Certain pre-wash techniques have made certain washable. Raw silk, china silk, India silk, crepe de chine, Pongee, Shantung, tussar, dupion and jacquard silks are safer to wash. After washing, one should roll in a towel to remove the excess moisture, and then hang on to dry on a padded hanger.

Stained silk sarees should be dry-cleaned as soon as possible. Dyes and sizings tend to discolour with moisture. Therefore attempting to remove stains with water is not recommended without first testing the silk for colour fastness. It is difficult to remove a concentrated food or beverage stain. Scrubbing or pressing could ruin the fabric.