If you own a Bandhani Saree or lehenga or dupatta in your closet, you are harbouring a priceless asset. Bandhani is a popular artwork among Gujaratis and Rajasthanis that are now equally popular among people from all over the country and abroad.

• The unique tie-and-dye form makes these products a highly coveted art form.
• The process involves human craftsmanship that adds to the glory of each piece.

The manufacturers will pluck the cloth using fingernails and make tiny bindings forming some figurative designs.

Preserve your assets

Women all across the globe are aware of this intricate art form. In fact, the bandhani artwork represents a quintessential aspect of artistically-rich Indian cultural families. The price of the Bandhani Lehengas and other forms of bandhani artwork is quite high.

And so, this piece of art will definitely call for some extra care and special attention. You just can’t wear a bandhani form saree and keep it in a dishevelled manner inside the wardrobe. Follow these tips to keep your bandhani pieces of fabric in the best state for a long time.

If you are the proud owner of a Bandhani piece of art, this article will surely be of great help.

Tip #1: Ironing guide

Most of you wear bandhani garments occasionally. Naturally, you won’t start washing the product after wearing it for once, unless it is too dirty.

You can iron the saree or the Bandhani Suit to keep it in good condition until you wear it the next time.

When it is a bandhani piece, steam pressing is mandatory. The fabric can suffer from irreparable damage if you try to iron the product directly. Also, the prints will start to fade off sooner if you choose to apply the heat directly to the fabric,

The very beauty of any bandhani garment lies in the innovative Tie-and-Dye patterns. So, that’s the last thing that you can afford to damage. Hence, steam ironing is the only shot at keeping the saree or suit or lehenga in the best shape until the next time.

Tip #2: Temperature of water for washing

Clothes will get dirty eventually if you wear the cloth more than once. The bandhani fabrics are also no exception. So, you have to wash them.

• Always use cold water when you are about to wash Bandhani Dupattas that have warm colour use.
• When the Bandhani is light-coloured, you have to use warm water for washing.

If you can maintain the right temperature of the water, the fabric will stay in good condition for a longer period.

Tip #3: Prefer dry cleaning

Most Bandhani fabrics come with the instruction to dry wash them. If your saree has no such instruction, you can hand wash maintaining the above guidelines. But if the Bandhani Lehengas are very heavy with intricate designs and are highly expensive, prefer dry washing even if there is no instruction.

Follow the rules

Besides the above tips, you need to maintain things like

• Avoid drying the fabric facing the sun directly
• Using fabric conditioner if you use a dryer to dry the piece.

Take good care and the bandhani fabric will be nothing less valuable than a family heirloom.

Peter K. Strickler