Do I have to dry clean, my "dry clean only" clothes?

[jlutgendorf]

And if not, how do I tell which ones? and then, how can I clean them safely.

I've got some really nice work pants that all say dry clean only and I'd love it if I could wash them at home, but they're too spendy to risk ruining (and then I would have no pants).

Thanks! :

~Julia

[frog]

No.

You can hand-wash most things (I've never had something not survive a hand wash, and I wash rayon and silk in my washing machine and run it through the dryer, though I don't do that with wool) in cold water and lay them flat to dry.

Or you can get all fancy and get one of those at-home dry cleaning kits (dryel is the brand we have).

[jlutgendorf]

Interesting. Do I need to worry about if things are made up of two different fabrics? some of the pants are lined (i read something online about garmets like that having different shrink rates or absorbtion rates or something that would make them wonky if they got wet together.

Do you find the Dryel to be too scented? I was reading up on those and it seems they mainly work by steaming and scenting the clothing.

Thanks!

~Julia

[sunnysandiegan]

From my experiences, I would not wash the lined items. No matter how I have washed those items, they always turned out to hang funky.

Unlined items that say dryclean only, however, I wash in cold water on the delicate (or gentlest) cycle and dry in the dryer for a few minutes (about 5) before hanging or drying flat the rest of the way. I hang substantial fabrics and dry others flat. I dry all sweaters flat.

My disclaimer, LOL, is I stopped buying dry clean only items and items that require ironing to look nice if I don't think I can wash them.

I have used those dryclean kits at home (two brands) for the lined dryclean only items and they worked fine. They STINK, IMO, though, so I avoid them as much as possible. In the past few years, I have only used them on DH's suit jacket and pants once in awhile. (He doesn't have to wear a suit to work daily, but he does for certain work functions and we have gone to a few social events where it was required.)

[Pogonia]

We toured a dry clean facility this summer. They said after 100 dry cleans, a garment is considered 'dead'. Thought that was interesting.

They aren't really 'clean' either.

They feel cleaner to me if I hand wash at home the unlined ones.

[Caneel]

I wash many dry-clean only pieces at home.

I agree about the lined garments.

I find wool to be tricky. It might be fine for several washings than BAM!, it shrinks up on me. I don't buy wool dry clean only pieces any more as a result.

I have let go of anything that requires too much extra work like pants and dresses with pleats.

Be wary of anything with two different fabrics like slik or linen pants or suit pieces lined in nylon as they are impossible to iron.

[His Own]

I have also successfully washed such items in cold in the washer. Wool, however, has not turned out well for me.

Generally I figure that "DRY CLEAN ONLY" is some foreign language for "DON'T BUY ME!"

[Ruthla]

Dryell gets rid of "unclean smell" but doesn't actually clean the items or get dirt out. I'd just as soon run them through the dryer on cool or "air fluff" with a few drops of lavendar oil rather than a chemical concoction like Dryell.

I've sucessfully washed many items that said 'dry clean only'- I typically put them in the washer on "gentle cycle" then hang to dry- and I'm prepared to iron if needed.
Really structured items such as suit jackets I woudln't attempt. I don't know about pants (if shrunk, it ruins the fit) since we dont' wear pants for anything other than sleepwear in our family, and DS's stuff is all machine washable.