Cleaning Matthews artificial silk?

[Nathan DuMoulin]

I did a solo shoot awhile back with a Matthews artificial silk on an 8x8ft butterfly frame. High winds were a problem, which resulted in the silk becoming rather dirty. I packed it up after the shoot and flew home, only to store it and forget about it entirely. After neglecting it for months, I figure it's best that I clean it before taking it to an upcoming shoot.

Any recommendations on the best way to go about this without damaging it? There's actual mud spots on part of it, which I'm hoping aren't stains.

Thanks!

 

[Mark Phelan]

From Matthews:

CLEANING GUIDE FOR FABRICS,
BUTTERFLYS & OVERHEADS
Due to the incompatibility of the various fiber
contents of the Butterfly and Overhead materials,
Matthews recommends that they be washed in
cold water with mild detergent, and blocked dry
on the proper frame to prevent shrinkage. Be
sure they are dry before placing in a storage bag.
After cleaning, flame retardants may have been
removed.
NOTE: Matthews has had success with this
cleaning procedure; however, we will not be held
responsible for the results.

pdf:http://www.msegrip.com/MSE_Catalog_41_TextilesCh12.pdf

 

[Nathan DuMoulin]

Thanks a ton!

Any idea what "blocked dry" means?

 

[Mark Phelan]

Putting it onto the frame to dry so it doesn't shrink out of shape, i.e. keeping it square. Otherwise, fabric might have a tendency to shrink in one direction, i.e. grain direction. Not always, but possible with some fabrics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_(textile_arts)

Depending on how dirty the fabric is, you should get good enough results using Woolite and cold water in a large sink/tub. A good washing machine set on delicate should also do fine. Just don't stick it into the dryer, let it dry on the frame as per Matthews instructions.

 

[Nathan DuMoulin]

Thanks again Mark. Hugely helpful and thorough.