Washing a handloom cotton without ruining it

A handloom cotton gets better for about ten washes and then stays there for years - if the first three are done properly.

The first three washes

Cold water, mild liquid detergent, by hand, and on its own. Natural dyes - indigo, madder, turmeric - release some colour at first. Washing separately protects everything else in the bucket, and the bleeding settles after the third wash.

Never

• Hot water. It sets creases and shrinks the weave unevenly.
• Bleach or any detergent with optical brighteners. They strip natural dye.
• Wringing. Press the water out between your palms or roll the saree in a towel.
• Direct sun. It fades natural dye faster than anything else.

Starch

Rice starch, thin, on a damp saree, is what gives a new cotton its crispness. Make it from the water you drain off cooked rice, dilute it until it is barely cloudy, dip, and dry in shade.

Ironing

Iron while slightly damp, on the reverse. A completely dry handloom cotton takes far more heat to flatten, and heat is what kills the yarn.