Is This Really Dry Clean Only?

Taking your clothes to the dry cleaner is kind of a pain. It's expensive, time-consuming, and your pieces come back smelling like chemicals.

There are some items - like your wedding dress - that truly are dry clean only. However, for other items that just need a regular wash, you can skip the trip to the cleaners.

Natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, and wool are often tagged as dry clean only. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and rayon are more resilient to damage because they are man-made. However, just because natural fabrics are more delicate doesn't mean you can't take care of them yourself.


Here's everything you need to know to safely wash dry clean only pieces at home.

1 - Wash your clothes by hand.

To avoid the dry cleaner, wash your dry clean only clothes by hand. No matter what you do, don't put these kinds of clothes in the washer. The wash cycle will be too rough and will result in damage.

Keep in mind that anything that is delicate enough to be labelled "dry clean only" needs gentle care.

2 - Use room temperature water.

Hot water not only makes the colours run, but it can also shrink your clothes. The majority of items are safe at room temperature water. For anything that contains dark dye like navy, use cold water.

If you are filling up your bathroom sink, rinse out the basin with hot water before you start. This will remove any bits of toothpaste, dust, hair, etc. and give you a clean place to work.

3 - Add a gentle detergent.

Anything that is labeled "extra strength" should be left on the shelf. Opt for a regular strength or all-natural detergent. Extra strength detergents contain additional chemicals that may be too strong for your clothes.

Once the basin is full, put in one to two tablespoons of detergent, and use your hands to create suds. This is significantly less detergent than you would use in a washer, but since you're only washing one item it will be sufficient.

4 - Don't scrub.

Place the item in the water. Gently move it around in the water, and carefully squish the soapy water into the fabric. Leave it to soak for up to half an hour.

Do not scrub the piece. Using a brush or rubbing the fabric against itself will leave you with loose threads or an area that looks like it has been pulled.

Once it has soaked, let out the soapy water and run the item under the tap until you can't see any more bubbles coming off the item.

There is no such thing as too much rinsing. Larger items like blazers or dresses will require more rinsing since there is more fabric. Smaller items like blouses tend to be thinner, so you won't have as much detergent to rinse off.

5 - Give it time to dry.

Just like scrubbing the item will cause damage, so will scrunching it up into a ball to remove excess water. To get rid of the extra water, lay the piece flat on a clean towel. Roll the item into the towel, and gently squeeze. The layers of towel will protect the item from damage while absorbing the water.

Lay the piece flat on a drying rack, or on a new towel and leave it to dry. If you have wide hangers you can hang the item up to dry. Thin hangers can push dents into the fabric, so stick to wider options.

The best place to hang a wet item is on the shower curtain rail. The piece shouldn't be dripping wet when you hang it up, but any drips that do happen will land in the tub.