How to Clean Satin: Step-by-Step Guide

After purchasing a gorgeous satin bridesmaid dress or evening gown for prom, you don’t want to make a pretty mess of your dress, as the Vanity lyrics go. A food or liquid stain could ruin your lovely formal attire, though, so it’s vital that you learn how to clean satin. The process for cleaning this delicate fabric differs from cleaning cotton or wool, and it differs depending on whether you purchased natural or artificial satin.

Once you learn how to clean satin dresses, you can keep your satin wedding dress or bridesmaid dress looking as beautiful as the day you wore it. You also know how to clean satin sheets, a satin pillowcase, and how to clean satin shoes. Knowing how to wash satin lets you save money and remove stubborn stains yourself, thereby making your lovely wardrobe last longer.

Check the Label

Start your cleaning process by checking the label on your satin garment. Originally, all satin consisted of 100% silk. To reduce the cost of satin gowns, the textile industry created polyester satin by blending cotton and polyester into the silk weave. We refer to satin using pure silk as silk satin or natural satin. Polyester satin is woven from artificial fibers or blends.

You clean silk satin, polyester satin, and synthetic satin in different ways.

Check the label on each piece of satin clothing you own for the fabric composition. Either way, this wonderful label tells you how to clean your item. It may read, “dry clean only,” “hand wash only,” or “machine wash cold.” Follow those instructions precisely, but learn to pre-treat a stain because what you do in the first moments after a stain occurs can prove key to getting the stain out for good. Let’s scroll down and find out about it!

How to Get Stains Out of Satin

What your cleaning kit contains depends on the fabric composition. To clean pure silk satin, use only natural materials. If your bridesmaid dress contains 50% or more silk in the satin, pack the same items as in the pure silk spot cleaning kit.

If polyester or cotton comprises 50% or more of the fabric, pack the white vinegar, baking soda, and about a tablespoon of a gentle detergent like Woolite Delicates in a vial.

For synthetic satin that contains no silk, use a stain-removal pen. Never use this type of pen on silk satin because the typical cleaning pen products contain ingredients like hydrogen peroxide that severely damage the silk.

Equip Yourself with…

Pure Silk Satin

• Zipper-closing clear sandwich bag
• Clean, white washcloth
• Lemon juice/white vinegar solution
• Cornstarch, baking soda, or talcum powder (two tablespoons)

Silk Blend Satin

• Zipper-closing clear sandwich bag
• Clean, white washcloth
• Lemon juice/white vinegar solution
• Cornstarch, baking soda, or talcum powder (two tablespoons)
• Gentle detergent like Woolite Delicates (one tablespoon)

Polyester Satin

• On-the-go products like a Tide-to-Go pen

Or be the same as one of the two above.

Steps:

1. Use a clean washcloth to blot the stain. Do not rub it.
2. Dampen the clean washcloth, but do not completely wet it. Water can stain satin.
3. Dab or blot the stain with the dampened cloth until it lifts out.
4. If the dampened cloth does not remove the stain, introduce your cleaning agent using a small amount. In a clean cup, mix a tablespoon of your vinegar or lemon juice with equal parts water if your garment consists of silk satin or satin blend. Whip out your Tide-to-Go pen if your garment uses artificial satin.
5. Dampen the washcloth with the vinegar and water or lemon juice and water mixture. Blot the stain using this cleaning agent. For artificial satin, dab the stain with the cleaning pen, using light movements. If the pen can remove the stain, it should do so almost immediately. You’ll need to dab or blot a stain on real silk satin or a natural satin blend.
6. Let the area dry naturally. Do not place any part of your satin garment under a hand dryer or hair dryer in an attempt to hasten the drying process.

How to Hand Wash Satin

After spot-cleaning your stains, your satin bridesmaid dress needs a full washing. If the label on your dress says you can’t machine wash it, you may be able to hand wash it.

