If you iron dry silk, you may mess up the texture. It’s best to iron your silk right after you’ve washed it. Wait until the item is mostly dry but still slightly damp—this way, you may not have to spritz it down ahead of time. [1] X Research source
For instance, if you’re ironing a silk shirt, both the sleeves and the body need to be turned inside-out.
For instance, if you’re ironing a dress shirt, you may start by flattening and ironing the chest portion before moving on to the sleeves.
Use a white or light-colored press cloth so no color transfers to your silk. [4] X Research source Go with a lint-free cloth so nothing transfers while you iron.
Your silk may yellow if your iron is set to a high temperature. [6] X Research source Feel free to use the steam function on your iron, if you have one. [7] X Research source
Depending on what you’re ironing, it may help to work in a specific direction. For instance, if you’re ironing a silk tie, start at the bottom and work your way to the top. [9] X Research source
If you’re using a large press cloth that covers all of your silk, you don’t need to worry about shifting it around.
If you don’t plan on using the silk right away, hang it up in a dry, dark area, away from natural or fluorescent lighting. [13] X Research source If possible, keep mothballs or other moth deterrents near your silk, since moths are very attracted to silk.
