When you desire to wear the world’s finest fabric, you must be careful with it when washing. Yes, we are talking about the silk fabric. Silk is a pliable and sensitive material; if you own it, make sure you can wear it for decades.
Hence, look for the best detergent to ensure the material’s sustainability. Therefore, we have come up with the best detergent for washing silk. Gentle material requires gentle detergents for cleaning.
Gentle detergents are made up only to clean fabric materials that are highly sensitive. So, let’s get to our picked detergents that are worth having for washing silk.
Best Detergent for Washing Silk of 2023
- Best Overall: LilySilk Silk Tenestar Special Washing Detergent
- Best Budget: Le Blanc® White Flowers Silk & Lingerie Wash
- Best Eco-Conscious: The Laundress – Delicate Wash, Lady Scented
- Best for Pillowcase: Heritage Park Silk & Wool Detergent
- Best Multipurpose: Godrej Ezee Detergent – Winterwear, Chiffon & Silks
What Are the Cheapest Detergents for Silk (Worth Buying)?
Many detergents come with a rough formula that you can use to wash cotton fabric but are unsuitable for silk wash. Silk is a protein-based natural fabric that is something like wool.
The material is meant for dry cleaning or hand-wash only. But now that many cheap detergent for silk are available in the market, you can easily go for them.
Best Overall: LilySilk Silk Tenestar Special Washing Detergent Liquid for Silk Fabric
This detergent for silk wash is one of the cheapest and till now our best pick. This liquid detergent is specially designed to wash silk clothing. It can be used both for hand wash or machine wash. Moreover, this Tenestar is also suitable for other delicate fabrics.
The liquid detergent comes in a bottle of 240ml and can be used for 16 washes smoothly. As you are not supposed to wash your silk items regularly or frequently, this bottle has a fair amount of detergent.
Also, this silk Tenestar saves the fabric from any friction while washing it up. It also resists damage and makes sure the silk sustains for years. Again, it won’t cause any harm to the silk even if you soak the silk in it for more than an hour while other laundry detergents are prone to hurt the silk structure.
Overall, the LilySilk washing detergent is the best detergent for washing silk among other options. It is manufactured with all the best elements ensuring the skin’s and clothes’ safety.
What We Like:
- This detergent can wash delicate fabrics, including silk, cashmere, wool, etc.
- Preserving fabric quality, the Tenestar removes all kinds of stains, body oils, and perspiration.
- The silk material will still remain smooth, soft, and shining after washing with this detergent.
What We Don’t Like:
- A bit expensive among the cheapest options.
Related Read: Best Detergent for Lululemon
Best Budget: Le Blanc® White Flowers Silk & Lingerie Wash
This is our second-best and cheapest detergent for silk wash from Le Blanc. The solution is mainly made to wash silk and lingerie. White Flower is a triple concentrated liquid detergent with efficient and powerful stain remover agents. This exceptional and extraordinary cleanser is also designed for all the colorfast delicate materials.
Moreover, the cleanser is made with a specialized formula that preserves the actual shape of the fabric and protects the elasticity. Also, your intimate apparel, swim, or active wear are safe with this detergent.
This energy-efficient detergent comes in a larger container that lasts over two years. Also you just need only one fourth cup of the solution to wash out loads of clothes. It is notably a pH neutral laundry detergent for silk.
Additionally, White Flowers wash is made without bleach, phosphates, caustics, sulfates, and other same types of elements. Hence, there is no chance of damage to the silk.
What We Like:
- You can take fine care of silk, cashmere, wool, bamboo, and so on.
- The cleanser solution is highly concentrated and comes with a neutral pH.
- This detergent is enzyme-free and a hundred percent biodegradable.
- It is environmentally safe, energy-efficient, and removes tough stains including oil, blood, and more.
What We Don’t Like:
- Many users don’t prefer the fragrance that this detergent adds.
Best Eco-Conscious: The Laundress – Delicate Wash, Lady Scented, Laundry Detergent
From blouses to silk scarves, lingerie, and all the delicate fabric clothing are washable with our third pick as the cheapest detergent. This detergent from The Laundress is eco-friendly and best suited for cleaning sensitive fabrics.
This silk cleanser works best for hand wash cleaning. Hence, dry-clean is not required. It is also highly concentrated, offers 32 washes, and lasts 2 years. The formula includes all the natural elements and plant-based herbals.
With all the biodegradable ingredients, this cleanser is manufactured. It is also free from dyes and unnecessary fillers. Moreover, the solution is formulated with a citrus blend of rich and high amber, musk, lavender, and bergamot to give you a soft and fresh fragrance.
