Store it folded, not hung
Aso-oke is heavy and its strips are joined by hand. Hanging stretches the seams. Fold it along the strip lines, with acid free tissue between the folds, and keep it in a cotton bag.
Keep it dry
Damp is the enemy in the rainy season. A cedar block or a sachet of dried neem leaves in the wardrobe keeps insects away without the smell of camphor.
Steam, never iron directly
Use a steamer, or an iron on a low setting through a cotton cloth. Direct heat flattens the woven texture and can scorch metallic threads.
- Refresh a gele by steaming, then re-starching lightly
- Spot clean with a damp cloth, never soak
- Bring it to the house for a free refresh within two years
Pass it on
We keep the weaver's name and village on every Saffira aso-oke label, so the next generation knows where it came from.
