Expert Tips: Caring for Your Patola Saree to Ensure Longevity and Preservation

Introduction

There are few garments in the world that produce as much awe and love as the Patola saree of Gujarat. It is natural that such a precious garment needs a certain level of care, for its long term preservation. In this article, we have listed out a number of ways that can be a useful guide in the maintenance of your Patola sarees. 

How to properly care for patola sarees?

While we understand the urge to never take off a Patola saree after wearing it, the garment needs to be taken care of and here are some guidelines to follow for its care:

1. After you are done wearing the saree, leave it to dry in the shade for a few hours.  
2. Expensive silk sarees are not washed that often but it is not completely avoidable either. It is better to wash the saree in cold water with a mild detergent or a gentle soap. 
3. Avoid wringing or twisting the saree after washing it and simply put it to dry. It is alright if that takes longer but it is important for the preservation of the saree. 
4. Wrap the saree in cotton or muslin when storing them. Also, don’t try to make the folds too harsh. This could negatively affect the fabric and even the dyes, which are on the surface and not embedded into the fabric. 
5. Once in a while, change the folds of the saree. Keeping the saree folded just one way for too long may make it lose its shape. 
6. When wearing the saree, try not to spray perfume on it directly. That would harm the fabric and the dyes on it. 
7. When ironing the saree, use a setting on the lowest temperature so as to not damage the fabric or the colours. 
8. Do not attach too many pins to the fabric. You don’t want to pull the threads out. 
9. Finally, be careful of how you accessorise the saree. You don’t want the saree getting caught in your bangles and necklaces and the frayed threads sticking out, destroying months of work put in by the artisans. 

Understanding the Patola Saree Fabric

• The Patola saree is made by a technique known as the double ikat. After an extensive process that takes 6-7 months, we have a fabric that looks the same on both sides. This is one of the most special features of the patola sarees and perhaps the one that gave it its reputation of being designed by the Gods. 
• First of all the threads are tightly wound together and then dyes. This creates a plain and colourful pattern on the same thread. 
• This process is repeated as many times as the final design requires and the threads are then brought together into the weave. 
• The loom used is tilted to one side and operated by two people in tandem. 
• This is a work requiring great precision and patience. Even the tiniest mistake can throw off the design of the entire saree and affect months of hard work. 
• A Patola saree comes  with a multitude of patterns and designs on it, ranging from birds and flowers to human figures. Each design requires its own technique of dyeing and that is just one of the many things that makes this such a unique and time taking process. 

Quick DIYs and Stain Removal

As much as we love and care for our Patola silk sarees, sometimes, we are just not that lucky and an unwanted stain gets on it unknowingly. Maybe a playful child knocked over some tea on it or a careless waiter accidentally spilled some juice on your beloved saree. Perhaps even you were caught up in the moment and didn’t see a piece of the food fall on your saree. 

But don’t worry. There are ways to get the stains out and maintain the unblemished grandeur of the Patola garment. 

• Do not use a harsh detergent or a brush to get the stain out. 
• There are specific liquid soaps available in the market that are specifically for silk garments. Whether your saree is silk or not, use this soap to preserve the colours of the cloth. 
• Do not use lemon or baking soda on the stain. 
• For an especially stubborn stain, it may not come out in the first wash. Don’t worry. You can always wash it a few more times, until the stain gets out. But under no circumstances must you use harsh soaps or techniques.
• Pre-soak the stain in water or a solution made with a gentle soap. If you are in a pinch, your shampoo is a good alternative. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.Can I iron my Patola saree?

Yes you can but you should use the lowest setting on the iron. However, it would be ideal if you could use a steam iron on it instead of a regular one. 

2.What should I do if my saree gets wet in the rain?

If your saree gets wet in the rain, rinse it in some clean water (no soap) at home and then put it out to dry. 

3.How often should I dry-clean my Patola saree?”

Dry clean your Patola sarees after every two or three uses. That is a good number to maintain for the hygiene and preservation of your sarees. 

Conclusion

The Patola sarees have been revered across countries as the garments of Gods. We may not hold the same beliefs now but that doesn’t change how invaluable they are. 

King Kumarapala used to wear the Patola garment while offering his daily prayers. Such was the King’s love for the Patola art that he wore a different Patola garment every day, never repeating them even once. It also shows how prolific the Patola garment production must have been since it takes anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to make them. 

Take care of the pure patola saree properly and you have a priceless treasure for life. Be careless with it and it is nothing short of a sin committed against the hours of labour put in by the craftsmen into making your saree. But preserving them should be an easy enough task with the help of the tips and tricks presented in this article.