How Often to Wash a Silk Bonnet (and When Weekly Isn't Enough)
Quick answer: Wash a silk bonnet about once a week if you wear it every night. Go to every 4 or 5 days if you use oils or leave-ins at bedtime, sweat in your sleep or are in a sticky summer stretch. If you wear it only a few nights a week, every two weeks is usually fine. Let smell and feel overrule the calendar.
Seven nights at seven or eight hours comes to about 50 hours a week against your scalp. Not much else you own can say that, apart from your hair.
Still, a bonnet tends to miss laundry day. It hangs on the bedpost looking perfectly clean, because the side that touches your hair is on the inside.
How often should you wash a silk bonnet?
About once a week if you wear it every night, the same rhythm we suggest for a silk pillowcase. Treat that as a rule of thumb. We know of no research on how often to wash a bonnet, so anyone giving you an exact number is estimating, including us. You want to wash often enough that oil and product don't build up in the lining, and no more than that, since every wash adds a little wear.
| How you wear it | Wash about every |
|---|---|
| Every night, little or no product | 7 days |
| Every night, with oils, creams or leave-ins | 4 to 5 days |
| Every night, in hot and humid weather or if you sweat in your sleep | 4 to 5 days |
| Every night in the cooler months, little or no product | 7 to 10 days |
| Two or three nights a week | 2 weeks |
What makes a bonnet need washing sooner?
What you put on your hair at night matters most. Oils, curl creams and leave-ins all transfer to the lining to some degree, and a routine with several layers gets there faster than bare hair. Sweat comes next. June through August on the humid Gulf Coast, with the AC losing the argument, a bonnet goes stale faster than it does in January with the heat on and the air dry.
A scalp condition changes the answer too. If you use a medicated scalp product or are being treated for flaking or irritation, ask your dermatologist how often to wash anything that touches your scalp.
How can you tell a bonnet needs washing?
Turn it inside out, then smell and feel the lining. One that's due smells of your hair products or your scalp, and the silk may feel tacky or show a darker patch where oil has collected at the crown or along the band. If you notice any of that, wash it, whatever day it is.
How do you wash a silk bonnet?
Hand wash it cold, or machine wash it on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag with mild detergent. Hang it or lay it flat to dry. Do not bleach it or tumble dry it.
Our guides cover which detergent counts as mild and how to machine wash silk safely, so two points particular to bonnets will do here. Turn it inside out first, so the lining gets the water. And plan for drying time: the Medium and Large are double-lined and hold water longer than a single layer of silk. Wash in the morning if you want it back on at bedtime. If summer has you washing twice a week, a second bonnet saves you from going to bed in damp silk.
Want a spare for wash day? See LS Silk bonnets →
Fifty hours a week is a lot to ask of a small piece of silk. A cold sink and ten minutes on a Sunday morning seem like a fair trade.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put a silk bonnet in the washing machine?
Yes. Use a gentle cycle, cold water, a mesh bag and a mild detergent, then hang it or lay it flat to dry. Hand washing a single bonnet takes only a few minutes and is the gentler choice if you have the time.
Can you wash a silk bonnet too often?
Daily washing isn't necessary, and because each wash adds a little wear, it can shorten the bonnet's life. If yours does need washing every couple of days, rotating two bonnets is easier on both. For most people, weekly is plenty.
What happens if you never wash a silk bonnet?
Oil, sweat and product keep building up in the lining. It can start to smell and feel tacky instead of smooth, and all of that sits against your hair and scalp every night. Left for months, buildup can also mark or yellow the silk.
Does washing ruin a silk bonnet?
Gentle washing won't ruin it. Heat, bleach and harsh detergents are what damage silk, including enzyme formulas. Over many washes any silk slowly loses a little sheen, which is normal.
Can you use shampoo to wash a silk bonnet?
A few drops of fragrance-free baby shampoo, well diluted, will do in a pinch. A pH-neutral detergent made for silk or wool is the better regular choice. Skip the fabric softener either way.
How long does a silk bonnet take to dry?
Silk usually air-dries in a few hours, and a double-lined bonnet can take longer than a single layer. Roll it in a clean towel to press out the water, then hang it or lay it flat out of direct sun. Don't speed it up with a hair dryer or a clothes dryer.
Related reading: The Silk Bonnet Guide · How to Put Your Hair in a Silk Bonnet · How to Remove Sweat, Deodorant or Makeup Stains from Silk