Caring for your saree

Before the first wear

• Add fall and pico if it does not already have them. Unfinished edges fray within a few wearings.
• Hang it for a day so fold creases drop out before you try to press them.
• Check the care line on the product page. "Dry clean only" usually means water will mark it, not that we are being cautious.

Washing

Cotton and linen: hand wash cold, or machine wash at 30°C in a mesh bag on a gentle cycle. Wash a new indigo or high-contrast piece on its own for the first three washes — the dye will bleed, and that is normal rather than a fault.

Silk and silk blends: dry clean unless the product page says otherwise. Ordinary laundry detergent contains enzymes that digest protein, and silk is a protein fibre, so a normal wash will dull it permanently. If a page does permit hand washing, use a pH-neutral, enzyme-free detergent in cold water, never wring, and dry flat in shade.

Polyester georgette and chiffon: hand wash cold and hang to dry. They are the most practical fabrics we sell.

Spills

Blot, never rub. Rubbing lifts surface fibres and leaves a dull patch that no cleaning will restore. Lift what you can with a dry cloth, then take it to a cleaner and tell them what it was — guessing is what sets stains permanently.

Ironing

• Iron on the reverse, always, through a clean cotton cloth if there is any zari or embroidery.
• Never press directly onto zari. The metallic thread will flatten and lose its light, and it will not come back.
• Cotton and linen iron best while very slightly damp.
• Polyester melts. Use the lowest setting or a steamer.

Storage — where most damage happens

• Never store in plastic. A plastic cover traps moisture against the fabric, and trapped damp is what yellows silk and tarnishes zari. Use a breathable cotton or muslin bag.
• Refold once a year along different lines. A fold left in the same place for years becomes a permanent weak line, and zari cracks along it.
• Roll organza and heavily sequinned pieces rather than folding them. Organza keeps creases permanently.
• Keep it out of direct light. Sunlight fades natural dyes and yellows the natural gold of tussar.
• Use cedar or dried neem in the wardrobe against moths, not mothballs against the fabric.

Heavy silks, once a year

A Kanjivaram or a Paithani will outlive you if it is looked after. Air it once a year, refold it differently, and have it professionally cleaned only when it actually needs it — every dry clean takes a little life out of the fibre, so cleaning a saree "just in case" does more harm than leaving it alone.