I ripped apart the ties then washed in woolite and hung to dry on a line outside. It was in the summer so they dried quickly. When they were dry, I rolled them up into little swiss rolls and tied with knitting yarn so I could toss them all together in a bin. Ties behave like empty wire coat hangers and tangle very quickly. When ironing them onto fusible, I could tell which ties were my dads and which ties were my grandfathers. So I know they retain the oils of the wearer. Before you purchase a bolt of fusible. Test a small sample on the silk ties. Not all fusible sticks to silk.