Silk is famous for its silky feel and beautiful luster, but most people may forget its special feature-smell. Silk items are not always odorless; they often have a light perfume or a stinky smell. Why does silk smell? There are several reasons.
1. The smell of silk itself
Silk itself has a certain smell. This can be credited mainly to the leftover pupal secretions in the cocoon and the minute volatile materials present in the silk protein itself. New fresh cocoons will have a faint, sweet perfume-like odor, which is inherent to silk. The odor is very weak and is most often not perceivable unless you put your nose right above the cocoon or raw silk. Different species of silkworms, such as Mulberry and Quercus serrata, may have a slightly different odor. Mulberry silk has a lighter odor, whereas other silks may have a faint earthy odor. This natural odor is usually masked or minimized in silk textiles, but some high-quality silk products, especially after minimal processing, may still retain a whiff of this faint natural odor.
2. Influence of the reeling process
The reeling process has a great impact on the final odour of silk. In the traditional reeling process, cocoons have to go through a series of treatments such as boiling and cleaning. Such treatments will remove a portion of the silkworm pupal secretions and contaminants, which will have an effect on the odour of the silk. If the boiling is insufficient, the residual substances may impart an odor to the silk, or a moldy smell. On the other hand, if the cooking is excessive, it will rupture the silk protein structure, compromising the quality and texture of the silk. Fine reeling process is therefore the key to ensure that the silk is of good odor and quality. With more than 20 years of experience in silk scarf manufacturing, Hcy silk pays a lot of attention to its reeling process in order to ensure that all products have good odor and quality.
3. Effect of dyeing and finishing processes
Both dyeing and finishing processes also affect the odor of silk. Certain components of dyes and finishing agents are left behind in the silk fibers, thus affecting its odor. There are dyes with their own strong fragrances, and if not taken care of, can cause silk to hold an odor. Similarly, certain finishes such as wrinkle inhibitors and softeners can cause some odor residue too. Therefore, it is necessary to choose environmentally friendly dyes and finishes with low irritants. High-quality silk products usually adopt eco-friendly finishing and dyeing methods to lower residue formation so as to ensure the silk does not have an unnatural and fresh smell. Hcy's silk products are all made from environmentally friendly dyes that are uniformly colored and adequately finished to avert any odors being created.
4. Storage environment influence
The storage conditions also significantly affect the smell of silk. If there is improper storage, for example, laid in a humid and ventilated place, it is simple to cultivate mold and mildew, creating a mildewy smell. Besides, certain foreign smells like mothballs' smell can also be absorbed by silk.
Therefore, silk products should be stored in a dry, ventilated and cool environment, avoiding direct sunlight and humidity. Hcy's silk products are packaged separately in PP bags to avoid moisture and mold, so customers can receive the products in new condition.
5. Differences between types of silk products
Different pieces of wooden furniture can have slightly different textures. Wooden dining tables, wooden bookshelves, and wooden chairs, for instance, can have slightly different textures based on the different use contexts and surface finishing processes to which they are subjected. Wooden chests, for instance, may have a very dominant rough texture or a very slight grainy texture relative to wooden panels based on the wood type used to construct them and how they are constructed.
Types of silk products Possible odors
Silk scarf: Light natural silk odor, or slightly different depending on dyeing and finishing treatment
Silk pajamas: Extremely light natural silk odor, or faint hint of laundry detergent or fabric softener
Silk bed linens: Lighter, perhaps with faint laundry detergent or fabric softener odor.
Silk comforters: may have a more pungent natural silk odor, or faint herbal note.
Conclusion
Overall, the scent of silk is a multifaceted problem, which is influenced by numerous variables including the silk itself, reeling process, dyeing and finishing process, and storage environment. Good quality silk products normally have a faint, fresh natural smell, but poor quality silk products can be smelly. The right choice of high quality silk item and storage of the same in a proper way will provide the highest chance for it to possess a good odor. The consumer also needs to exercise extra care in choosing supplier, choose those which have very high standards and strict requirements for their products and avoid purchasing foul-smelling silk products.