Guide
How to wash silk
Silk is washable. It asks for cool water, a gentle cycle and patience while it dries.
The short method
Turn the pillowcase inside out and close the zipper. Put silk in a mesh laundry bag. Wash it cool, on the delicate cycle, with a mild detergent. Lift it out and let it dry flat or on a line, out of direct sun.
By hand it takes a few minutes: cool water, a drop of mild shampoo, a gentle squeeze and a rinse.
Bag it
Close zippers and put the silk in a mesh laundry bag.
Wash it cool
Delicate cycle, cool water, mild detergent.
Dry it in the air
Flat or on a line, away from sun and heat.
What Alaska Bear says for each product
Care lines differ by model. The foam masks go in a machine. Most silk goes in a machine too, in a bag, and one silk mask asks for a hand wash.
| Product | Care line in its description |
|---|---|
| Silk Mask with Shaped Pad | Machine washable |
| Two-Strap Silk Mask | Hand wash cool, or machine wash delicate in a laundry bag |
| Silk Headband Mask | Hand wash, or gentle cycle in a lingerie bag |
| Silk Contour Mask | Hand wash in cool water with mild soap |
| Deep-Cup Contoured Mask | Machine washable |
| Side Sleeper Mask | Machine washable on delicate, in a laundry bag |
| Pull-On Band Mask | Machine washable |
| Bluetooth Headphone Mask | Remove the speakers and control module, then wash the band |
| Cotton and Bamboo Masks, Pack of Three | Machine washable on delicate, in a laundry bag |
| Zipper Silk Pillowcase | Machine washable |
| Envelope Silk Pillowcase | Machine washable |
| Heavyweight Envelope Pillowcase | Machine washable |
What a care label tells you
On clothing sold in the United States, a care label has to say how to wash and how to dry the item. When your product carries a label, the label wins over any general advice.
“The label must say whether the product should be washed by hand or machine, and give a water temperature setting if regular use of hot water will harm the product.”
“The label must say whether the product should be dried by machine or another method.”
Questions
In short
Can you put a silk pillowcase in the dryer?
It is safer not to. Heat is hard on silk, so let the pillowcase dry in the air. Alaska Bear describes its 4 silk pillowcases as machine washable, which covers the wash and not a hot dryer.
What detergent should you use on silk?
Use a mild, neutral detergent. Alaska Bear also suggests ordinary shampoo for hand washing 1 of its silk masks in cool water.
Sources
- Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule | Federal Trade Commissionread 9 October 2026 · Federal Trade Commission
General information for shoppers, not medical advice. If poor sleep keeps coming back, talk to your doctor.
Keep reading
More guides
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Shape, strap and fabric: three choices that decide whether a mask stays on your face.
Silk momme explained
What 19, 22 and 25 momme mean, and how to read the fiber label on a silk pillowcase.
Falling asleep to audio
Podcasts and white noise in bed: how loud is too loud, and what a headphone sleep mask changes.