How to Unshrink Silk: Easy Step-by-Step Fix

Silk is one of the most luxurious and versatile fabrics, but it requires gentle care. If exposed to high heat or agitated in water, silk fibers constrict and the fabric shrinks.

We’ve all accidentally shrunk a silk garment before – I know I have! The good news is there are methods to relax the fibers and “unshrink” silk.

With a bit of patience and the proper technique, you can often restore silk to its original beauty. I’ll share everything you need to know to undo silk shrinkage.

Understanding Silk Shrinkage

To unshrink silk successfully, you first need to understand what causes it to shrink in the first place. Here are the main culprits:

• Exposure to high heat – either through washing, drying, or ironing silk at too high of a temperature. This causes the fibers to constrict.
• Agitation in water – silk fibers rub against each other when washed in the machine, causing them to tighten and knot up.

Signs your silk garment has shrunk:

• It appears several sizes smaller than the original fit.
• The fabric feels tight and stiff, lacking its previous drape.
• Details like pleats or gathers have tightened up.
• Seams pulled and possibly split open.

Preparing to Unshrink Silk

Before attempting to restore your silk, make sure you have the following:

Materials Needed:

• Mild liquid soap or specialty silk wash
• White vinegar
• Soft towels
• Silk pressing cloth
• Gentle laundry detergent (optional)

Heritage Park Laundry Detergent (link to Amazon) is my go-to for silk items. It’s incredibly gentle on the delicate fabric, ensuring that my silks last longer and stay gorgeous.

Setup:

• Wash silk in a large container where it can float freely – like a bathtub or large sink.
• Have an open, flat surface available for laying out silk to air dry – a bed or tabletop works well.

Initial Assessment:

• Look over the garment carefully and note any damaged areas – split seams, holes, fraying, etc. These may need special attention later.
• Determine the original size based on tags or your memory to gauge how much it needs to be stretched.

Step-By-Step Guide to Unshrinking Silk

Follow these instructions closely, and you’ll be well on your way to restoring your treasured silk piece:

Gentle Washing

• Fill a tub or large sink with cool water and add a small amount of mild soap. About 2 tbsp for a full bathtub should suffice.
• Submerge the silk completely and let it soak for 10-15 minutes. This will loosen the fibers.
• Very gently move the garment around to release wrinkles and tension spots. Do not wring, twist, or scrub the fabric.
• Drain the tub and refill it with clean, cool water to rinse the soap away. Vinegar may be added to the rinse to further relax fibers.
• Drain again, then lay silk flat on towels and gently roll up to absorb excess moisture. Do not wring!

Moisturizing the Fabric

• Mix a spray bottle with 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts cool water.
• Lightly spritz vinegar solution all over the silk on both sides. This helps restore moisture and elasticity.
• For severely shrunken areas, apply a touch more vinegar solution and massage it gently into the fibers.
• Let silk sit for 5 minutes after moisturizing before moving on.

Manual Stretching

• Lay the garment on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles. Make sure it is fully extended.
• Starting at the top, gently pull the fabric widthwise from side to side to coax it back to its original measurements. Pull just until resistance is felt.
• Work your way down the entire piece this way. Pay special attention to tight spots like cuffs, collars, and hemlines.
• Once width is restored, gently tug the garment lengthwise as well. Again, go slowly and stop pulling at resistance.
• Repeat this manual stretching process 2-3 times until the silk regains close to its original size.

Air-Drying

• Lay the silk as flat as possible on a towel or drying rack. Smooth and tug gently one last time.
• Let the garment air-dry fully before attempting to wear or store it. Rotating periodically will help prevent creases from setting.
• Iron very gently with a silk pressing cloth if needed once completely dry. Use the lowest heat setting.

And just like that, your silk should be restored to its former glory! It may take a wearing or two for it to fully relax, but perseverance pays off.

Preventing Future Shrinkage

Now that you have your silk garment back, you’ll want to keep it looking beautiful. Follow these care tips:

Washing

• Hand wash only in cool water using a mild detergent or silk wash.
• Let soak rather than vigorously scrubbing. Rinse thoroughly.
• Roll in towels to absorb water rather than wringing.

