Caring for handloom silk: the twice-a-year refold

Silk does not wear out. It is folded out. A saree kept in the same folds for years develops permanent creases where the zari cracks, and that is the most common damage we see. The cure costs nothing: twice a year, take it out, air it in shade for an hour, and fold it again along different lines.

Keep it in the muslin bag it came in, never in plastic, which traps moisture and tarnishes zari. Keep it away from perfume, which stains silk invisibly until it yellows. And never hang a heavy Kanjivaram for long; the weight stretches the warp.

Dry clean only, and only with a cleaner who has handled zari before. Ask. For everyday pieces in cotton-silk, a cold delicate wash inside out is fine; we say so on the care label when it is.

Fall and pico are done before your saree leaves us. If the fall wears through, write to us and we will help you have it replaced. The same is true of jewelry: a polish and a check of the settings are a message away.

A handloom saree is an heirloom by construction. These habits are how it becomes one in practice.