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

Recognizing and Treating Chickenpox

Once a childhood killer, contracting chickenpox is now rare because of vaccinations. If a family member does develop the ...

Discover More

Cleaning a Reusable Furnace Filter

While disposable furnace filters are less expensive, reusable filters will save you more money over the long term. ...

Discover More

Cincinnati Chili

If you've ever visited a chili parlor and ordered a phony coney and a 4-way, then you're certainly in the greater ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

Cleaning a Wedding Dress

Second to buying a home, purchasing a wedding dress is often times the most expensive investment newlyweds make. Most ...

Discover More

Washing and Caring for Wool Garments

Wool is an excellent material that can last you a long time, but it won't get you very far into the winter if you don't ...

Discover More

Restoring Old Silk

Silk is an absolutely beautiful material whose beauty only seems to increase with age. But even this material is going to ...

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 7 + 0?

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.