If you have ever hesitated to invest in silk bedding because you fear it is too delicate for everyday life, you are not alone. To demystify the process, we're sitting down with Marlon Lee, a second-generation dry cleaner and the force behind Ocean Dry Cleaning in San Francisco. Marlon has been refining his craft since 2000, and his family-run business has been a neighborhood staple since 1982.
In fact, Marlon’s expertise is so integral to KAILU’s process that he helps us write the care instructions on the KAILU labels you see on your Heritage Silk-filled Duvets, Open Road Portable Silk Throws, Silk Pillowcases, and more. Here, he shares why high-quality silk is more resilient than you think and how to handle everything from daily maintenance to "impossible" spills.
THE SCIENCE OF CLEAN
KAILU: You have been doing this for 26 years. When it comes to silk, what is the actual process you use to get silk-filled duvets and pure silks clean?
Marlon Lee: We clean both the silk duvets and pure silk fabric covers and pillowcases with organic compounds called hydrocarbon solvents. Think of it like hand sanitizer — with just a little bit of heat applied, it evaporates. This is safe for cleaning silks and prevents the "streaking" you often see after washing with water.
KAILU: You mentioned being impressed by the stain resistance of KAILU’s pure silks. What stood out from a cleaner's perspective?
ML: I was very impressed. Usually, it is very hard to remove oils from silk with water — water and oil just don’t mix. But when you showed me the silk pillowcase you had machine washed yourself, it had withstood the process and the oils, serums, and makeup were gone. That’s very different from the run-of-the-mill silk blouses we usually see, which often come in ruined with streaks after a home wash.
KAILU: What happens if someone tries to wash a silk-filled comforter in a standard washing machine?
ML: That’s where the trouble starts. If you wash a silk comforter, the additives in the detergent cause those silk fibers to clump up. Once they clump, it’s really hard to separate those fibers evenly again. We have customers bring in comforters they tried to clean themselves all the time, and we have to tell them there’s nothing we can do — it’s too painstaking to try and "re-fluff" fibers once they’ve bonded like that.
STAINS, SPILLS & SPECIAL CASES
KAILU: We once brought you a client’s silk-filled duvet with a cat stain that had been sitting for two months. How did you handle that?
ML: That was a very special case. To remove the smell of cat urine, I used an industrial vinegar treatment. We had to spot-clean it first, and then run it through the regular dry cleaning process to remove the impurities. It took about two weeks of work, but we got the smell out.
KAILU: Let’s say we just spilled a glass of red wine onto our silk-filled duvet…
ML: That’s no good! First, blot it, but don’t soak it. Sometimes when you rewet it, it bonds with the fabric even more. And then when it dries, you end up just driving it more and more into the fibers.
KAILU: Any other absolute “no-nos” for silk?
ML: Turmeric, curry, and red wine are the toughest. Also, hair dye is very bad because your hair is a protein, just like silk — so the chemical used to dye your hair is essentially dyeing the fabric. If you do spill something, blot it to soak up any liquid. You can use a little club soda or hydrogen peroxide to blot it too, but don’t soak it because the stain can dilute and spread. And then call me or your trusted cleaner to remove the impurities. If you rub it or use a wet cloth, it’s going to leave a ring.
SILK MAINTENANCE & NATIONWIDE CARE
KAILU: Does a silk duvet need to be cleaned as often as other fills like down?
ML: If you use a duvet cover, that is the only thing in contact with your skin. You really only need to clean the silk insert if there is a bad spill that seeps through. You can sun-freshen it—the UV rays will kill some bacteria—but don’t sun-freshen it for too long. If you leave it in the sun for hours, the sun can also accelerate yellowing if there are body oils on the fabric.
KAILU: We have clients across the country. How does it work when they send our duvets directly to you?
ML: It works very well. We’ve had people send items from all over. It helps if they include a bit of detail to let us know where the trouble spots are and exactly what happened, like how long a stain has been on there.
KAILU: People often assume cleaning a luxury duvet is a major expense. What is the typical range for a professional silk cleaning service?
ML: We try to keep it very reasonable. For a silk duvet, it usually starts at around $50, depending on the size — it rarely hits the $100 mark, even for a Cal King. We base it on the machine’s capacity, so it's a very straightforward cost for the customer.
KAILU: You’ve been at this since 2000. Did your parents teach you these specific techniques?
ML: My mom and dad started this in 1982, but no, it’s been more trial and error over the years from working here and down at the plant. We see hundreds of down comforters, but silk is different. We’re realistic with people — if we don’t think we can remove a stain, we’ll tell them so they don't waste their money.
EXPERT CARE FOR YOUR SILK
If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can visit Marlon and his team in person. For our clients across the country, we can coordinate the logistics to ensure your bedding is handled with expert care. Reach out to us at KAILU, and we will help facilitate the shipping details directly.
Ocean Dry Cleaning
2030 Ocean Ave
San Francisco, CA 94127
(415) 334-3332
QUICK CARE SUMMARY:
• The Golden Rule: Never put your silk-filled comforter in a home washing machine; the agitation and detergents will cause the fibers to clump permanently.
• The Safe Approach: Professional dry cleaning using hydrocarbon solvents preserves the "liquid" hand-feel and prevents streaking on dark colors.
• Emergency Spills: Blot (don't rub!) with a clean cloth and a touch of club soda or hydrogen peroxide, then get it to a professional as soon as possible.
• Freshness: Use a high-quality duvet cover and occasionally "sun freshen" your silk insert to let the UV rays naturally sanitize the fibers.