Equip Yourself with…

• Two sinks, buckets, or wash bins
• Mild detergent
• Two clean, dry cotton towels

Steps:

1. Turn the dress or other satin garment inside out. The inner lining undergoes the agitation, not the shiny satin side.
2. Fill a bucket or wash bin with cold water.
3. Add one tablespoon of gentle detergent made for fine washables, like Woolite.
4. Soak the satin gown in the wash water for three to five minutes.
5. Lightly squeeze the excess water and suds through the satin.
6. Fill the sink or a second bucket with clear, clean, cold water.
7. Thoroughly rinse your satin garment.
8. Lay it flat to dry on a clean, dry cotton towel.

How to Machine Wash Satin

Spot cleaning accomplished; now you need to learn how to clean satin in the washing machine. Not all satin fabric can go in the washer, though. Check the label of your garment for washing instructions. Hand washing will always top the list of preferred methods of cleaning blended or artificial satin, and dry cleaning works best on 100% silk satin. If the label indicates you can wash the garment in a washing machine, do so carefully.

If the designer’s label only provides the materials used in the garment, you can determine the washing method based on the fabrics. Full artificial satin material you can toss in the washing machine using its gentle cycle. Some silk satin blends can also go in the washer. Genuine 100% silk needs to go to the dry cleaners.

Machine Washing a Satin Gown or Dress

Okay, let’s get to the overall dress cleaning. This removes the rest of the stubborn stains, or as much as will feasibly come out, and it makes the dress smell fresh and clean. This process closely resembles cleaning chiffon dresses.

Equip Yourself with…

• Zippered mesh bag
• Fine washables detergent

Steps:

1. Place your satin dress in a mesh bag and zip it shut. This enclosure protects the material from friction and snags in the machine.
2. Set your washer on the lowest water level so your satin clothes can move freely.
3. Choose the delicate cycle, which uses the lowest possible agitation, thus preventing damage to the satin item.
4. Set the machine to use an extra rinse cycle so the washing process removes every bit of mild detergent.
5. Use cold water only because warm or hot water shrinks silk.
6. Choose a gentle detergent developed for fine washables and only use one tablespoon. Never use bleach, standard detergent, or fabric softener because they all harm silk’s texture.
7. Remove the satin garment immediately after the washing and rinsing cycle ends. This delicate fabric wrinkles easily.
8. Lay a satin dress or other garment flat to dry. Never hang a silk item to dry, whether satin, chiffon, or taffeta. Wet silk fibers stretch.

More details about how to wash satin bridesmaid dresses.

Dry Clean Your Satin Dress

Yes, you can dry-clean satin! No matter what type of satin you purchase, you can have it dry-cleaned. This saves you from needing to learn how to clean satin, but dry cleaning every satin item you own could become quite expensive.

How to Store Satin

Once your bridesmaid dress dries completely, hang it in your closet for safekeeping. You might choose to store it in a windowed garment bag.

But wait. Don’t you need to iron satin dresses? Nope! Check the label of your satin garment to find out if it can handle light ironing, steaming, or you should dry clean it. Many clothing designers say, “Never iron 100% silk satin!” It ruins the fabric. Instead, knock out those wrinkles using a steamer from a distance of a few feet.

Know more about how to care for your satin dresses.

How to Clean Satin FAQs

Can you wash satin?

Check the label of your satin wedding or bridesmaid dress to learn if it requires dry cleaning or washing. You can wash some forms of satin.

Can you put satin in the dryer?

Never place any form of satin in the dryer. Safely dry your satin items using the following steps:

1. Lay a satin dress or other garment on a clean, dry cotton towel.
2. Remove the excess water by rolling the dress inside the towel like you're making a jelly roll.
3. Apply pressure to the roll to remove the excess water.
4. Unroll the towel and dress.
5. Remove the dress.
6. Lay it flat onto a dry, clean cotton towel, allowing it to air-dry.

Keep it away from heat sources and sunlight since these can fade the fabric.

Does satin shrink?

Yes, satin shrinks! Washing it in warm or hot water can cause the garment to shrink 10% to 20% in one washing. Cotton satin blends shrink the worst.

Never dry a satin item in the dryer because that causes shrinkage, too.