ones that I wash and stand watch for fear of color loss

The vintage soft ones that I have - not Hermesmatic, not modern WASH scarf - seem to have been OVER washed in some fashion - hot water, a long time, chemicals (vinegar? harsh older soaps? modern soaps lack phosphates .. ) I dont know

 

[ChloeClad]

More washings, longer washings - will just cause more dye to be lost - more fading, be careful

You do want to wash out all the sizing , no idea how long that takes ... and the sizing has changed with time, so the answer might be diff for a 40 year old scarf and a 5 year old one. I think the trick is to get rid of the sizing .. that makes a scarf softer

Also, an acid wash is surely used by H to set the colors after an Hermesmatic wash. I have used a VERY LIGHT white vinegar rinse and no harm happened but I also did not notice any softening. Try researching acid washes at fabric sites

I have never managed to soften one of mine, but I never use hot water, wash for more than 2 minutes, I dont squeeze, tumble etc I baby the ones that I wash and stand watch for fear of color loss

The vintage soft ones that I have - not Hermesmatic, not modern WASH scarf - seem to have been OVER washed in some fashion - hot water, a long time, chemicals (vinegar? harsh older soaps? modern soaps lack phosphates .. ) I dont know

Thank you, Marietouchet. It is that darn sizing! And I love it so much sometimes and have even tried to recreate with a light spray starch or Magic sizing and an iron! They turn out ok, but I can never replicate that new scarf smell so I am never entirely satisfied. But I digress.

I think you may have touched on something very important related to my cause! Heat! I always wash my scarves quickly in cold water. I think I will try very warm/hot water and see if that brings me any closer to velvet. Hmm, and maybe a tumble dry if that doesn’t work. Hermès must do something with heat, as I find all of my wash scarves a bit shorter in length (by about .25 inch) than the regular issues.

A little fading is ok with me as to these specific scarves as I’m shooting for a worn-in look and feel all around.

Thank you again! And thank you for your warnings as to color loss. I am aware of it but the reminder is appreciated. Xx

 

[marietouchet]

Thinking more on this ...
I have not done any big effort tried to wash non Hermes scarves as a trial - one thing is that the OLD Hermes dyes are so unique in their bleeding, no other brand dyes would be a close experiment - but if you have some start there. I did work on some Indian silk bedspreads, their colors became washed out in the washing machine, cold water, short cycle 15 min. Vinegar final cycle. They did not soften.

Fascinating about the 0.25 in difference , heat is a good hypothesis ...

I was thinking there are several types of SOFT scarves
1. Hand washed vintage scarves from resale market
2. 70cm VINTAGE silk scarves - those are a different weave - not std twill - so they are their own category. Mine feel like they are not sized??
3. HERMESMATIC - H added dye - that covered any flaws thay may have created. Surely done as a (machine) batch of more than 1 scarf at a time , and an acid wash ???
4. DIP DYES - we dont know what the scarf looked like before the final dip dye. I suspect the printed colors were subtle, not bright ??? Could have been done in a special dye machine since the dipping was at the factory, not an Hermesmatic washer
5. WASH scarves - sometimes in the SAME CW as the non-wash collection, but of course, WASH colors are washed out. Do you think these are sized ??? Are these regular scarves that have an addition step eg acid wash or were they printed different from the get-go?

I look at the five disparate categories and ask what can be common to all five ? Lack of size - for sure. I cling to the idea of an acid wash - anyone an expert on that ? I know vinegar is used by crafters who do silk dying - serious artisans, and have done it myself.

I have been timid in processing my HS, so, my cleaning and acid wash efforts have been very cautious.

 

[marietouchet]

Superficial research ...

In machine, it say use temp indicated on caretag ... hmmm ... for hand wash it says cool water

It does say dont spray or wet silk for ironing - my iron of course, has a spray settting for silk - go figure

Brute force approach from Tide
Washing silk in a machine ... this dissertation has most of the usual caveats - read care label (duhhh, it says DONT wash...), dont tumble, mesh bag , delicate cycle, delicate soap
https://tide.com/en-us/how-to-wash-...VTWpvBB1MGAvDEAAYAiAAEgIhDvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

There are lots of sites that sell special products eg

Laundry & Fabric Care | The Laundress

The Laundress's Laundry & Fabric Care collection has a plant-derived solution for all of your laundry needs. Browse our collection.

www.thelaundress.com

 

[Chagall]

Hello dear scarfies!

