Silk is one of the oldest known textile fibres and, according to Chinese tradition, was used as long ago as the 27th century BC. The silkworm moth was originally a native of China, and for about 30 centuries the gathering and weaving of silk was a secret process, known only to the Chinese. The Chinese are believed to have built up a lucrative trade with the West from the days of the Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC. With the spread of Islam, the silkworm came to Sicily and Spain. Although silk is a rather strong fiber, it may be weakened by various factors, such as sunlight, perspiration and deodorants. So silk care products play a prominent part in extending silk garment's service life. There exist certain ways of silk products' treatment. The advent of synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester, which are stronger than silk and lower in price, but do not possess the same quality, has caused a tremendous reduction in silk production and consumption. Silk is still used for clothing, including lightweight suits, coats and trousers, jackets, shirts and ties, dresses, underwear, and gloves. Silk is also used in lace, household fabrics, and handbags. Different silk garments require different silk care products: some should be dry cleaned while others should be handwashed. There are several factors in silk washing, that influence garment's cleaning. They are the dye, the garment style, finish and construction. It is advisable to follow care instructions indicated on the garment label. You shouldn't overwear a silk dress before its cleaning. A garment shield can prevents your dress from soiling. It is worthy of noting that deodorants and perspiration contain chloride salts which are able to weaken silk fibers. Salts as well as staining can cause fabric splitting in underarms area. Certain silk dyes can be easily damaged by perspiration. If something is spilled on your silk clothes, never put water on the spot because it may cause a stain or a permanent cercle. Even if the garment is washable, don't wash it but take it to the dry cleaner. It is advisable to inform professional cleaner of what exactly you have spilled, of how long ago and to show where the stain is. All these details are important because the stain's duration and its origin determine handling of the garment in cleaning shop; various spotting procedures and silk care products depend on timely and specific information. Manufacturers advise to treat washable items very carefully, taking into consideration instructions on the label. Never wash stained silk garment yourself. Here are some tips for silk washing, silk drying and treating in general. You may use mild soap as one of silk care products. Alkaline detergents which are rather strong may weaken silk. Because dyes can bleed you'd better wash every garment separately. You should be very careful with wet silk because it is weaker when wet. In order to remove moisture from silk after rinsing, roll the dress in a clean towel. Chlorine bleach and presoak products cannot be used as silk care products, because both of them can easily damage the textile.