Cleaning Silk Ties

Written by April Reinhardt (last updated June 21, 2021)

If, during Christmas dinner, Dad spills gravy on the silk tie you just gave him as a Christmas present, don't despair! While some subscribe to the axiom of never cleaning a silk tie and, instead, replacing it, you can clean a silk tie following these easy tips:

  • Act immediately. Don't allow the foodstuff to linger on the tie. With a moist cloth, dab the food away from the fabric.
  • If a grease stain remains, lay the tie flat on a towel and shake talcum powder onto the stain liberally.
  • Roll the tie inside of the towel and allow it to sit overnight. The talc will absorb the grease and now you can wash the tie.
  • Fill a bowl or small sink with lukewarm water and add a few drops of Woolite or baby shampoo.
  • If you have iron in your water or you have hard water, add a tablespoon of borax.
  • Use your fingers or a whisk to agitate the water until you see suds.
  • Place the tie into the water and gently agitate it with your hand for no more than three minutes.
  • Check the tie to make sure that it is clean and then lay it flat on a thick, clean, dry towel.
  • Roll the tie inside of the towel and allow it to sit overnight.

    • The next day, remove the tie from the towel and then lay it flat onto another dry towel. Allow the tie to sit for two days and any puckering caused by the water will disappear. Next time that Dad wears his silk tie to dinner, tell him to throw the tie over his shoulder to avoid spilling food onto the tie.

    If the method above doesn't work to remove stains from a silk tie, visit your local dry cleaner and have the tie dry cleaned.

Author Bio

April Reinhardt

An admin­istrator for a mutual fund man­age­ment firm, April deals with the writ­ten word daily. She loves to write and plans to author a memoir in the near future. April attend­ed More­head State Uni­ver­sity to pursue a BA degree in Ele­men­tary Edu­ca­tion. ...

MORE FROM APRIL

Insulating Your Plumbing

Even if you live in a mild climate and don't experience cold winters, you can insulate your plumbing and save energy and ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Gnats

To control a gnat population naturally, allow your houseplants to dry out as much as possible and then apply sticky traps ...

Discover More

When to Aerate Your Lawn

Aerating your lawn is the best method to alleviate compacted soil and to allow your grass' roots adequate water, air, and ...

Discover More

Keep Your Hardwood Floors Like New Bona's hardwood floor cleaner is the #1 choice of professionals. The no-residue formula is specially designed to be safe for floors, families, and the environment. Check out Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Refill today!

More Cleaning Tips

Cleaning Wool

Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool? Yes, but it's all dirty! We can find wool all over the home. In fact, it is in ...

Discover More

Removing Dirt and Mud from Clothing

The number one rule when trying to clean mud or dirt from fabric is to allow it to dry before attempting to clean the ...

Discover More

Cleaning Dye Stains from Fabric

Dye stains can be difficult to remove from fabric, but a stain isn't necessarily permanent. There are a few things you ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 9 - 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.