How to Clean a Silk Tie

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 7, 2022 References

Nothing is as frustrating as finishing dinner and realizing that you’ve spilled some food on your silk tie! Silk in particular can be a tricky fabric to clean, and while a trip to the dry cleaner can usually sort out the problem, you can actually clean the tie yourself with the right strategy. Whether you’re cleaning up a food, wine, or oil stain or simply taking care of day-to-day dirt, using the right cleaning techniques will have your tie looking as good as new.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Simple Stains

1
Scrape off spilled food or sauce and blot the stain. Use a spoon or butter knife to lift food off your tie. Then, dip a cloth napkin into water or club soda and blot at the leftover stain.^{[1]
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- Paper napkins might disintegrate when you blot, but you can use them if you don’t have a cloth napkin on hand.
- For a stain from a liquid-based sauce, such as soy sauce, simply skip right to blotting with the cloth napkin.
2
Apply a silk stain remover. Follow the application instructions on the bottle to ensure you get your tie as clean as possible. Once you’ve cleaned off the stain, dry the area with a hair dryer on a low heat setting to prevent a water ring from forming.^{[2]
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- You can also take the tie straight to the dry cleaner after scraping off the food. Tell them what kind of food caused the stain so they can determine the best way to remove it.
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3
Use rubbing alcohol if you don’t have stain remover. First, test the rubbing alcohol by applying a bit to the back of the tie, making sure it won’t affect the color. Then, dab a very small amount onto a rag or cotton ball and blot the stain.^{[3]
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4
Dry light-colored liquid stains with a hair dryer. Simply drying the liquid before it sets in might be enough to prevent a stain. If not, use a stain remover specialized for silk fabrics, or take your tie to the dry cleaners.^{[4]
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- You can also use a hand dryer if you’re out and about.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Rid of Stubborn Stains

1
Blot out oil or grease and soak it up with cornstarch or talcum powder. Use a paper or cloth napkin to carefully pat out all the grease or oil that you can. Try not to rub at the stain, as that will make the stain soak in even more. Then, lay the tie flat and put a large pile of cornstarch or talcum on the stain. Let it sit for a full 24 hours to allow the starch to absorb the stain, then brush it off.^{[5]
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2
Put table salt on a red wine stain. Use a large pile of salt and let it sit for an hour, letting it soak up the wine. If the stain still looks dark, leave it on for another hour or two longer. Brush the salt off, then treat any leftover stains with a silk-specific stain remover.^{[6]
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3
Blot at dark-colored liquids with mild soap. If you’ve spilled soda, coffee, beer, or another brown-colored liquid on your tie, wet a napkin with a bit of water or club soda and a small amount of mild soap, such as hand soap or dish soap. Dry with a hair dryer or bathroom hand dryer, then treat the spot with stain remover if any color remains.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Keeping Your Silk Tie Clean

1
Spray on a fabric protector. Carefully read the instructions and make sure it’s safe to use on silk.^{[8]
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Research source} You can spray it on before a meal or right when you buy your tie for maximum protection. A good fabric protector will prevent spills from sinking in and staining your silk tie, so the most you’ll have to do is blot the food or liquid from the surface. ^{[9]
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2
Hand wash a tie with silk detergent for regular cleaning. Use cool water and follow the instructions on the detergent bottle. Wash gently and quickly, aiming to finish washing in about five minutes so your silk isn’t submerged for too long. Lay your tie flat to dry.^{[10]
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- Only wash your tie when it seems dirty. For example, you might see slight discoloration on the fabric from dirt, or the tie might smell a bit. You shouldn’t wash your tie everyday, as that could ruin the fabric.
3
Tuck your tie away during dinner. You can prevent your silk tie from being stained in the first place by removing it from the line of fire completely! Try slipping the tip of your tie between two of your shirt buttons during dinner, or tucking a napkin into your collar. They may not be the most elegant-looking solutions, but they’re certainly better-looking than a stained tie.^{[11]
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