This is an all too common—and frustrating—experience for me. One time I actually tossed a blazer into the washing machine, thinking a warm-water Delicates cycle would be gentle enough. The result? A shrunken, misshapen lesson on the importance of washing clothes correctly. Obviously, it was my own carelessness that led to the blazer's demise. But, believe it or not, most garments with a dry-clean-only tag can actually be washed at home—you just need the right technique.
Sure, there's significant risk with washing dry-clean-only garments yourself, so we'd recommend following the manufacturer's cleaning instructions for anything particularly beloved.
In most cases, though, it's perfectly safe. Just make sure you follow our tips for how to take the guesswork out of washing these delicate fabrics at home. So you have a garment with a dry-clean-only label, but what else does it say? 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.
You can also buy dry cleaning kits to wash your suit yourself. We have further information on wash care symbols here. If your suit is made out of wool, silk, cotton or linen but is labelled as dry clean only, chances are you can wash it at home — sometimes you can even machine-wash suit jackets. Before going ahead and washing your suit, test a small area to see what happens. To do this, apply water to a small area of your suit, and a little detergent and fabric conditioner.
Then, swipe a cotton swab over the washed section. Schedule a gentle wash without spin The key point comes with the program of your washing machine. You probably know that your washing machine offers many different programmes of wash.
To take care of your suit, choose a wash cycle that is short no more than 30 minutes and very gentle. It is very important that the temperature of the water is cold, neither temperate nor much less hot. The fabrics of the delicate garments are very susceptible to high temperatures and a low temperature will keep them in perfect condition.
To avoid aggressive movements, do not select spin, this way you can wash your suit perfectly without wrinkling a millimetre. Finally, remember not to add fabric softener to the wash cycle. If you follow these instructions, in 30 minutes your suit will be totally clean. Although you must be careful. Once a month would be a good frequency. Put your suit outdoors and in the shade Once you have finished washing the suit in the washing machine, it is time to let it dry.
It is important to hang it on a hanger, never directly on a rope with clothespins. This ensures that the shape of the garment and its seams are maintained. You must completely avoid the dryer for optimal care of your suit. The best time to wash your suit is in the evening. In this way you can leave it outdoors throughout the night until the early morning, because it is essential that the sun does not directly affect it.
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