An original Ajrakh print passes through sixteen stages of washing, resist-printing and natural dyeing before anyone can wear it. Meanwhile, a screen-printed copy comes off a machine in minutes and sits on the same shelf at a similar price. Most shoppers cannot tell the two apart. So here are seven checks you can run yourself, in a shop or on your phone. 1. Turn the fabric over Start with the reverse side. Genuine Ajrakh uses resist-dyeing, so colour soaks right through the cloth. As a result, the back looks almost as sharp as the front. Screen prints sit on the surface instead. Flip a printed saree over and you will see a pale, washed-out ghost of the design. This single check catches most fakes. 2. Study the colour palette Traditional Ajrakh runs on indigo blue and madder red, with black from iron and rust. Because these come from plants and minerals, the tones look deep but slightly uneven. Neon pinks, bright oranges and flat greens usually point to chemical dyes. Some workshops now mix natural and synthetic colours, which is fine, but the seller should say so plainly. 3. Welcome the small flaws Artisans stamp each block by hand, one repeat at a time. Therefore, motifs shift a little at the joins. Corners overlap. A line of colour bleeds slightly. Beginners read this as poor quality, though it is actually the clearest proof of handwork. A perfectly repeating pattern with no variation anywhere came from a machine. 4. Feel and smell the cloth Natural dyes leave a faint earthy, slightly sour smell that lingers for weeks. Chemical prints smell sharp instead. Next, run the fabric through your fingers. Cotton Ajrakh feels soft but has body. Modal silk drapes heavier and cooler. If a fabric feels waxy or plasticky, the finish has been added to hide a thin base cloth. 5. Run a small wash test Wash a corner in plain cold water. Natural dyes release a little colour in the first two or three washes, then settle. On the other hand, chemical prints often keep bleeding for months. Some fade badly after one wash. Ask the seller directly whether the piece has been pre-washed, since good workshops always do this before selling. 6. Ask where it came from Real Ajrakh comes from a handful of places. Ajrakhpur and Dhamadka in Kutch, Gujarat, hold most of the working families, and Barmer in Rajasthan has its own tradition. The craft carries a documented history going back centuries. A seller who knows the craft can name the cluster and often the family. Vague answers about

A modal silk Ajrakh saree survives home washing perfectly well, yet most owners send theirs to the dry cleaner out of fear. That fear usually comes from one bad experience with bleeding colour. However, the bleeding happens because of how people wash, not because the fabric is fragile. Get the method right and the saree lasts years. Here is exactly what to do. Why this fabric behaves differently Modal is a cellulose fibre made from beech pulp, so it drapes like silk but breathes like cotton. Because of that mix, it handles water far better than pure silk. Still, Ajrakh block printing uses natural dyes, and natural dyes release some colour in early washes. Therefore, the first two or three washes need care. After that, the saree settles and washing gets easy. Before the first wash Soak the saree alone in cold water for ten minutes. Add a spoon of rock salt to the bucket. Salt helps set natural dye, so colour loss drops noticeably. Never soak it with anything else, since loose indigo will transfer onto lighter fabrics. Then rinse until the water runs mostly clear. Washing it step by step Use cold water only. Warm water opens the fibre and pulls colour out faster. Pick a mild liquid detergent or plain shikakai. Regular washing powder contains brighteners and alkali, which dull the print. Next, dissolve the detergent fully before the saree goes in. Undissolved powder leaves patches. Dip and lift the saree gently. Do not scrub, twist or wring. Squeeze the water out by pressing the fabric between your palms instead. Finish in under ten minutes, because long soaking in detergent fades the madder red first. A machine works too, but only on a delicate cycle inside a mesh bag, with cold water and no spin beyond a low setting. What to keep away from it Bleach ruins a modal silk Ajrakh saree in one wash. Detergent bars do almost as much damage. Also skip fabric softener, since it coats the fibre and kills the natural fall. Hot water, stiff brushes and hard scrubbing all belong on the same list. Drying without sun damage Sunlight is the main enemy here. Indigo fades fast under direct sun, so dry the saree in shade with good airflow. Lay it flat on a towel or hang it over a wide rod. Thin wire hangers leave permanent marks along the fold. Turn the saree inside out while drying. As a result, the printed face stays protected. Most modal silk dries within a few hours, which is another advantage over pure silk. Ironing the right way Iron while the fabric still holds slight moisture. Set the iron to medium, not high, and always press from the reverse side. A thin cotton cloth between the iron and the saree adds safety. Avoid steam directly on the print, since concentrated steam can blur fine block details. Storing between wears Fold the saree loosely and refold it along different lines every few months. Permanent creases weaken the fibre at the fold. Wrap it in cotton muslin rather than plastic, because plastic traps moisture and encourages mildew. Keep neem leaves or dried cloves nearby instead of naphthalene balls. Naphthalene leaves a smell that never fully clears. In humid weather, air the saree outside the cupboard once a month for an hour. When dry cleaning makes sense Send it out only for oil stains, food spills or heavy embroidery on the pallu. Otherwise, home washing keeps the fabric softer over time. Dry cleaning solvents strip natural dye slowly, so frequent visits actually shorten the life of the print. Tell the cleaner it carries natural dyes, since many treat every saree the same way. Handling a fresh stain Blot immediately with a dry cloth. Do not rub, because rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the weave. Next, dab cold water on the spot and press again. For oil, dust talcum powder over it and leave it an hour before brushing off. Treat the stain within a day if you can. Building the collection Once you know the routine, the fabric stops feeling delicate. You can browse our full Ajrakh sarees range, or buy modal silk Ajrakh fabric by the metre if you stitch your own kurtas. Our cotton Ajrakh fabric follows similar care rules with slightly more tolerance. If you are still shopping and want to check authenticity first, read our guide on how to spot an original Ajrakh print before you buy. A well-made modal silk Ajrakh saree rewards good care, and the routine above takes twenty minutes.

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