Drying

• Lay flat on towels and shape back to size. Allow to air dry fully.
• Iron on low heat with a press cloth if needed.

Storing

• Keep silk folded neatly in breathable fabric like cotton or linen. Avoid plastic.
• Store in a clean, dry place away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.

Following these simple silk care rules will help keep your restored garments looking fabulous for a long time.

Advanced Restoration Techniques

For silk items that are severely shrunken, have damage beyond tightening, or require more intensive restoration – don’t panic! There are advanced techniques that can often salvage the piece:

• For badly puckered seams, use a needle and thread to release the gathering stitches. Carefully restitch seams if fully split.
• Small holes or tears can often be patched and mended by hand. Use similar colored silk thread and tiny whipstitches around the edges.
• Bad stains may require gently spot cleaning with a diluted vinegar/water solution before attempting to resize and dry the garment.
• Silk that is very brittle or misshapen can be soaked in a silk reconditioning solution prior to washing, stretching, and drying.

If the damage seems beyond DIY repair, I recommend consulting a textile restoration specialist.

Professional services can work wonders but come at a price. Assess if the silk piece warrants the investment.

Understand the reasons behind fabric texture in my guide on why silk becomes stiff after washing.

Can You Restore Silk After Washing?

In most cases, yes! Washing is one of the main culprits of silk shrinkage.

As long as the fibers are intact and not too damaged, the techniques like gently washing, moisturizing, and slowly stretching the fabric can restore silk clothing to its original size after laundering.

Pay attention to any snags, holes, or seam splits that may need mending first.

How to Tell if Silk Is Permanently Ruined?

There are a few telltale signs that silk fibers are too damaged to salvage:

• Brittle, crunchy texture – silk should feel soft and fluid. Brittleness means the proteins in the fibers have likely been permanently altered.
• Loss of sheen – silk has a natural luminous sheen. Dull, matte silk has damaged fibers that cannot reflect light properly.
• Weakness and tearing – silk that easily snags, pulls, or falls apart when handled has fibers too broken down to restore.
• Yellowing – exposure to light, heat, and moisture can yellow silk irreparably over time.
• Unpleasant odor – mold, mildew, and some stains can leave silk with a permanent musty smell.

If your silk garment exhibits these traits, the fibers have likely been too compromised to successfully resize and rejuvenate.

Unshrinking Specific Items – Dresses, Blouses, Scarves

The techniques work on most silk garments, but certain construction may require special care. Follow these tips when unshrinking specific silk clothing items:

Start by assessing where the garment is tightest and focus on slowly coaxing those areas back to size first before fully reshaping.

And remember light steaming or pressing can help flatten creases or puckers in structured garments.

Can You Unshrink Silk by Ironing?

Ironing may help relax silk fibers, but take extreme caution. Use the lowest heat setting and always place a silk-pressing cloth between the garment and the iron.

Iron delicately in short bursts to flatten wrinkles – do not apply prolonged high heat, which can damage silk. For best results, let the garment air dry fully before ironing.

I Unshrunk My Silk but It Still Feels Stiff – What Did I Do Wrong?

Don’t worry, some initial stiffness is normal right after unshrinking silk through washing and drying. The fibers need a little time to fully relax and regain fluid drape.

Try steaming the area very gently, or wearing the garment a few times to help break it in. If it remains very stiff, you may need to soak and re-stretch the fabric.

Make sure not to overdry silk after washing, and use cool iron settings with cloth if needed. Going slow is key to preventing permanent stiffness.

I’ve detailed methods for shrinking 100% silk safely in my latest post.

Conclusion

I hope these tips give you the knowledge and confidence to restore your favorite silk pieces. 

While silk can be finicky, with gentle care and the right techniques, you can often regain that fluid drape and luxurious feel we all love.

Remember to treat silk delicately, stretch and dry it slowly, and maintain it properly after. 

Your patience will be rewarded with many more years of enjoying its beauty. Never despair over a shrunken sundress or blouse again!