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How to Clean and Care for a Silk Tie Download Article Tips to keep your silk tie crisp, clean, and stain-free Co-authored by Jeimy Flournoy
Last Updated: May 10, 2025 References
Download Article
Removing Simple Stains
|
Getting Rid of Stubborn Stains
|
Keeping Your Silk Tie Clean
|
Expert Interview
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Jeimy Flournoy. Jeimy Flournoy is a Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert based in Capital Heights, Maryland. Jeimy is the Founder of Salon 809 and 809 Laundromat, which offers self-service, drop-off, and commercial laundry services. 809 Laundromat prioritizes cleanliness and providing exceptional customer service, and is passionate about giving back and making a positive impact. They have garnered over 5,500 customers and 125,000 cleans in their first year open. Jeimy is a dynamic entrepreneur with a diverse portfolio. Jeimy opened the second location of Salon 809 in 2019 and successfully franchised the brand. In 2023, she further diversified her entrepreneurial pursuits by launching the 809 Laundromat. This article has been viewed 68,146 times.
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.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Removing Simple Stains
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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]XResearch source
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]XResearch source
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]XResearch source
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]XResearch source
You can also use a hand dryer if you’re out and about.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Getting Rid of Stubborn Stains
Download Article
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]XResearch source
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]XResearch source
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.[7]X Expert Source Jeimy FlournoyLaundry & Dry Cleaning ExpertExpert Interview Dry with a hair dryer or bathroom hand dryer, then treat the spot with stain remover if any color remains.[8]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Keeping Your Silk Tie Clean
Download Article
1 Spray on a fabric protector. Carefully read the instructions and make sure it’s safe to use on silk.[9]XResearch 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. [10]XResearch source
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.[11]XResearch source
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.
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about laundering clothes, check out our in-depth interview with Jeimy Flournoy.
Co-authored by: Jeimy Flournoy Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert This article was co-authored by Jeimy Flournoy. Jeimy Flournoy is a Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert based in Capital Heights, Maryland. Jeimy is the Founder of Salon 809 and 809 Laundromat, which offers self-service, drop-off, and commercial laundry services. 809 Laundromat prioritizes cleanliness and providing exceptional customer service, and is passionate about giving back and making a positive impact. They have garnered over 5,500 customers and 125,000 cleans in their first year open. Jeimy is a dynamic entrepreneur with a diverse portfolio. Jeimy opened the second location of Salon 809 in 2019 and successfully franchised the brand. In 2023, she further diversified her entrepreneurial pursuits by launching the 809 Laundromat. This article has been viewed 68,146 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 12Updated: May 10, 2025 Views: 68,146 Categories: Featured Articles | TiesArticle SummaryX
To clean a silk tie, start by scraping off any spilled food with a butter knife, then dipping a napkin into water or club soda and blotting the leftover stain. You could also try drying it with a hair dryer to prevent the stain from setting. For grease stains, pat out the grease with a napkin, put a large pile of cornstarch on the stain, and allow it to sit for 24 hours. In order to remove red wine stains, put a pile of salt on the stain and let it sit for 1 hour, then treat any leftover stains with a stain remover made for silk. For more tips, like how to hand wash a silk tie, read on!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Jeimy Flournoy Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert Co-authors: 12Updated: May 10, 2025 Views: 68,146100% of readers found this article helpful. 4 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote
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Download Article Tips to keep your silk tie crisp, clean, and stain-free Co-authored by Jeimy Flournoy 
How to Get Stains Out of Satin 
The Best Way to Clean Your Satin Shoes 
How to Remove Soy Sauce Stains from Colored & White Clothing 
Advertisement 
Co-authored by: Jeimy Flournoy Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert This article was co-authored by Jeimy Flournoy. Jeimy Flournoy is a Laundry & Dry Cleaning Expert based in Capital Heights, Maryland. Jeimy is the Founder of Salon 809 and 809 Laundromat, which offers self-service, drop-off, and commercial laundry services. 809 Laundromat prioritizes cleanliness and providing exceptional customer service, and is passionate about giving back and making a positive impact. They have garnered over 5,500 customers and 125,000 cleans in their first year open. Jeimy is a dynamic entrepreneur with a diverse portfolio. Jeimy opened the second location of Salon 809 in 2019 and successfully franchised the brand. In 2023, she further diversified her entrepreneurial pursuits by launching the 809 Laundromat. This article has been viewed 68,146 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 12 Updated: May 10, 2025 Views: 68,146 Categories: Featured Articles | Ties Article SummaryX
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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] 
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] 
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] 
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] 
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] 
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] 
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.[7] Dry with a hair dryer or bathroom hand dryer, then treat the spot with stain remover if any color remains.[8] Advertisement 
1 Spray on a fabric protector. Carefully read the instructions and make sure it’s safe to use on silk.[9] 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. [10] 
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.[11] 
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. Advertisement