A handloom saree rewards a little care, and asks for surprisingly little in return. Cotton kasavu is a living cloth — it softens with wear, drapes better after a wash or two, and can last for years if you treat it gently. Here is how we look after ours.
Draping starts with the fall of the cloth, not the pins. A crisp cotton saree holds its pleats well, so take a moment to make them even and of equal width; the neat stack of pleats at the front is where a kasavu saree looks its best. Let the border do the work — a well-set pallu that shows the gold to full length is worth more than any amount of ornament. If the cotton feels stiff when new, a first wear will begin to relax it.
Give a new saree its first clean at the dry-cleaner. The initial wash is when loose dye is most likely to run and when zari is most vulnerable, and a professional first clean sets the colour and protects the gold. After that, gentle hand-washing at home is kinder to handloom than any machine.
Wash by hand in cool water with a mild detergent — never a harsh one, and never bleach, which will eat the zari. Don’t wring or scrub; press the water through the cloth and let it drain. Wash a coloured saree on its own the first few times, in case any dye still lifts, and keep the kasavu border away from prolonged soaking.
Dry in the shade, never in direct sun. Strong sunlight fades natural dyes, dulls the gold, and can weaken fine cotton over time. Hang the saree in an airy, shaded spot, or lay it flat, and let it dry slowly rather than baking it dry.
Store it folded in a cotton or muslin wrap, not plastic — the cloth needs to breathe, and trapped moisture invites mildew and tarnishes zari. Keep it away from direct light and damp. A few cloves or a neem leaf tucked into the fold is the old, effective way to keep insects off without chemicals.
Finally, refold it every so often along different lines. A saree left folded the same way for months will weaken and eventually split along the creases — and the border is where zari cracks first. Shifting the folds now and then spreads the wear, and your saree will thank you for it years from now.