Garment Care: How to steam your silk garments

How to steam your garments made from silk and other natural fabrics.

Garments made of natural fabrics such as silk, cotton and wool tend to wrinkle quite easy. We offer a lot of garments and scarves made of silk and we want to make sure you can use them as often as possible. By steaming, not only you save time, but you protect the garments from unnecessary washing which makes them last longer. Steamers are very easy to use. We want to show you how easy it is to steam your garments. That’s why we made a short video on how to steam your silk garments. Check out the video on how to get a crisp and smooth look in 5  minutes.

Check out our video on how to steam your silk dress.

Don’t have 2 minutes? Don’t worry, we have written a simple step for step guide underneath.

Check out the step for step guide below:

Step #1 - We are using Cirrus No 2 from Steamery, but most steamers work in a similar way. Unplug the water tank and fill the water tank with water. Put the brush accessory on the steamer if necessary. Use the brush only for nonsensitive surfaces. Don’t use it on satin or other shiny surfaces. If you are uncertain it’s better to skip the brush.

Step #2 - Turn on the steamer and wait until its heated up. It takes 20 to 90 seconds, depending which steamer you use. The Steamery needs approximately 20 seconds to heat. The light turns green when ready. Then press the button and wait for a while to make sure it’s steaming nicely.

Step #3 - Find a good place and hang the garment.

Step #4 - Start steaming by making downwards strokes. Hold the end of the garment(part), which you are steaming, with your hands. Stretch it lightly to keep some tension. This will make it easier for the wrinkles to disappear.

Step #5 - Continue to work from the top the the bottom until you are satisfied with the result. If you steam silk, then it’s best to keep a light grip. If you have a bit thicker quality you can stretch it a bit firmer and move the steamer up and down and up again, instead for one direction strokes downwards. Don’t be afraid to test what will work best for you. Nothing can go wrong really…

Tips

Tip #1 - Water drops on your garments?

If you get water spots on you garments, you probably have started to early with steaming or you hold you steamer too close to the fabric. Try to keep some distance and wipe you steamer with a cotton cloth. I always start to wipe of the first water drops from the steamer to be sure it won’t spot brown water. This will normally only happens when you don’t have the patience to wait 25 seconds until the heat is good. But I am a bit impatient, so it happens often to me…

Tip #2 - Steaming on the inside

If you have a sensitive fabrics on the outside, for example silk satin, and you are unsure if you it will work nicely to steam you can steam on the inside instead.

Hopefully our tips help you to get started. Leave any comments or questions in the comment field and I will happily answer them.

If you wonder why steaming a garment is a good idea, you can read 5 Reasons why to steam you garment.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in March 2019 for Studio Heijne stories and inspiration blog.