The expensive clothes come with the laundering instructions. We also follow those instructions strictly. But that is not everything you must do for pattu sarees. Or just preserving the saree with a smooth fold in your closet is everything. The way you wash and preserve the pattu saree matters.
Is there beautiful zari work or stone embroidery on your saree? Then you must take extra care for it. You chose the saree for its breathtaking design and you can’t let it go by wearing it a few times. The tips of taking care of a pattu saree are different from the way you treat your casual outfits.
Saree love can also be shown by maintaining it as beautiful as you bought it from the store. Know all the tips to take care of your precious and memorable pattu saree.
Ways To Take Care Of a Pattu Saree
You already know that you pattu saree needs extra care. But you must be wondering why your saree is losing the shine or why it is too stiff. Then somewhere it’s going wrong.
You are more gentle and slow when cleaning your diamond jewelry. It is the same with pattu saree. A few simple and caring tips can keep your pattu saree as desired.
1. Cleaning tips
The detergent you use for other clothes are not at all advisable for pattu sarees. The harsh chemicals ruin the shine and fabric quality. If you have noticed discoloration or fabric spoiling in any way after washing it then you could be the detergent’s fault.
Here are few tips to keep in mind while cleaning your pattu saree-
1. Completely avoid hand-wash or machine wash. Hand or machine is harsh on delicate pattu fabric.
2. Dry clean your saree every time you want to wash it. Process of dry cleaning is safe and done with extra care.
3. When your saree is stained dont leave it to dry. The stains which are left longer become stubborn to clean. So, immediately wipe with cold water.
4. Don’t directly expose the saree to direct sunlight. Heat causes discolouration of the pattu saree.
5. Storing the sarees for longer in the closet can make them lose their beauty and shine. Take them out for every six month and expose them to mild sunlight. This helps maintain the shine.
6. Never twist the pattu saree in order to remove the excess water. Let the water drain on its own and dry naturally.
7. An easy wash at home tip for pattu saree- In a gallon of water, mix ¼ white vinegar and wash the saree. It is to retain the lost shine and charm of the saree without damaging the fabric.
Also Read: 20 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Saree – Let Your Memory Live On
2. Ironing tips
The delicate silk fabric cannot resist high temperature heat. So, you must be mindful when heat pressing a pattu saree. Right that you are not burning the saree but just trying to remove the wrinkle and make it look flawless. But a little less care can change the saree colour or threads may come off tugging while the process of ironing.
To not make these mistakes, you must follow a few tips without fail.
1. When you are pressing the pattu saree, switch the temperature to silk.
2. Cover the pattu saree with cotton cloth and then iron. This is to avoid burning the saree with overheat.
3. If you are ironing your pattu saree at home then steam iron is the safest way.
4. While ironing the saree, don’t move the iron box back and forth. Move and press the iron box in the right direction. Back and forth can change the saree shape from actual shape.
5. Post ironing the saree, let it come to normal temperature. Don’t store the saree without cooling it down. Otherwise, it is vulnerable to wrinkles.
3. Preserving tips
Imagine you got your saree dry cleaned and stored it in your wardrobe safely. But when you have a look at your saree, it is not the same as you preserved back then. What could be the cause that wrinkled, stained or discoloured your favourite pattu saree?
It could be you missed the right care before or while storing the saree. Here are a few tips and care that you should take while storing the pattu sarees.
1. Don’t store the pattu saree along with other clothes. This will result in clothes overlapping and changing the colour.
2. Don’t bundle up the saree which will tangle the embroidery work.
3. Fold the saree inwards to prevent the stone or embroidery work from losing its shine.
4. Fold the saree smoothly and wrap a muslin cloth over it. This gives saree breathing space which is very much needed.
5. Packing the pattu saree with plastic cover is a spoiler. The saree colour may turn into black.
6. Refold the pattu saree once in a while to avoid creasing. You must remember that pattu sarees crease easily.
7. Don’t store or hang the saree on metals. When the metal rusts it affects your saree with permanent stains.
8. Place the saree where there are no bugs. Add neem leaves or disinfect your closet before storing your pattu saree in it.
If you can follow these tips, your pattu saree will be the same memory. The extra care is not just its expensive but pattu sarees hold the beautiful memories. Keep the preciousness of the saree to look back at your amazing choices and appreciate it every time you see.
