Hand wash...or dry clean? - YouLookFab Forum

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Hand wash...or dry clean?

Peri

Veteran

I'm always wondering what to do when an item says hand wash and lay flat to dry and then says or dry clean. How do I know which is better and more safe to do?!

Let's take the cost of dry cleaning out of consideration for now (I'm talking brand new things, so in my mind the cost of dry cleaning is a small investment compared to the cost of an item I don't want ruined), and factor in a very "clean" dry cleaners. Which is better for keeping the garment safer from shrinking and wear and tear?

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from cindysmith

kkards

Veteran

if it says either, then IMO you are good to go with either...however hand washing may require ironning

delurked

Veteran

Dry cleaning may be better to preserve the garment, but I generally will hand wash for ease of not having to take it somewhere. That said, if something is particularly precious or delicate, I would dry clean that item. Precious items and I don’t generally go hand in hand though.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

It depends on the garment and fabrication. I'll elect to gentle wash and hang dry a lot of items that are marked this way, but if I have doubts (for instance, a black wool sweater with white leather patches, so I was concerned about color bleeding), I'll have it professionally dry cleaned, OR do the Dryel routine if the item just needs some refreshing.

Joyce B

Veteran

I dry-cleaned two Halogen knit jackets with 50% merino content, they were my cold weather workhorses and they shrank, I should have just hand washed cold and dried flat which is what I will do if I can find suitable replacements.
My BR merino cardis did fine though.
From now on I will be very careful with the cleaners and will mostly wash by hand.

JAileen

Veteran

Joyce, since your jackets already shrank (I’ve never heard that happening from dry cleaning!), what if you hand wash them and gently pull them back into shape? Do you have anything to lose?

kkards

Veteran

Early in my working career I tried one of those 1 price cleaning places because it was soooo much cheaper than what I was paying. I had a lined straight skirt that came back with the skirt 1/2 shorter than the lining! So yes, unfortunately dry cleaning can shrink stuff

Kathie

Veteran

For me, it depends. In general, I prefer to hand wash and iron, because J’m not able to set aside concerns about expense, dry cleaning chemicals, and the time to take something to the cleaners and pick it up. Coats and jackets are one exception, though, since I want to preserve the shaping. Also, darker items, as those are more likely to show fading with wet washing. My dry cleaners shrank a ponte dress, so I don’t depend on dry cleaning to absolutely maintain sizing with knits.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Dry Clean.

Joyce B

Veteran

Thank you JAileen! I will try that although I suspect that washing and blocking at this point will increase the length at the cost of the width.

Joyce B

Veteran

I thought that hand wash items could be safely dry-cleaned but apparently not.

Jane

Veteran

If it helps I have a few jackets that can be very gently washed, but I've only done that with thrifted ones, that really don't warrant the cost of the dry clean.

Peri

Veteran

Thanks ladies...I decided on hand wash this time. They were two blouses from Anthro and I've had things shrink from there before. But after reading about dry cleaning being able to shrink too I just went with wash. They weren't in the water very long and are now hanging to dry.

It's a toss up it seems...risks with both and trouble with both. Maybe cost has to be a deciding factor after all.

Gigi

Veteran

I hope your blouses turn out well. I personally hand wash mine when given the choice. I assume that if the option is given on the label, then the garment can't get too ruined.

I have read that sometimes dry cleaners will actually hand wash your item, depending on the fabrication. So they might have just hand washed it if you had gone that route.

Joy

Veteran

I had an aunt who dressed well and always had everything, even washables, dry cleaned. I usually hand wash and hang or dry flat as I like the smell better than anything from the dry cleaners

cindysmith

Veteran

I don't dry clean unless it's an emergency. Dry cleaning is bad for the natural fibers, it's expensive, and it's a long way to the cleaners where I live, which makes it more expensive.