Silk is a very delicate material. If handled roughly or improperly, you could end up ruining your clothes. This makes washing silk materials a dilemma for many people.
Tommy Bahama silk shirts are unique amongst silk products. The manufacturer assures its customers that its products will never lose their colors. This is provided that the user follows the recommendations on the shirt label. So how do you wash or clean your Tommy Bahama silk and red shirts?
Stick with us, and we will teach you how.
First Things First
Before washing any cloth, no matter the material, make sure to check the care label. Care labels contain instructions from manufacturers on how to handle that particular cloth.
Some labels may have “Dry Clean” on them while others may say “Dry Clean Only”. The former is usually a recommendation to handle the material with care. However, the latter tells you that the material is quite delicate and should only be handled by trained professionals. So ensure you check the care label before washing any garment.
Other rules for washing silk materials include:
- Do not use chlorine bleach on them. Chlorine bleach can ruin the fibers of your shirt
- Never dry in direct sunlight. Leaving silk shirts in direct sunlight can cause them to lose their color
- Never tumble dry your silk materials. Tumble drying silk can completely ruin it or result in shrinkage
- Use only delicate detergents on silk materials. Other detergent types can cause color fading or damage to the fibers
- Always check the material’s colorfastness. Some fabrics can bleed while in the wash. Simply dabbing the fabric with a clean, damp, white cloth can help you confirm if it bleeds or not
Once you know all this, then you are ready to wash your Tommy Bahama silk shirt.
How to Clean a Tommy Bahama Silk Shirt
If the shirt’s care label recommends dry clean only, then your job is done once you send it to the cleaners. There is nothing else for you to do. Attempting to clean your shirts yourself can damage the shirts.
However, if the label allows for washing, then here’s how to wash your shirts.
Washing with a Machine
Silk shirts can be washed with machines. However, there are several guidelines to using a washing machine on silk. You should also consider buying a mesh bag if you are going to be washing delicate materials.
Here’s how to wash your shirts in a washing machine:
- Check the care label. As always, confirm which particular silk materials can go in a machine. Some fabrics are so delicate that washing machines will only damage them rather than clean them
- Once you have confirmed and sorted your machine-washable shirts, place them in a mesh bag. Mesh bags protect delicate materials from abrasion while in the machine
- Load the machine and add your delicate detergents. Make sure not to overload the machine
- Put the machine on a delicate cycle. If the machine does not have a delicate wash option, do not use it on your clothes. Without a delicate wash, the machine is bound to ruin your silk shirt. Unload your shirts as soon as the cycle is done
- Do not wring the shirts. Use a towel to squeeze out and soak up the water. Be as gentle as possible
- Dry the shirt by hanging it or laying it flat out. Make sure to avoid drying in direct sunlight
Washing by hand
Hand washing is the safest way to clean delicate materials around the home. So long as the care label doesn’t instruct you to machine wash or dry clean, you can wash your shirts by hand.
Here’s how to wash your Tommy Bahama silk shirts by hand:
- Fill a basin or sink with lukewarm or cold water and submerge the shirt
- Add some drops of delicate detergent and stir it in to spread the soap as much as possible. Remember to be gentle while stirring
- Soak the shirt for about three minutes. Don’t soak for too long to avoid ruining your shirt
- Once you are done soaking, plunge the shirt in and out of the water. This will help remove dirt from the material. Be as gentle as possible while handling the shirt
- Rinse the silk shirt in cold water until the soap is all gone
- Use a towel to soak up leftover moisture in the shirt. Do not wring out the water to avoid ruining the shirt
- Dry the shirt either by hanging it out or spreading it flat over a dryer. Make sure to keep the shirt out of direct sunlight
Removing stains from your Tommy Bahama silk shirts
Stains can be pretty annoying. They are worse when they appear on delicate materials like silk. Washing at high temperatures and scrubbing are the usual ways to remove stains. However, you can’t use these methods on silk as they will most likely damage your shirts.
Not to worry though, there are tricks to removing stains from your shirts.
If you can pay for it, it’s often best to leave stain removals to the professionals. Rather than risk damaging your fabric, you can entrust the task to cleaners who will get it out for you in record time.
However, if you want to try things out yourself, here’s what to do.
Use cool water and a diluted detergent solution to treat stain spots. It’s advisable to test the solution on the shirt’s hidden corners before using it on the stained part. This will help you confirm if the solution can damage the shirt or not. If there is no damage or adverse reaction, then you can apply it to the stain. Make sure to blot with a clean cloth. Rubbing can cause color loss or even spread the stain.
Handling and storing your Tommy Bahama silk shirts
Washing and removing stains are not the only ways to care for your shirts. The way you manage and keep them will help you reduce creases and wrinkles in the shirt.
Here’s how to properly handle and store your silk shirts:
- Iron the shirt inside out. Make sure the iron is on a low setting or, better yet, a silk setting before using it on your shirt
- Put a clean cloth between the shirt and the iron before ironing. Silk should only be ironed when it’s dry
- Hang your silk shirts only in cool, dry places. If the shirt isn’t worn for some time, store it in a breathable plastic bag instead.
- You should also keep silk materials out of direct sunlight. Apply some moth repellant on the material for further protection
