# Cleaning Silk Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-silk-question/240619>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 18, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-silk-question/240619 "2004-04-18T02:46:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-silk-question/240619/1 "2004-04-18T02:46:30Z")

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One thing leads to another:

- Ill cat;

- Loss of Bowel control;

- Silk rug.

Does anyone know how to get un unpleasant, albeit organic, stain (or 2) out of our silk rug?

Thoughts much appreciated.

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**Author:** ![Cobalt\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Cobalt\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cobalt_Blue)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-silk-question/240619/2 "2004-04-18T14:22:25Z")

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> [@sevastopol](#):
>
> Does anyone know how to get un unpleasant, albeit organic, stain (or 2) out of our silk rug?

If the rug is an antique or otherwise valuable, you might want to invest in getting a professional to do the job. Silk can be finicky, especially if it has been minimally processed before weaving.

Do-it-yourself-wise, a mild shampoo or neutral glycerine soap is a good cleanser for silk (and other protein fibres). Dampen the stain, work in a small amount of suds, and clean from the outer margins toward the center to avoid spreading. Try to avoid wetting through to the backing if possible.

If the area is white or off-white, some bleaching on silk can be done with hydrogen peroxide. Start with drugstore 3% concentration and work up to the commercial 40% dilution as necessary.