Caring for and storing your sarees

Washing by fabric

Cotton tolerates machine washing on a cold, gentle cycle, though a first hand wash separately is worth doing because dyes can bleed. Wash inside out, skip the fabric softener — it coats the fibres and reduces breathability — and line dry in shade rather than direct sun, which fades colour unevenly.

Silk should be dry cleaned. Water swells silk fibres unevenly and can leave permanent water marks even after drying, and any zari work will tarnish. If something is spilled, blot rather than rub and get it to a cleaner quickly rather than attempting a spot treatment.

Georgette and chiffon can be hand washed in cool water with a mild detergent. Never wring them. Press the water out between towels and dry flat, because hanging stretches the fabric out of shape under its own weight.

Folding: the mistake almost everyone makes

A saree folded the same way every time develops permanent creases along those lines, and in silk those creases eventually become splits. The fibres at a fold are under constant tension, and after a year or two they simply give way.

Refold along different lines every three to four months. It takes a few minutes per saree and is the single highest-value habit for anything expensive in your collection.

Storage

Store sarees wrapped in cotton cloth or muslin, never in plastic. Plastic traps moisture, and trapped moisture on silk produces yellowing and mildew. Old cotton bedsheets cut into squares work perfectly well.

Keep zari and heavy embroidery away from direct contact with other fabrics — metallic thread abrades whatever it rubs against, and it will snag chiffon in the same pile. Interleave with tissue paper if you are stacking.

Neem leaves or dried cloves deter insects without the smell of naphthalene, which lingers in silk for months. Whatever you use, keep it from touching the fabric directly.

• Cotton or muslin wrapping, never plastic
• Refold along new lines every three to four months
• Separate zari work from delicate fabrics
• Air the cupboard occasionally, especially through monsoon

Dealing with stains

Speed matters more than technique. Blot immediately with a clean dry cloth, working from the outside of the stain inwards so it does not spread. Do not apply water to silk or anything with zari.

For cotton, a mild detergent solution dabbed on and rinsed quickly handles most food stains. For anything oil-based, or anything on silk, stop and take it to a cleaner — home remedies involving talcum powder or lemon juice more often set the stain than lift it.