Has anyone created their own “wash” scarf by putting their regular scarf in the washing machine? Or perhaps some of you inadvertently get that floopyness and don’t like it! And if so, will you please share how it happened.

I love the hand of the wash scarves and would like to convert a few of my oldies (and a new one) to washes. I already hand wash all my scarves and they do not quite have that lovely velvety feel that Hermès does so well with their wash scarves. I wonder if it simply requires many more hand washings or if I can rush the process safely by tossing them (by themselves, naturally) in the machine on the gentle cycle (or maybe regular cycle?) with a color catcher sheet.

Has anyone done this or shall I be the explorer?!?

I washed several Hermes scarves in gentle cycle in the machine and lay then flat to dry. I ironed them while they were still damp. They turned out beautifully. I don’t endorse this, just telling people my experience.

 

[marietouchet]

I washed several Hermes scarves in gentle cycle in the machine and lay then flat to dry. I ironed them while they were still damp. They turned out beautifully. I don’t endorse this, just telling people my experience.

Two points/questions
1. How many scarves did you put in the machine? Did you put them all in one mesh bag ? Color catcher sheet???
2. I too iron my scarves when they are still damp. Although instructions above say DONT IRON SILK when wet. My ironed scarves come out a bit stiff (I use NO sizing or starch). Why ???

 

[ChloeClad]

I washed several Hermes scarves in gentle cycle in the machine and lay then flat to dry. I ironed them while they were still damp. They turned out beautifully. I don’t endorse this, just telling people my experience.

Thank you for sharing your experience. So, did they end up still crisp, like new-ish after many, many washes?

 

[Chagall]

Thank you for sharing your experience. So, did they end up still crisp, like new-ish after many, many washes?

I have only washed them one time in gentle cycle in the machine. I am very pleased with the results. My machine has no central agitator and is very gentle.

 

[Chagall]

Two points/questions
1. How many scarves did you put in the machine? Did you put them all in one mesh bag ? Color catcher sheet???
2. I too iron my scarves when they are still damp. Although instructions above say DONT IRON SILK when wet. My ironed scarves come out a bit stiff (I use NO sizing or starch). Why ???

I washed three scarves loose no mesh bag. No colour catcher sheets. Scarves were fine. I don’t encourage this but it worked for me. I have a new machine with no central agitation and I wash a lot of ‘dry clean only’ clothes successfully.

 

[ChloeClad]

Thinking more on this ...
I have not done any big effort tried to wash non Hermes scarves as a trial - one thing is that the OLD Hermes dyes are so unique in their bleeding, no other brand dyes would be a close experiment - but if you have some start there. I did work on some Indian silk bedspreads, their colors became washed out in the washing machine, cold water, short cycle 15 min. Vinegar final cycle. They did not soften.

Fascinating about the 0.25 in difference , heat is a good hypothesis ...

I was thinking there are several types of SOFT scarves
1. Hand washed vintage scarves from resale market
2. 70cm VINTAGE silk scarves - those are a different weave - not std twill - so they are their own category. Mine feel like they are not sized??
3. HERMESMATIC - H added dye - that covered any flaws thay may have created. Surely done as a (machine) batch of more than 1 scarf at a time , and an acid wash ???
4. DIP DYES - we dont know what the scarf looked like before the final dip dye. I suspect the printed colors were subtle, not bright ??? Could have been done in a special dye machine since the dipping was at the factory, not an Hermesmatic washer
5. WASH scarves - sometimes in the SAME CW as the non-wash collection, but of course, WASH colors are washed out. Do you think these are sized ??? Are these regular scarves that have an addition step eg acid wash or were they printed different from the get-go?

I look at the five disparate categories and ask what can be common to all five ? Lack of size - for sure. I cling to the idea of an acid wash - anyone an expert on that ? I know vinegar is used by crafters who do silk dying - serious artisans, and have done it myself.

I have been timid in processing my HS, so, my cleaning and acid wash efforts have been very cautious.

marietouchet, do you have any Hermesmatic scarves or have you felt one? I do/have not. I know they dyed them in batches but I wonder what was in their secret sauce, other than dye. For some reason I think they machine dried them, as well. There is the heat again, so it would be interesting to know if they feel velvety.

The only scarves that I will not hand wash are very old ones, due to their reputation of having unstable dyes. I do not have any myself but my mother has a collection from the 60’s and 70’s and I will not touch them with a ten foot pole. As far as cleaning goes for those, they are dry clean only.

