The wash is done, the silk pillowcase is in your hand, and the dryer is right there. It would take twenty minutes. Or maybe it already went in with the rest of the load, and you are reading this while holding something that feels a little different than it did yesterday.
Either way, here is what you need to know.
The short answer: no, do not put silk in the tumble dryer. Heat and tumbling are both hard on silk fibers. Press out the water with a towel and let it air dry in the shade instead. Silk dries faster than you might expect.
What the dryer does to silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber. A dryer puts it through two things it does not handle well.
- Heat. High temperatures dry out the fibers. Over time they lose their softness and their sheen, and the fabric starts to feel stiff or papery. Heat can also cause silk to shrink.
- Tumbling. The drum rubs the fabric against itself, against the metal and against everything else in the load. That friction roughens the smooth surface that makes silk feel like silk. It also sets in creases and can strain seams and zippers.
The damage is usually gradual. One cycle rarely ruins a pillowcase, but each one takes a little of the smoothness away, and it does not come back.
What about low heat or the air setting?
A low or no-heat setting removes one of the two problems. The tumbling is still there. For that reason the safe, standard advice for silk is simple: keep it out of the dryer altogether.
Always check the care label on the item you have. If it says do not tumble dry, there is no setting that makes it a good idea.
How to dry silk properly
- Do not wring it. Twisting wet silk stretches and creases the fibers. Lift it out and let the water run off.
- Roll it in a towel. Lay the piece flat on a clean, dry towel, roll the two up together and press gently. The towel takes up most of the water.
- Lay it flat or hang it. Use a drying rack, or a padded or smooth hanger for larger pieces. Avoid wooden hangers and metal clips that can leave marks.
- Keep it in the shade. Direct sunlight can fade the color and weaken the fibers. A shaded spot with moving air is ideal.
- Stay away from radiators. Direct heat is the same problem as the dryer.
Smooth the fabric with your hands while it is still damp. It will dry with fewer creases.
How long silk takes to air dry
Silk is thin and does not hold much water after the towel step, so it dries quickly compared with cotton. A pillowcase, a sleep mask or a scrunchie in a room with some air movement is often dry within a few hours. A duvet cover or flat sheet has far more fabric and takes longer, so spread it out as much as you can.
The exact time depends on the weight of the silk, the humidity and the temperature of the room. Lighter silk dries faster than heavier silk.
Dryer compared with air drying
| Tumble dryer | Air drying in the shade | |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on softness and sheen | Dulls them over time | Keeps them |
| Risk of shrinking | Yes | Very low |
| Creasing | Sets creases in | Fewer, if smoothed while damp |
| Speed | Faster | A few hours for small pieces |
| Effort | None | A towel and a place to hang it |
If your silk already went in the dryer
Do not panic. One accidental cycle is usually something silk survives, even if it comes out creased or a little stiff.
- Rinse or rewash it gently in cold water with a silk detergent, then let it air dry properly.
- While it is still slightly damp, iron it on the lowest setting on the reverse side, or use a steamer. See how to get wrinkles out of silk safely.
- If it feels smaller, read does silk shrink when you wash it to see what can and cannot be recovered.
Some loss of sheen may be permanent. The fabric is still usable, and it should feel better again after a gentle wash.
Questions people ask
Can I use a hair dryer to speed things up?
It is better not to. A hair dryer is direct heat on a small area. A fan in the room, or an open window, speeds up drying without any risk.
Can silk and cotton blends go in the dryer?
Treat them as silk. Our Silk and Cotton Satin Bedding is 55% mulberry silk, so it should be air dried in the shade like pure silk.
Is it fine to put silk back on the bed slightly damp?
Wait until it is fully dry. Damp fabric on a pillow can turn musty.
Drying silk well is mostly a matter of patience, and of having a spare. A second case from our silk pillowcases means one is always ready, and the same care applies to our silk sleep masks. For the washing half of the routine, read how to wash and care for your silk pillowcase.
