How to Get Wrinkles Out of Silk

Co-authored by Bridgett Price

Last Updated: August 22, 2022

When a silk item is wrinkled, it doesn't look as luxurious as it normally would. However, silk is a delicate fabric that cannot withstand high temperatures, so ironing silk on a high heat setting isn't an option. Getting the item damp or using steam to moisten the item is helpful for getting wrinkles out. Then, you can dry the item quickly or slowly depending on how tough the wrinkles are and how soon you need your silk item.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Ironing a Silk Item to Remove Wrinkles

1
Spritz the silk with water. Fill a spray bottle with water, then spray the silk until it's completely damp. If you don’t have a spray bottle, soak the item in a tub of lukewarm water, then gently squeeze out the excess water.^{[1]
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- Another alternative to removing wrinkles is the purchasing of wrinkle release spray.
- If you want to wash your silk item before removing the wrinkles, place it into your washing machine on the delicate cycle. Follow any other care instructions on the item’s label, then proceed with ironing the item to remove the wrinkles.
2
Switch on your iron and turn the silk item inside out. Turn on your iron and set it to the lowest setting. To protect the outside of the item from potential damage, turn it inside out before you iron it. Also, unbutton the item if it is a button-down shirt.
- Some irons have a delicate or silk setting. Check to see if your iron has a special setting that you can use.
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3
Place the silk item on the ironing board. Smooth it out as best you can and ensure that the item is in 1 layer on the ironing board. Put a thin towel, cloth, or t-shirt over the silk item to protect it from the iron.^{[2]
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- If you are ironing a shirt that you cannot unbutton, slip the bottom of the shirt over the end of the ironing board so that the fabric will be in 1 layer on 1 side of the board.
4
Iron the silk using the lowest setting. Begin to slowly move the iron over the towel to smooth out the wrinkles in the silk. Keep moving the iron over the towel until you have covered the entire area of the item on the board. Don't rest the iron on any single area for more than 5 seconds.
- If you don’t have an iron, simply hang your damp silk item outside on a sunny day. The heat from the sun will dry the item while the weight of the dampness smoothes out the wrinkles.^{[3]
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5
Lift the towel and shift the fabric to iron a different area. After you have fully covered 1 side of the item, set down the iron, lift up the towel, and move a new section of the silk fabric onto the ironing board. Then, place the towel back onto the fabric and continue to iron it.
- Repeat this until you have ironed the entire garment.
6
Turn the item right-side out and hang it up to dry. Place the silk item onto a drying rack, or hang it on a hanger and place it on a hook or in your closet. You can also hang it up outside on a sunny day if you want to speed up the drying process.
- The item is ready to wear when it is completely dry.
- If you still notice some wrinkles in the silk after the item is dry, you can repeat the process or try another option to remove them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Steaming out the Wrinkles

1
Hang the silk item on a hanger in your bathroom. Place your silk item on a hanger. Then, hang it on the back of your bathroom door, on a hook, or on a towel rack. Do this before your next shower if you plan to use steam from the shower to remove the wrinkles.
- Make sure that the silk item is not pressed against the door or wall so that the steam from the shower can circulate around it.
- If you live in a hot, humid climate, you could even hang the silk item outside in the morning and leave it outside for a few hours or all day. The moisture in the air and the heat should be enough to work out the wrinkles in your item.
2
Take a shower or run the shower on hot for a few minutes. Close the bathroom door and any windows in the bathroom to keep the steam in. Then, take a shower as you normally would. If you don't want to shower, turn on the water as hot as it will go and let it run for about 3 to 5 minutes, or as long as it takes to fill up the bathroom with steam.
- Don’t turn on the fan either! This will suck the steam out of the bathroom.
3
Transfer the silk item to a closet and let it dry overnight. After you finish your shower, take the item to a closet or hook outside of the bathroom. Hang it up and let is dry overnight or until it is no longer damp. The moisture from the steam will help to add weight to the item and this will gently smooth out the wrinkles as it dries.^{[4]
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- If the item still appears wrinkled after steaming it, you may need to use a handheld steamer or try a different option to remove the wrinkles.
4
Use a handheld steamer to work out stubborn wrinkles. If your item still has a few wrinkles left in it after it dries, you can use a handheld steamer to get them out. Switch on the handheld steamer and move it back and forth over the wrinkles to remove them. Then, let the item dry on a hanger again.^{[5]
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- If you don’t have a handheld steamer, you can achieve the same effect with the spout of a tea kettle. Fill your kettle about halfway, bring it to a boil, and remove it from the heat. Then, aim the spout at the wrinkled areas of your item to steam them.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Hair Dryer

1
Turn the item inside out and hang it up. Flip the item so that it is inside out to protect the silk from damage from the hair dryer. Then, place it onto a hanger and hang it on a hook, towel rack, or even on your shower’s curtain rod.^{[7]
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- If your item only has a few wrinkles, then making those areas damp and then drying them with your hair dryer is a quick and easy way to work out the wrinkles.
- If you wash your silk item, you could simply hang it up to dry and the wrinkles will work themselves out under the weight of the damp item. To speed the drying process, aim a fan at your silk item after you hang it up to dry.
2
Spritz any wrinkles on the item with a spray bottle of water. Fill a spray bottle with plain, lukewarm water. Then, spritz the wrinkled areas of the silk item thoroughly. Don’t worry about any areas that are not wrinkled.
- If the item is only slightly wrinkled, you don't need to use much water. For heavy or deep wrinkles, however, spritz the areas until they are very damp or wet.
- If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can also dip the wrinkled areas into lukewarm water or hold them under running lukewarm water to moisten them.
3
Aim the nozzle of a hair dryer on the cool setting at the wrinkles. Switch on a hair dryer and turn it to the cool or lowest setting. Then, aim the nozzle at a damp area of the silk item and begin to move it back and forth. Continue to move the hairdryer back and forth over the area until it is dry and the wrinkles are gone.
- Make sure not to keep the dryer aimed at 1 section for too long if you are using it on low heat. Move the hairdryer back and forth over the area for about 15 to 20 seconds, and then work on a different area.
4
Repeat for the other damp areas until the wrinkles are gone. After you get 1 section dry, move onto the next section and move the dryer back and forth over it. Keep working on 1 section at a time until all of the wrinkles are gone and the item is dry.

Community Q&A
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Question

Can you get wrinkles out of silk by putting it in the dryer?

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Yes, as long as your dryer has a “No Heat” or “Air Fluff” setting. Gently tumble your silk item(s) and check on them occasionally to see if they’re wrinkle-free.
Question

Does silk wrinkle easily?

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Silk does not wrinkle as easily as many other fabrics, but it can still get creases from being folded or when it gets wet.
Question

Does silk shrink when washed?

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Yes, silk will shrink in water or when it’s exposed to heat, so you could also shrink it if you put it in the dryer on a high-heat setting.