Silk is beautiful and unforgiving in equal measure. It drapes perfectly, feels unlike anything else, and reacts badly to almost every shortcut you might take with it. Water spots it. Heat sets the marks. A home machine wash on a delicate cycle is a gamble that rarely pays off.
We clean silk garments at Angelz on Arlington Way, a short walk from Angel tube. Shirts, dresses, scarves, ties, trousers, skirts — all handled using a process that protects the weave, the lustre, and the colour. If it is silk and it needs cleaning, bring it in.
Silk is a protein-based natural fibre — closer in composition to hair than to cotton or wool. That matters because protein fibres respond to heat, water, and chemicals differently from plant-based or synthetic fabrics.
Water causes silk to lose its shape and sheen temporarily or permanently, depending on how it dries. Alkaline detergents — the kind found in most domestic washing products — can weaken the silk fibre itself over repeated washes. Heat accelerates colour fading and can cause shrinkage. None of these are theoretical risks. They happen regularly to people who wash silk at home and assume the delicate setting will save them.
The Textile Institute — the global professional body for textile science and technology — notes that silk’s unique protein structure requires cleaning agents and mechanical action that are carefully matched to the fabric. That is exactly the approach we take.
A silk shirt worn to work or an event picks up perspiration, makeup, and general daily contact faster than most people realise. The collar and underarm areas absorb the most, and those are also the areas where the wrong cleaning method does the most damage.
We clean silk shirts for £9.99. We check the garment for any marks that need pre-treatment before the main clean. Perspiration staining in particular needs specific attention before it sets permanently into the weave. Silk shirts come back clean, pressed lightly to avoid flattening the fabric’s natural drape, and ready to wear.
A silk dress brought to the wrong dry cleaner — one that applies heat or pressure without adjusting for the fabric — can come back shiny, distorted, or with press marks that are nearly impossible to remove.
We clean silk dresses for £19.99. We press silk using a low temperature and a pressing cloth where needed to protect the surface. Heavily embellished silk pieces — beading, embroidery, appliqué — are assessed before cleaning in the same way we handle any embellished garment. The embellishments are checked and protected before the dress goes into the cleaning process.
For more detail on cleaning formal silk occasion wear and gowns, our dress dry cleaning service in Angel covers the full range of fabrics and garment types we handle.
Scarves and ties are small but they require the same attention as any other silk garment. A Hermès scarf or a silk tie from a quality brand can cost significantly more than a silk shirt, and cleaning it incorrectly risks permanent damage to the dye or the print.
We clean silk scarves and ties individually, not bundled with other items. Scarf prints — particularly hand-rolled edges and block-printed designs — are handled carefully to avoid colour bleed or distortion. A silk tie with food or drink staining is pre-treated before the main clean.
Silk trousers and skirts present the same risks as other silk garments but with an additional consideration: they need to hold their cut after cleaning. A pair of silk trousers that comes back clean but has lost its drape and structure is not really clean — it is ruined.
We clean silk trousers for £14.99 and silk skirts for £14.99. We hang them properly during the finishing stage so they retain their cut and drape rather than drying in an unintended shape.
Silk does not respond well to heavy pressing. We finish silk garments with a light touch — enough to remove the creasing from the cleaning process, not enough to flatten the natural drape or leave press marks on the surface.
Garments come back on hangers, covered. If you are storing a silk piece rather than wearing it immediately, remove the plastic cover and store in a breathable fabric bag instead. Plastic traps moisture against silk over time, which can cause yellow spotting that is very difficult to remove.
We clean a wide range of delicate and specialist fabrics. Our cashmere cleaning service in Angel covers cashmere jumpers, knitwear, and cashmere-blend coats. For the full list of what we clean, visit our dry cleaning page for Angel.
We are at 18 Arlington Way, Angel, EC1R 1UY — two minutes on foot from Angel tube on the Northern Line. Customers come in from Islington, Clerkenwell, Pentonville, Finsbury, and King’s Cross throughout the week.
No booking needed. Bring the garment in, we look at it with you, and give you a price and collection date at drop-off. Most silk items are ready within two to three working days.
Can you remove a water mark from a silk blouse?
Often yes. Water marks on silk are caused by minerals and residue left when water dries on the fabric. Professional cleaning removes these in most cases. The longer the mark has been there, the harder it becomes to treat — so sooner is better.
My silk shirt has yellowed under the arms. Can it be fixed?
Perspiration staining in silk is treatable if caught early. Older, set staining is harder and sometimes only partially improvable. Bring it in and we will assess it honestly before starting.
Can you clean printed silk without the colours running?
Yes. We use cleaning agents and methods that protect dye stability in printed silk. We check the dye fastness of the specific garment before cleaning if there is any reason to expect a problem.
Do you clean silk bedding and pillowcases?
Yes. Silk pillowcases and silk bedding are cleaned in the same way as garments — individual assessment, appropriate solvent, light finishing. Bring them in for a quote.
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