Caring for Your Washable Silk Kimono Robe at Home

With the softness of silk, and the delicately crafted designs, it’s easy to see why our handcrafted silk kimono robes are our signature offering. We believe everyone deserves the luxury that comes with a beautifully handpainted silk kimono robe, and think it’s a perfect stable for any wardrobe. That being said, we know that many of our customers have busy schedules and are constantly balancing their work and family life. So taking your handcrafted silk kimono robe to the dry cleaners isn’t always an option. And that’s exactly why we created our machine Washable Silk Kimono Robe collection.

First of all, let’s dive into why it’s not recommended to wash regular silk. We always recommend dry cleaning your silk kimono robes because there are a few things that can happen when washing with water. Because of some of the processes in creating the silk fabric, there can be rings that develop on the material when it comes in contact with water or moisture. Additionally, silk dyes give it an extra brightness and lustre, but washing it with water may result in dullness or a gray, lifeless color due to a dissolution of the dye on the fabric. Another issue when regular silk comes in contact with moisture and water can be dye bleeding, so the designs to stand up to the wash. Finally, the silk fabric can degenerate from contact with chloride salts from too much water, from sweating, or from spilling beverages, foods, or oils. For this reason, it’s strongly recommended that you dry clean your regular silks. But never fear, that’s why Washable Silk Kimono Robes may be for you.

Your kimono style may be one you want to bring into your nightly routine, as well as your daywear, and we hope you do! The difference between our Washable Silk and other silks is the weave of the silk. The Washable Silk Kimono Robe marries our best loved designs with the luxurious washable silk fabric that’s soft and breathable, and just a bit heavier at 22mm. This is compared to our printed and Handpainted Silk Kimono Robes which weigh in at 16mm. Our washable floral kimono cardigans are easier to clean and maintain since you can gently wash them at home. These pieces are also a bit more expensive as the washable fabric is the most costly part of the silk kimono robe. 

We’ve already hit on the obvious benefit of your Washable Silk Kimono robe: it’s washable! This is the kind of piece that fits your busy, modern lifestyle. But so many times, you may feel like you have to sacrifice quality for functionality. Not so with this collection. Your beautiful silk kimono jacket is a high quality product that’s easy to upkeep with unique, contemporary designs that you won’t see anywhere else as they’re designed in-house by our co-founders in San Francisco. Because you don’t have to worry about getting your silk kimono robe wet on the beach or at the pool, this is a perfect piece to help you travel with ease and style. 

And now the question at hand! How do you wash your Washable Silk Kimono Robe? You can of course hand wash this item and hang it to dry. But the convenience of this floral kimono cardigan is that you can actually toss it into the delicate cycle in your washing machine and wash it with cold water. And remember: don't overload your washing machine! Overloading the washing machine can cause even washable silk to be pulled and twisted tightly enough that streaks can form, so make sure you're treating your kimono robe as the delicate piece it is. You want to avoid getting your kimono robe snagged on rough textures like buttons or zippers from other clothing. Our suggestion is to even put it in a delicates bag like this one so it's not getting tangled up in an accidentally overloaded washer, and again, once it’s done in the washing machine, we recommend hanging it to dry. 

Part of beautiful kimono style is the softness and sway of the silk. But when washing any material, it can sometimes feel a little bit rough or “crunchy” directly after washing. That’s no problem! In fact, it’s very normal for this to happen and there are two easy ways to work it out. First, make sure you’re washing it in cold water and using only a mild detergent without any fabric softeners or bleaches, of course. And secondly, the best way to soften silk is to wear it. Because silk is a natural fiber, the natural oils from your body will help it get rid of any crunchiness that comes from washing with soap and water.

The reason we suggest hanging to dry is to protect the silk fibers from high heat, but also, because your silk floral kimono cardigan may get a little bit wrinkled. The truth is, you can’t avoid wrinkling silk. Even our Washable Silks are still silks and easily wrinkled. However, there are two very simple ways to get the wrinkles out of your favorite kimono style. First, you can simply hang up your kimono robe in the shower while you’re getting ready and let the steam from a hot shower release the wrinkles. Second, you can use a steamer. But make sure you keep some distance between the steamer and the silk kimono robe, as it doesn’t need to be pressed or heavily steamed. Just a little bit will go a long way. 

So now that you know how to wash a Silk Robe, let us know which style is your favorite! We love to see your kimono style and can’t get enough of your unique looks on Instagram. Tag us @kimandono_ and #swaythisway and show us how you rock your Washable Silk Kimono Robes!