How to care for your hanbok.
Hanbok is built to be passed down. The care is simple if you know the rules, and forgiving if you slip once. This is what we tell every customer at delivery.
The first night home.
When you first bring a hanbok home, do not fold it into a drawer. Hang it on a wide shoulder hanger for the first 24 hours so the fabric relaxes from packing creases. The natural drape recovers on its own.
Open the garment bag and let the silk breathe. If the hanbok was shipped, expect a faint warehouse scent for the first day. It dissipates without intervention.
Cleaning by fabric.
The rule that covers most situations: dry clean only, with a cleaner who handles ceremonial garments. Most local dry cleaners can do this if you tell them up front that it is silk with embroidery and to handle accordingly. Bring the garment bag with you.
Silk hanbok (most ceremonial pieces, hwarot, wedding pieces)
- Dry clean only. Always.
- Never hand wash. Silk loses its sheen and structure when wet.
- Treat stains within 24 hours. Blot, do not rub. Avoid water entirely on red and blue silks; the dyes can run.
- After the cleaner returns the piece, air it on a wide hanger for two hours before putting it away.
Cotton hanbok (some daily wear pieces)
- Hand wash in cold water with a delicates detergent (Woolite, The Laundress).
- Do not wring. Press water out gently between two towels.
- Air dry flat in shade. Direct sun fades the color.
Linen hanbok (modern daily wear, summer pieces)
- Machine wash on delicate cycle in cold water, garment bag recommended.
- Air dry. Skip the dryer. Linen relaxes back to shape after a steaming.
- Steam, do not iron, to restore the drape.
Organza overlay (often on wedding pieces)
- Treat like silk. Dry clean only.
- The organza shows water marks easily, so even rain droplets need attention. Blot immediately.
Stain triage.
Move fast. The first hour after a spill is the difference between a save and a memory.
- Wine or soy sauce: blot with a dry white cloth, do not rub, do not water. Bag the garment and get it to a cleaner within 24 hours.
- Food grease: dust the spot lightly with cornstarch, leave for 30 minutes, brush off. Then dry clean.
- Makeup: blot only. Avoid all rubbing. Foundation transfers to high-collar pieces often; mention it specifically to the cleaner.
- Tears or stretched threads: do not pull. Bring it to us or a tailor who handles embroidery.
Daily storage between wearings.
A hanbok is wearable many times across years if stored right.
- Use a wide-shouldered padded hanger; thin metal hangers stretch the shoulder line over time.
- Hang in a closet that does not get direct sunlight. UV fades silk dyes faster than anything else.
- Cover with a breathable cotton garment bag, not plastic. Plastic traps moisture and breeds mildew on natural fibers.
- Avoid storing near aromatic woods (cedar closets) without an intermediate cotton liner. Some silks pick up the scent and hold it.
Long-term storage.
For pieces worn rarely (hwarot, paebaek hanbok, Chuseok silks), fold rather than hang. Long hanging stresses the shoulder line over years.
The traditional method uses a bojagi (보자기) wrapping cloth and a flat storage box. The hanbok is folded along its construction seams, wrapped in acid-free tissue, then bound in the bojagi. We can supply or recommend bojagi at delivery if you ask.
If you do not have a bojagi:
- Fold along seam lines, not arbitrary creases.
- Layer acid-free tissue between every fold.
- Store flat in a breathable cotton box or drawer.
- Add a single sachet of dried lavender or unbleached muslin. Avoid mothballs; the chemicals interact with silk dye.
- Refold every six months. Long-held creases set and become permanent.
Travel.
Hanbok travels well in a garment bag carried flat. For air travel:
- Carry on, do not check. Lost-luggage replacement of a custom hanbok is not really possible.
- Roll, do not fold, for medium-length trips. Fewer hard creases.
- For weddings abroad, ship to the venue in advance with tracking and let it settle for 48 hours before the event.
Repairs and alterations.
Small thread pulls, popped stitches, loose buttons can be repaired by a tailor who handles ceremonial garments. Embroidery damage needs specialist work; bring it to us first if the damage is on a hwarot or wedding piece.
We offer alterations on any hanbok we made, at cost. For pieces from other ateliers, we can recommend a tailor.
Passing it down.
Hanbok is made to outlast a single celebration. With care, a hwarot can serve three generations.
If the piece is being passed on:
- Have it professionally cleaned before storage.
- Refold and rewrap every year, not every six months, since usage is rare.
- Photograph the piece and record the original measurements and notes (bride’s name, wedding date, family details) so the next generation has the context.
Have a piece that needs attention?
We service hanbok we made, and we can advise on pieces from elsewhere. Bring us photos and a description, and we will tell you what is possible.
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