Fabric care

Cotton

Hand wash or Machine wash · 10 pieces

Silk cotton

Dry clean only or Hand wash · 8 pieces

Mulberry silk

Dry clean only · 7 pieces

Georgette

Dry clean only · 3 pieces

Khadi cotton

Hand wash · 3 pieces

Organza

Dry clean only · 1 piece

Linen

Hand wash · 1 piece

1. 1Store folded in muslin or cotton, never in a plastic bag or a sealed box. Handloom needs to breathe, and trapped moisture is what brings on mildew and tarnish.
2. 2Refold along different lines two or three times a year. A fold left in the same place for years becomes a permanent weak line, and eventually a split.
3. 3Keep zari away from damp. Real zari carries silver, and silver tarnishes — a humid cupboard will dull a gold border faster than wearing it will.
4. 4Keep long-term storage out of direct sunlight. Natural dyes and indigo in particular will fade along whichever fold is facing the window.

1. 1Follow the care method on the piece. Where it says dry clean, that is usually about the zari and the finish rather than the fibre.
2. 2For anything hand washed, use cold water and a mild detergent, and wash it on its own the first two or three times — handloom dye can bleed, especially reds and indigo.
3. 3Do not wring. Press the water out, roll the piece in a towel, then dry it flat or on a line in shade.
4. 4Iron on the reverse, on a medium setting, and lift the iron over any zari rather than running it across.

1. 1Blot, never rub. Rubbing pushes the stain into the weave and can lift the finish on a silk.
2. 2Use a dry cloth first. Water on a silk spill often leaves a ring that is harder to remove than the original mark.
3. 3For anything on a dry-clean piece, take it in and say what the stain was. That single detail changes the solvent used.

A new handloom saree is often stiff, because it still carries the starch used at the loom. That softens with wear rather than needing to be washed out. If a piece feels board-like on the first day, it is behaving exactly as it should.