Additionally, the cleanser formula preserves the fabrics’ shape, color, texture, and quality. It also removes old, armpit, and tough stains, including blood, coffee, wine, and all. The detergent also erases wrinkles and shortens the drying time of the fabric.
What We Like:
- A hundred percent cruelty-free and biodegradable detergent.
- Doesn’t include any unnecessary additives, dyes, or fillers.
- It is an allergen-free detergent and suitable for any synthetic, silk, spandex, rayon, nylon, and other fabrics.
- It comes with a great soft fragrance and while removing bad odors, it adds the scent.
What We Don’t Like:
- It is not enzyme-free and dry-wash is prohibited.
Best for Pillowcase: Heritage Park Silk & Wool Detergent
Our fourth pick for the best and cheapest detergent for silk wash is this one from ‘Heritage Park Laundry Essentials’. This gentle detergent with specialized formula is suitable for washing silk, natural linens, wools, and other fabrics.
The concentrated solution is absolutely enzyme-free. So, your clothes are protected from being damaged.
Moreover, this detergent is scented with a natural floral fragrance. It is formulated with Lavender essential oil that spreads a lavender mist. This floral scent is wonderfully relaxing, light, and clean, and the best detergent for silk pillowcases.
Also, this cleansing has agents that work rough and tough on the stains yet, it doesn’t demolish the fabric structure. Without harming laundry, it removes all the tough and old set-in stains. It also replaces bad odors with lavender mist.
Again, the liquid detergent is highly concentrated and requires only a small amount of the solution to wash clothes full of a bucket. This gentle yet, effective detergent is also a great choice for sensitive skin. Moreover, the formula is Dermatologist & Pediatrician tested and it is absolutely safe to use.
What We Like:
- ‘Heritage Park’ detergent comes with gentle formula and is suitable for cleaning items made of delicate fabrics.
- It includes effective stain-remover agents and excludes dyes, chlorine bleach, phosphates, and other caustic chemicals.
- The detergent is pH neutral, biodegradable, and enzyme-free.
- Suitable for all skin and healthier to use.
What We Don’t Like:
- May take time while removing a rough stain.
Best Multipurpose: Godrej Ezee Liquid Detergent – Winterwear, Chiffon & Silks
Our last listed cheap yet best detergent for silk wash is the Godrej Ezee liquid detergent. First of all, it comes with great colorful packaging and is most probably the cheapest detergent available in the market for silk wash.
This is also a concentrated liquid detergent that weighs 2000 grams and lasts for a longer period. Maybe the detergent is not the most excellent detergent for silk wash but it is certainly one of the best. It is suitable not only for silk but also for all winter wear and chiffon fabric clothes. The product arrives with a bottle and one refill.
This is certainly a great deal. The detergent has a great market and price value. The Godrej Ezee liquid cleanser is a detergent and conditioner that cleans delicate fabric, making it shiny and soft again.
Moreover, the detergent makes the clothes look as new as before. It also doesn’t contain any unnecessary and harmful agents rather it is formulated with some natural biodegradable elements.
What We Like:
- The detergent is a great choice for cleaning silk, wool, and chiffon.
- It comes with a great price value and delivers a good clean.
- Includes a bottle and a refill as well which is a great bargain.
- Spread a nice smell and the product lasts long.
What We Don’t Like:
- The solution is not highly concentrated.
Can You Wash Silk with Regular Detergent?
A detergent contains different surfactants that have cleansing properties. Among various elements, enzymes are one of the key elements that improve cleansing quality. Though enzymes help clean clothes of other fabrics, they cannot be used on delicate fabrics like silk, wool, and others.
Some certain enzymes damage the silk fabric cruelly. You may use the laundry soap as it is not made of enzymes yet it is not considered a regular detergent. So, washing your silk fabric with regular detergent would be unwise.
You will find many liquid detergents specially made for silk and other delicate fabric wash. These detergents are enzyme-free and make the silk clothes as new as before.
Can I Use Woolite to Wash Silk?
Woolite is a gentle and specialized laundry detergent and it is made for taking care of delicate garments and fabrics. It is also manufactured to wash all types of fabric materials with versatile and vibrant colors. It effectively washes out all kinds of dirt and stains from any delicate items including wool and silk in all gentle washing cycles.
So, obviously, you can use Woo lite as the best detergent for washing silk to wash all your favorite and precious silk fabrics. It will give the best possible care to the material and resist all kinds of damage, shape or structure loss, and fading.