I have various dip dyes in 90 and 140 and they are all in standard twill and are slightly softer than a regular scarf, but similar to one that has been washed several times and not ironed.

I have DIY dip dyed two of my scarves (a 90 and a 140), literally soaking them in boiling water multiple times (in various dyes in multiple attempts to get the color right) and finished them in many hand rinses and vinegar soaks and they softened up A LOT, but still did not obtain the velvety feel of the wash scarves. Hmmmm…there might be something to your acid wash suspicion, marietouchet, or another rinse involved. Unless, of course, the standard twill silk is not actually being used for the wash scarves and it’s actually a different weave or weight?

A few more tidbits about the wash scarves: I have two 140’s and two 90’s in the wash. The 140’s seem to be made of a summer silk and are also pretty bright and brilliant in color. The 90’s SEEM to be made of standard twill and the colors are muted. Such 140’s and 90’s are both called “wash” but they have different qualities.

So, I know from experience that I can soften the silk twill by boiling it, but I do not know what it will do to the original dye so I am not comfortable doing it (yet). I may actually try the dryer first to see if that might turn a standard twill velvety soft.

 

[ChloeClad]

Two points/questions
1. How many scarves did you put in the machine? Did you put them all in one mesh bag ? Color catcher sheet???
2. I too iron my scarves when they are still damp. Although instructions above say DONT IRON SILK when wet. My ironed scarves come out a bit stiff (I use NO sizing or starch). Why ???

I don’t know why your scarves would come out stiff after ironing them damp - usually air-dried laundry becomes stiff. Maybe the iron simulates air drying!

 

[marietouchet]

I don’t know why your scarves would come out stiff after ironing them damp - usually air-dried laundry becomes stiff. Maybe the iron simulates air drying!

Well I have been thinking I need a new iron... LOL

 

[marietouchet]

marietouchet, do you have any Hermesmatic scarves or have you felt one? I do/have not. I know they dyed them in batches but I wonder what was in their secret sauce, other than dye. For some reason I think they machine dried them, as well. There is the heat again, so it would be interesting to know if they feel velvety.

The only scarves that I will not hand wash are very old ones, due to their reputation of having unstable dyes. I do not have any myself but my mother has a collection from the 60’s and 70’s and I will not touch them with a ten foot pole. As far as cleaning goes for those, they are dry clean only.

I have various dip dyes in 90 and 140 and they are all in standard twill and are slightly softer than a regular scarf, but similar to one that has been washed several times and not ironed.

I have DIY dip dyed two of my scarves (a 90 and a 140), literally soaking them in boiling water multiple times (in various dyes in multiple attempts to get the color right) and finished them in many hand rinses and vinegar soaks and they softened up A LOT, but still did not obtain the velvety feel of the wash scarves. Hmmmm…there might be something to your acid wash suspicion, marietouchet, or another rinse involved. Unless, of course, the standard twill silk is not actually being used for the wash scarves and it’s actually a different weave or weight?

A few more tidbits about the wash scarves: I have two 140’s and two 90’s in the wash. The 140’s seem to be made of a summer silk and are also pretty bright and brilliant in color. The 90’s SEEM to be made of standard twill and the colors are muted. Such 140’s and 90’s are both called “wash” but they have different qualities.

So, I know from experience that I can soften the silk twill by boiling it, but I do not know what it will do to the original dye so I am not comfortable doing it (yet). I may actually try the dryer first to see if that might turn a standard twill velvety soft.

YES honestly I have been in DENIAL about boiling water since I am a klutz, I can see getting into trouble with that .... that is just me...

Found this cool site - they sell a silk softener - " After dyeing, washing and rinsing, add 1/4 cup to a washing machine load, (or 1 teaspoon per gallon). Agitate 10 minutes in hottest water and rinse in warm water. "

https://www.dharmatrading.com/chemicals/milsoft.html

There are lots of useful FAQs

Dharma Trading Co. Homepage

Dharma Trading Company has been a supplier of fiber arts supplies for more than 40 years. Request a FREE catalog with everything you need for home or small business crafting right from the website!

www.dharmatrading.com

It is a fairly technical site, I got lost in citric acid, fixatives (increase color fastness) and mordants (prepare fabric to absorb dye, removing size ???) - which are more used when dying -but you want to soften not dye