Avoiding Dry Clean Only Items - YouLookFab Forum

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Avoiding Dry Clean Only Items

Jonesy

Veteran

I've noticed a few times recently YLFers will mention that they don't ever buy dry clean only items because of the cost of dry cleaning, or the hassle it involves. I wear lots of dry clean only items (silk mostly) and I almost never take them to the dry cleaners: I use Dryel at home!

Do others avoid buying dry clean only items? Do any of you use Dryel (I promise I don't work for them!)? I can't imagine not wearing silk, since it's such a miracle fabric (beautiful, durable, repels smells, repels wrinkles, drapes beautifully, etc.), and using Dryel at home is so convenient, and not very expensive, IMO.

Just curious!

Dressing

42 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

How does it work? Do you get good results? What about stains? Do they shrink?

I dry clean a lot of my items, but only if they are stained or smell bad. Otherwise I just hang them back up in my closet and wear again, over and over!

Scarlet

Veteran

That's good to hear about Dryel. I haven't tried it yet. I do buy dry clean only, but then I usually hand wash because I am put off by the cost of dry cleaning.

Anonymous

Leather skirts are the only dry clean only products I buy, but I get them cheaply from ebay.

Anonymous

I've used Dryel at home, and agree it works really well. The problem I have is that my DH complains about the smell. He's allergic to just about any smell, so I have to be extremely careful. Our laundry room is right next to our bedroom, so it's a real pain to use the Dryel.

When I take his suits to the dry cleaner, I give them special instructions to use less cleaner so the smell won't be so strong.

That said, I don't mind buying garments that say "Dry Clean" rather than "Dry Clean Only." I wash them in cold water on gentle cycle and then drip dry or dry flat. Works every time. "Dry Clean Only." on the other hand, means an item MUST be dry cleaned.

Sylvie

Veteran

I have used Dryel (wish it was unscented) but I also wear my silk items a LOT more often than my cotton items between washes since they don't get smelly.

If had children/pets/other lifestyle constraints where my clothes were likely to get stained, I wouldn't wear dry clean only items.

qfbrenda

Veteran

I haven't tried Dryel but I should. Thanks for the suggestion!

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Yes, I use Dryel with good results. If things are truly dirty I send them to the cleaners.

Sad story: I dropped my flip collar frenchi jacket on the floor in a starbucks! EWWWW!!! I sent it off to the dry cleaner's where they ironed the flip collar down in the wrong direction. I had them fix it but it never quite looked the same again. I started using Dryel after this incident. I don't trust strangers with my clothes anymore.

In the spring, I like to hang my clothes outside for a few hours to air them out.

Jonesy

Veteran

Natalie, you buy a starter kit that includes a bit bag and three packets of the product. You put 2-3 items into the bag (need to leave enough room for everything to move around inside) along with the Dryel sheet, which looks sort of like a dryer sheet but it's wet. Then you put the bag into the dryer for about 20 minutes. The sheet works with the warmth of the dryer to "dry clean" your stuff. You remove the bag from the dryer when everything is still slightly damp (to avoid too many wrinkles, though that hasn't been a problem for me usually), and hang everything to finish drying.

The kit comes with a stain remover pen that you use for stains before you put the item into the bag. When you need to buy new sheets, you can purchase those separately (vs. buying the dryer bag over and over). It has worked great for me thus far, and I've been using it for 2-3 years. They do have a disclaimer on their product about not using it with silk because there might be some little spots, but I have never seen any and I use it for my silk tops primarily.

ETA: EEek, I was typing my response to Natalie while all of you were replying :)! Yes, the smell is a bit intense, I agree! Might be a drawback for some, but I don't mind it (and I do have a sensitivity to some smells, especially sweet ones--gag).

Rita, I have had some crazy experiences with dry cleaners too, so I feel your pain! I know it sounds crazy, but I just hate adding another errand into my week, so I find that I will let my clothes sit there for weeks. It's just easier for me to do it at home, with most items.

Diana

Veteran

I gently handwash almost all of my dry clean only garments. The only things I send to the cleaners are leather, my big wool coats, and maybe very occasionally a couple of formal dresses.

I should probably try Dryel... although Ruth's comment about the smell is worrying me - I am not allergic to smells per se, but am super sensitive to lingering smells and always use unscented detergent. Does the smell of Dryel remain in the clothes or does it only smell when you are using it?

Jonesy

Veteran

I would say it slightly lingers on the clothes, just like laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets do, or the smell of the dry cleaners.

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Hmmm, I am really sensitive to smells. I use unscented detergents and soaps and never wear perfume and I hate when people or clothes have a scent. So it sounds like it might not work for me? Do you notice the smell when you wear the item? I don't notice a smell on my clothes when I dry clean them.

Anonymous

@ Diana: My DH can detect smells that I and the rest of the family don't detect, so he's super sensitive. I have to use unscented cleaning products, and refrain from wearing any perfumes or scented lotions. I even have to use unscented cat litter.

I'd say that if you're super sensitive, you'd best avoid Dryel. Otherwise, I think it's fine. Just air the garment out, same as you would for clothing you've taken to the dry cleaner.

Hope this helps!

