How To Preserve Your Handloom Saree And Savor It To The Next Generation?

Indian attires have a unique place in the pages of history. Some antique and rare weaves like Paithini or Patan Patola are some of the sarees designs that beautify the almirah. This kind of rare weaves needs to be taken care of and preserved for a long time to the generations to come.

Many of us might have already been aware of the main points that are to be remembered in order to keep our clothes in good looking conditions. The Indian handloom industry, the artisan, and the craftsmen have spent their precious time, effort, and also the money to make the saree look extraordinary. They are the ones who make such gorgeous six-yard drape for women out there to adorn the Indian beauty.

The handloom sarees especially the quality sarees like Paithini saree, Kanjeevaram saree, Patola saree, Chanderi cloth, Pat Silk saree, Kalamkari (also called Banarasi saree), needs to be preserved with great care. These sarees need a great amount of care and must be handled with the utmost tenderness.

Imagine if you attend a wedding and while eating you drop food on it. That small single oil stain on the palla makes your heart cry when it doesn't wash off. Most people might have noticed that when you keep Chanderi in folds it starts tearing along the folds. This happens when you keep the saree folded for a longer period of time and do not take proper care of it.

One of the easiest ways to prevent damage to your saree is to go for dry cleaning. Dry cleaning is something that usually all women prefer to preserve their expensive sarees. But, this was not the same case for our mothers and grandmothers.

In the time when there was an absence of dry cleaning, they preserved the saree by simply washing it. It was just simple washing methods that made the cloth remained intact for many decades. Strange right?

By researching the methods that our grandmothers used for washing, we finally came up with the correct method which they used. They simply used to soak the handloom saree in salt water for some time. Do not soak it overnight. After this, they used to rinse it a couple of times in cold water. They used a mild detergent for the saree to wash it. This is the same rule which is applied by the artisan and also the same rule follows while shampooing our hair.

PRECAUTIONS

• Detergent needs to be washed off immediately and with the utmost care.
• Always use cold water and not hot water.
• The use of a brush is also prohibited in handloom sarees.
• After washing the saree never bundle it up like an ordinary cloth or like a towel.
• Avoid washing the handloom saree in a washing machine.

REMOVE 'ZIDDI' STAINS WITH EASE

Some stains are really heart-breaking and seem like they will take away all your efforts in vain. In case you get a stain from a cold drink or curry, just rush straight to the parking area. One should dip a piece of small cloth or maybe a handkerchief into the petrol box. With a light hand just try to wipe off the stain and you will definitely see that petrol acts like magic.

If you are in an area where petrol is not easily available to your hand, then go for powder. For the stains of food, a good old talcum powder might help you in getting rid of these stains. Talcum powder helps a lot in case of oily stains. Simply dab talcum powder on the stained area and let the powder soak the oil. After this, just wash off your saree.

QUICK TIPS FOR PRESERVING YOUR SPECIAL SAREE

Any expensive handloom saree may it be a Kanjeevaram or a beautiful Banarasi saree, needs to be stored with great care. Following are some of the quick small tips that need to be taken for increasing the longevity of your lovely saree.

• First and foremost of all you need to make sure that your saree is completely dry before storage. This is ensured since a small amount of moisture can damage all the fabric and your saree.
• You must always allow the saree to breathe and not put it in a place that is damp (slightly wet area). Avoid the storage of your handloom saree from fading by simply storing it in a dark and dry place.
• You should fold the saree in a way that the zari is on the inside, so it doesn't lose its sheen. And yes, every time you air it, also make sure to change the fold lines, as fabrics (especially ones with woven zari in them) tend to become brittle/weak along these lines over time.
• Always try to keep handloom clothes on a shelf that is away from your daily-wear clothes.
• To save them from unnecessary pests, use natural neem leaves and not naphthalene balls.
• While hanging the handloom saree make sure not to put them on metal hangers. Always use hangers made up of wood or even plastic might work (but strictly not metal).
• If you are in love with your saree and never want them to be torn apart, then the best thing to do is change the crease of the saree regularly. You should always change the folds of the saree once every 3-4 months.
• Investing in saree bags is also a good way to preserve your saree. The bag should be of a soft cloth that protects the costly saree.
• They should be stored in a skin that breathes, which is why muslin or even old dhotis are ideal.
• One small thing that every woman should note down is that makeup might also stain your valuable saree. In case you have to wear a saree before makeup, then don't forget to put a towel on the chest.
• You should always apply perfume to your skin. Never apply it directly on the handloom saree.
• Try not to wash the handloom sarees after every wear. Just dry them completely and it will work great.
• A stitch in time saves nine-adhere to this for your sarees. If you see any kind of tear then fix it immediately as it might ruin all your saree.

These were some of the ways to preserve your beautiful and expensive handloom saree for generations to come. It may seem to be pretty cumbersome to read all these instruction manual type preservation tips but trust me your precious handloom saree is no less than jewelry.

Once taken good care of, it would yield its value in the happy faces of your next generation.

Happy Caring!!