How to care for thread and fabric bangles so they last for years
Handmade thread and fabric bangles are delicate in a few specific ways. Six simple habits keep the colours bright, the zari shining and the mirrors in place.
Thread and fabric bangles are made to be worn – at weddings, at Eid, on an ordinary Tuesday. With a little care they keep their colour and shape for years. Most damage comes from just three things: water, perfume and friction.
1. Put them on last, take them off first
Finish your makeup, hair spray and perfume before you put your bangles on. Sprays and creams can stain silk thread and dull the shine of zari (metallic thread). At the end of the day, take your bangles off before washing your face or hands.
2. Keep them away from water
Thread and fabric are wrapped by hand over a base, often with a little glue to hold the ends. Water can loosen the wrapping, make colours bleed and leave marks. Take them off before bathing, washing dishes or doing ablution (wudu), and avoid wearing them in heavy rain.
3. If they get wet or dirty
- Pat them dry straight away with a soft cotton cloth – do not rub.
- Let them air-dry flat, away from direct sun.
- For a small mark, dab gently with a barely damp cloth. Never soak or machine-wash them.
4. Store them in a set, not in a pile
Bangles thrown loose into a drawer rub against each other, which frays thread and can loosen mirrors and stones. Keep each set together – stacked on a bangle stand, a cardboard tube or in a soft pouch. A dry box with a small silica packet helps during the monsoon, when humidity is high.
5. Wear heavier sets on the outside
If you mix sets with mirror work, ghungroo (small bells) or kundan stones, put the heaviest bangles at the ends of the stack. That way the decorated pieces knock against fewer neighbours.
6. Mind the sun
Natural dyes and bright silk thread can fade if left in strong sunlight for long. Store your bangles in a closed box, not on a sunny windowsill or dressing table.
A quick rule: if you would not get your silk saree wet or spray perfume on it, do not do it to your bangles either.
A loose thread or a missing mirror?
Do not pull a loose thread – that can unwind more of the wrap. Tuck it back with a pin and a tiny dot of fabric glue, or message us a photo. You can find our policy on the warranty and exchange page.
