How to Remove Stains from Silk and Cotton Sarees

Festivals and weddings mean food, haldi, mehendi and makeup – and sometimes a stain on your saree. Act quickly and gently.

Golden Rules

• Act fast – fresh stains are much easier to remove.
• Blot, don't rub – rubbing spreads the stain and damages fibres.
• Test first on a hidden corner, especially with natural dyes.
• Use cold water – hot water can set stains.

Cotton Sarees

• Food and curry: Scrape off excess, rinse from the back with cold water, then gently dab with mild liquid detergent.
• Oil: Sprinkle talcum powder or cornflour, leave for 30 minutes to absorb, brush off, then wash.
• Turmeric: Rinse with cold water and dab with mild detergent; drying in sunlight can help fade turmeric on light cottons (avoid for dark or natural-dye sarees).
• Sweat: Soak in cold water with a little mild detergent before washing.

Silk Sarees

• Blot spills immediately with a clean, dry white cloth.
• For water-based stains, dab gently with cold water on the reverse side.
• Avoid soaking, strong detergents, bleach and stain removers on silk.
• For oil, lipstick, haldi and mehendi stains on silk, take it to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible.

Zari and Embroidery

Never scrub zari. Dab carefully around it, or leave it to a dry cleaner.

What to Avoid

• Chlorine bleach on any handloom
• Ironing over a stain – heat sets it permanently
• Rubbing natural-dye sarees vigorously

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