Need help Quick

jay-jay

Im going away on holiday tomorrow, and the dress I was going to take has marks on which I hadnt noticed. I was going to wash it until I discovered it was dry clean:eek:

Has anyone one managed to successfully clean a "dry clean" before

Any thoughts appreciated

Jay

ChapelGirl

I see nobody has answered you yet, so I think you need to supply a bit more information!

(1) What time tomorrow are you leaving home?
(2) What are the marks? Chocolate, sweat, chip grease, biro?
(3) What material is your dress made of?

Usually you can sponge or even wash most material which is labelled as dry-clean only. The usual reasons for labelling it like that are (a) that it is lined, padded or trimmed with material or decoration which might shrink (or not shrink) and the dress won't (or will). (b) it is not colour-fast (c) they are being super-cautious in case you take it back and complain if it doesn't wash well.

In my experience the only things which I would say are definitely NOT washable are cotton velvet, fur, real suede and real leather. But even leather can be washed if you have the right soap and are careful how you dry it. Horse riders clean their tack with soap and water all the time.

If in doubt, hand-wash using a wool wash product and drip dry away from direct heat. If desperate, and it's not too expensive, stick on a delicates wash in the machine.

Failing that, cover up the marks with a scarf or jacket, or leave it at home. I always pack too many clothes for my holidays anyway!

Mrs_Thrify

Hi Jay, here most things go through the machine even if they say dry clean. even put my wedding dress in the machine! Well, I was not going to ware it again so just for keeping and it washed just fine.
I would consider if the dress was a lot of money and any decorations on it. What material is it made from?

charliee_3

i saw in morrisons today they sell a liquid for cleaning dry clean only clothes, its with the stain removers. you just use a paper tissue to put it on and it removes stains safely. it was £3.30ish

huston_kw

I put my dry clean only coat :rolleyes: through the wash on the delicate setting, and it's always been fine have also put it in the tumble drier.

Patchwork_Quilt

The worst thing to wash is silk voile. It shrinks. Apart from that, everything in our house goes through the washer, including velvet curtains and wool coats.

My advice would be that if you can't spot clean it, try washing it on the cold cycle, on 'quick wash' and hang it over the bath to dry on a hanger.

tandraig

If it is spot cleaning try first a sponge with plain water! this takes out many marks. if that doesnt work - a bit of ordinary hand soap worked into mark , then rinse with clean sponge. otherwise - would need to know what you think the mark is from.

jcr16

i often wash items which are dry clean only with sucess. but only items i'm not worried about.

your can either risk it and see how it turns out.
Leave dress behind or
take dress with you and put it in the dry cleaners when your there if you don't want to risk putting it in the machine.

knithryn

I'll confess to washing a suede jacket in the washing machine.
Turned out fine, just a tiny bit 'rubbed' on the seams, nothing major,