Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

THESE ARE NOT SILK!!! Testing performed and confirmed as no natural fibers. If the price seems a little too good to be true, that's because it is. Received apricot gray color, queen size. Material is bizarrely thin (similar to some 12 momme real silk I have), not terribly smooth if you've ever felt real silk (or even well-broken-in cotton), clearly a high-end polyester, but nothing more. The color is pretty, that's the only nice thing I can say. These would be fine for accent pillows that you don't actually asleep on, if they weren't grossly overpriced for polyester. My partner put them on the pillows before I had a chance to check them very carefully, and they were extremely hot and sticky to sleep on, and all the sweat they trap made them stain terribly after one use. Oh, and my hair was a tangled mess. (Bonus point to check: these did not wrinkle. Real silk wrinkles like crazy. Don't bother with real silk if wrinkles will bother you.) Sent a scrap of material out for testing the next day, already knowing what the results would be. Once again, NOT SILK. After trying several silk pillowcase brands, colors and weights on Amazon, I've figured out that anything that costs less than $22 for ONE standard size pillowcase is almost guaranteed to be a fake, $26 for queen, $30 for king. Because of how Amazon allows multiple sellers to sell the same brand and item, it's possible for counterfeit items to be sold under what are otherwise legit brands. Sort reviews by most recent and look for the specific color and size you're looking at to see if there's been a recent batch of counterfeits mixed in. I've gotten exceptional quality, confirmed 100% silk pillowcases from Yanibest and Winjoy recently, but both have had counterfeit batches that I made sure to avoid by color/size from reviews. Also, check review photos for what the packaging should look like. The legit ones usually come in better packaging. If you get an item that doesn't match the expected packaging, inspect very carefully, Google how to perform a burn test if you can't send out for lab testing, and be prepared to return, it's likely a fake. Oh, and if you've made it this far and are going to purchase a silk pillowcase, here are some care instructions that actually work: All the washable silk care instructions say hand wash, hang to dry. Only do this if you want rough, wrinkled, dull, almost crunchy pillowcases. The only way to get soft, silky and shiny is if you dry clean them (this is the only way to 100% maintain the finish), OR put them through the washer AND dryer (won't be quite as slick as dry cleaning, but very close if you follow these directions). Silk is very, very delicate, so do not put it in washing machines with agitators. Front loaders are best, or top loaders WITHOUT an agitator. Agitators will tear the material and rip out zippers. If you only have a washer with an agitator, use the following instructions but hand wash instead, then follow drying instructions in the dryer. I always wash my silk pillowcases with my 100% cotton sheets, and the care instructions below are the best way to get smooth, soft, silky cotton as well. 1. Turn pillowcase *inside out*, and zip most of the way closed (leave enough room for you to get your finger in to unzip!) Do NOT leave the zipper open. 2a. (Washing in a machine - best) Wash in warm water on delicate cycle, use a small amount of dye-free, chlorine-free gentle liquid detergent, and sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top of the load. Add white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment (no, your laundry won't smell like vinegar unless there's something wrong with your machine) DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER OR CHLORINE BLEACH ON SILK OR COTTON SHEETS - this works better and doesn't gum up or break down the fibers, it actually conditions them. 2b. (Washing by hand) Fill a clean bowl or sink with warm water, use dye-free, chlorine-free gentle liquid detergent and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Add silk and agitate with your hands for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly under warm running water. You may see some dye in the water, especially with dark/bright colors on the first wash, and that's ok as long as it doesn't look like ink. Remove the silk, gently squeeze out excess water, and refill your bowl/sink with warm water and a few tablespoons of white vinegar. Put silk back in and agitate for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly in warm running water again. Lay silk between two bath towels and roll tightly to get excess water out. Do not wring, twist or crush. 3. Drying - Shake out the wrinkles from washing (you won't get them all, just shake them out a bit. Do this for your cotton bedding too). Tumble dry on the delicate heat setting. Best to put these in with some other stuff (like the sheets you washed them with) so they tumble properly, or a few clean, dry towels. *IMPORTANT* - you want to remove them from the dryer just barely before they're completely dry and lay them out flat for a few minutes to let the last of the moisture evaporate. Overdrying makes fibers stand up so they aren't as smooth or shiny - same goes for cotton. Once dry, gently unzip and turn them right-side out. They should be soft, silky and shiny like you want them to be! Oh, and be really careful with the zippers. Silk can tear out easily, even if it was manufactured properly. The thinner the silk, the easier the zippers tear out. Just the nature of the beast. Good luck!