Saree care: what to wash, what to dry clean

Sarees are the garments people are most nervous about sending anywhere, and rightly. The same six metres can be a cotton you wear to work or a silk with zari that was your mother's. The method has to follow the fabric, not the occasion.

Cotton and cotton blends: wash

Everyday cottons, handloom cottons and cotton-silk blends can be washed, gently, in cool water, on their own the first time in case the dye runs. Starching is optional but it is what gives a cotton saree its fall. Dry in shade, fold along the length, and press with steam while slightly damp.

Pure silk: dry clean

Kanjeevaram, Banarasi, Paithani, tussar: water dulls the sheen, loosens the weave and can shrink the fabric unevenly so the pallu no longer hangs straight. Dry cleaning uses solvent, which cleans without swelling the fibre. Once or twice a year is enough for a saree worn a few times; airing it between wears does the rest.

Chiffon and georgette: it depends

Plain synthetic chiffon can be hand washed in cold water and drip dried. The moment there is embroidery, sequins or a heavy border, dry clean it: the weight of wet embellishment stretches the thin fabric and it will not recover.

Heavy work: dry clean, and say so

Zari, zardozi, stone work, mirror work. These are cleaned inside a net so the embellishment cannot catch, and priced after a look, because a lehenga-weight saree with full-body work is a different job from a plain silk. Tell us about loose stones or a weak border before pickup and we photograph it so there is a record.

Storing between wears

• Fold silks in a cotton cloth, not plastic, and refold along different lines every few months so a permanent crease does not form.
• Keep zari away from damp; it tarnishes.
• Never store a saree with a stain, even a small one. Time sets it.

If the care label is missing, send a photo of the fabric and the border on WhatsApp. We will tell you which method it needs before you decide anything.