Now, without knowing how to wash delicate or tricky fabrics at home, coupled with the fact that brands are protecting themselves by slapping dry clean only labels on more and more pieces, we find ourselves rushing for the nearest laundry service.
But do we really have to dry clean everything that carries that tag? Washing at home—either by machine or hand—is not only the more cost-effective option, but the more sustainable one too. Wool, delicates, silk, cotton and cashmere all make the at-home care cut.
If you see colour bleeding, warping, shrinkage, etc. Hand washing and delicate cycles can only go so far. For a handful of special fabrics, it is best to call in the experts. Anything made with viscose, polyamide , items with manufactured pleating, structured pieces like neckties and blazers with shoulder pads, suede, and non-washable leather are all considered dry clean only, according to The Laundress ladies.
Tullio-Pow also recommends considering factors beyond the fibres. Those little symbols are important. Pay careful attention to the type of fabric that your garment is made of, because that will help you determine how you should proceed. Pretty much every delicate fabric can be damaged by your home washing efforts. That includes suede, leather, velvet, taffeta, rayon, and anything with fur or down. Suits, pleated skirts, and anything with significant or oil-based stains are also too tricky to tackle alone.
These are all best left to dry cleaning professionals. So what does that leave? Wool, silk, cotton, linen, and durable polyester fabrics are all fair game for home washing. Check out our fabric guide for a detailed list of cleaning procedures. If you're anxious about the fate of your garment, a spot test will give you some peace of mind. Drip a small amount of water and perhaps the detergent you plan to use onto a small, unseen portion of your garment, then rub a cotton swab across the area.
If the fabric's dye stains the cotton swab, it needs to be dry-cleaned. You can perform the same test over lace and elaborate stitchings—just make sure the dye doesn't bleed there either.
If you come away with pristine cotton swabs, and the clothing item doesn't appear damaged once you've wet it, it's safe to start washing.
Ready for clean clothes? Dry cleaning doesn't mean no liquid; it means no water. Though dry cleaners do often use water for water-based stains like tomato soup and coffee, the most common practice is to drop clothes into a bath of perchloroethylene, or "perc," a colorless solvent that has the power to dissolve the stains that water can't, like gravy and tar. So, why is it called "dry cleaning" if there are fluids involved? We've all seen the warning "dry clean only" on clothes tags, and it might as well be a legal document for all the respect we give it.
But "dry clean only" isn't an unbreakable rule. What that tag really means is "don't put me in the washing machine. Legally, manufacturers are required to notify consumers of just one method of cleaning clothes, and dry cleaning is always a safe bet.
But the real issue with fabrics like silk and wool is that they shrink during the rough agitations of the wash cycle -- it's not water that does the damage. Gently hand-washing delicates as long as you know that the dye won't bleed is nearly always an option. Be careful, though. Certain fabrics like suede and velvet should never, ever be washed at home. Better leave those for the pros. Sure, dry cleaning is expensive, but who else can get mayonnaise stains out of a pair of leather pants?
The fact is, dry cleaning is a massively pricey operation involving complex machinery and expensive industrial chemicals. And while ready-to-wear shirts and socks may be a snap to clean, once you move into the range of suede suits or cotton dresses with silk sashes and sleeves, it's not as simple as dumping the clothes into a machine and letting the solvent do its job.
Specific treatments match specific stains, and clothes that have intricate designs or are made from expensive fabrics need loving, individual attention.
So, are you paying too much? Dry cleaning gets a bad rap for being environmentally unfriendly. And it's not necessarily undeserved. Perchloroethylene perc , the most commonly used solvent in dry cleaning, is a heavy-duty industrial chemical that's both toxic to humans and a dangerous soil contaminant. But more on that later. Taffeta because everyone has a taffeta skirt lurking somewhere in their wardrobe, right?
Woollen jumpers , if washed at too high a temperature or tumble dried, they will shrink and the fibres will felt, which unfortunately is irreversible. Silk garments. Like wool, some silk items can be hand or even machine washed, but care is required — as are short cycles and low temperatures. Satin can usually be machine washed, but heavier satins require dry cleaning. Iron while still damp on the reverse side.
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