Kirti

(website)

Veteran

I did not know what Dryel was! But it sounds like an affordable alternative to dry cleaning. If I could find something like this here, I would use it for my silk kurtas! I'm not so sure about saris though. I'd still dry clean them, I think.

Sylvie

Veteran

@Kirti: I haul aall my Indian clothes to India and get them cleaned there. I just can't imagine trusting someone outside of India to know how to clean them without destroying the embroidery, beading, etc.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

There is a smell when it first comes out of the bag but it disappears quickly. I agree with the advice to air it out. I'm also not a fan of scented detergents or anything else. This one is slightly strong when it first comes out of the wash when it is a little bit damp.

EmilyC15

I do avoid dry-clean-only items, because I like my clothes to be clean...but I also don't like the high bills for dry cleaning in my area. Dry-clean-only items do wind up in my wardrobe anyway; I wear with care and bite the bullet on the cost.

I'm great at hand-washing!

ManidipaM

Veteran

Like Diana, I tend to handwash a lot of supposedly 'dry clean only' fabrics in mild shampoo. This is true of almost all my silks and many of my woollies. Indeed, some of them even go into the delicates cycle of my washing machine, in COLD water and with shampoo instead of laundry detergent.

What does go to the cleaners: my leather jacket, wool coat, water-resistant mac, quilted jackets, silk cotton (NOT the same as a silk-cotton blend) quilts --- and a few brocades, where the metallic threads would get kinks in the washing otherwise.

I don't own a dryer though, so everything drip dries or dries flat after a spin-dry.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I hand wash my silks and wools or even put in the machine on the delicate cycle, sometimes in a little mesh bag. This works well for me. I don't avoid clothes if they say "dry clean." I just ignore the advice!

I do take my jackets and wool coat to the dry cleaners. But I rarely need to clean them. I sometimes "spot clean" a jacket by hand.

I have never used Dryel but it sounds intriguing.

kellygirl

Veteran

Totally guilty of looking at the tag which reads "Dry Clean Only" and putting it back on the rack! It's one of the first things I check when I look at clothing at the store. I'm just so "wash and wear" these days that it verges on the tragic : ) It does help me limit my purchases though so I guess it's not all bad. I'm interested in trying Dryel--I guess I'm going to have to pick up something that's DCO. ha!

Anonymous

I use Dryel to refresh my jeans between washes and it works quite well. I have not used it on silks or wools. I take those to the cleaners.
As far as avoiding dry cleaning, I wish I could.

Kirti

(website)

Veteran

Sylvie: Me too! I also try to get my alterations done there since it is so much cheaper!

bj1111

Veteran

for me, the main drawback to dry cleaning is the smell, even after the items have been well aired. handwash drip dry cool iron if needed. but hubby does the laundry so whatever he's doing works.

also febreeze to freshen between wearings. i dry clean once or twice a season for thise items that can't be hand washed.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I don't own a dryer otherwise I would be stocking up right now!

Jonesy

Veteran

Sounds like many of you have your own systems perfected! It's interesting hearing everyone's different approaches.

I guess I just can't resist silk (I just bought a pair of patterned silk pants!), so I needed to come up with a solution...hence, Dryel for me.

Thanks for all of the replies!

Isabel

Veteran

When I worked, I used Dryel. I liked it. Now I only dry clean my wool outer coats and Dryel wool blazers once a year. Otherwise, it has to be machine washable or handwashable. For practical reasons and, for me, environmental reasons. I do own some silk shirts and they are hand washable - on purpose. This was one of the main reasons that I never bought a Halogen pencil skirt. It was dry clean only. Instead, I found something similar in a similar color ( at JCPenney ) that is machine washable and fine for my lifestyle.

I will make exceptions for a dressy pair of black pants or a dress.

Anonymous

I'm convinced that a lot of manufactuers slap the "dry clean only" label on just to avoid lawsuits. They probably figure (and rightly so) that most people don't know how to launder their clothes properly. I never could figure out, for example, why a polyester garment is dry clean only these days. My mom, a professional seamstress, always washed everything (including dry clean only items) in the washing machine in cold water on gentle cycle. The only items that were not laundered in this manner were suits and garments that had linings made out of acetate or other fabric that my mother knew would possibly get damaged if machine washed. Many dry clean only items can be placed inside a zippered pillowcase and machine washed in cold water on gentle cycle. Always drip dry or dry flat, depending on the fabric.

I just find it easier to avoid purchasing dry clean only garments. I do own a few, but they are dresses and blouses that do not get worn on a regular basis. The items I wear on a regular basis have to be wash and wear. I just don't have time to be messing with dry cleaning.

Sarah A

Veteran

I do a lot of handwashing for items marked dry clean... If I was working I wouldn't probably I would just send them off with DH things. But as a SAHM I can't justify the expense and dryel doesn't seem good enough for toddler food and mud type stains. I suppose most people just don't wear their nice things around the kids but I like looking/feeling pulled together!

MsMary

Veteran

I handwash, hang dry, and use the steamer on all my silk blouses. I wear my dry clean only pants, skirts and jackets multiple times before sending them to the cleaners, which I do maybe twice a season per garment at most.

Jonesy

Veteran

I see lots of you handwash stuff. I get good results usually, but I find that it takes more time/effort for me to do that vs. Dryelling (yes, I just made a verb :).

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