How to Store a Silk Saree So It Survives Six Days and Twenty Years

A Katan Banarasi is bought to last decades. Most do not, and almost none of the damage happens while it is being worn.

The four things that ruin a silk saree

1. Folded on the same lines for years. Silk fibres break along a permanent crease and the zari cracks. Refold every saree along different lines once a year. This one habit does more than everything else here combined.
2. Plastic. Polythene traps moisture, and in Indian humidity that means mildew and yellowing on the zari. Wrap in cotton or muslin. Never store silk in a plastic cover, however clean it looks.
3. Hanging. A heavy silk saree on a hanger stretches under its own weight and never recovers. Fold and lay flat.
4. Naphthalene against the fabric. Mothballs discolour zari on contact. Keep neem leaves or cloves in the cupboard instead, wrapped in a scrap of cloth and not touching the saree.

Through the six days specifically

You will wear it, sweat in it, and put it away that night. Do not.

• Air it for a few hours in shade before folding, never in direct sun — sunlight fades silk fast and unevenly.
• Blot a stain, do not rub. Rubbing spreads it and lifts the zari.
• Do not spray perfume on it. Alcohol marks silk permanently. Perfume goes on before the saree.
• Deodorant stains are the commonest damage of the week. Let it dry fully before dressing.

Dry cleaning

Once a season, not after every wear. Over-cleaning is as damaging as never cleaning. Tell the cleaner it is real zari — the process differs and a general clean will dull it.

By fabric

• Katan and Banarasi — the fussiest. All four rules apply strictly.
• Tussar — more forgiving, tolerates a light steam, still hates plastic.
• Cotton and linen — washable at home, and gets better with washing.
• Organza — creases along hard folds permanently. Roll it rather than folding.

If you are about to spend real money on one, the Katan guide covers what you are buying, and the six-day plan covers when to wear it.