Woollen Dress - dry clean only

smurph67

My daughter bought a pure wool dress at a vintage fair, when she got it home we realised that it was dry clean only. Does any body have any ideas for the the best way to clean the dress.

Thanks

Sue

Sunnyday

I think that a very cool wash would be best, i don`t normally use fabric conditioner but think that i would for this,a short spin and dry flat naturally to keep its shape.

Too much heat either washing it or drying it will ruin it so cool is the way to go.

I have seen a thread on drycleaning things at home somewhere but i can`t for the life of me find it.

HTH

SD

shandyclover

I once bought a coat at a car boot sale, without checking the label. Got it home and found out it was pure wool and dry clean only! Called up my granny and mentioned my dilema, she said wash it on COLD, handwash machine cycle with a little woolwash and fabric softner, drying it on a hanger. I really could not wear it without washing it, and so took the plunge. Turned out brilliantly - served me for a good 5 years, with me washing it a few times a year following granny's instructions.

shandyclover

I once bought a coat at a car boot sale, without checking the label. Got it home and found out it was pure wool and dry clean only! Called up my granny and mentioned my dilema, she said wash it on COLD, handwash machine cycle with a little woolwash and fabric softner, drying it on a hanger. I really could not wear it without washing it, and so took the plunge. Turned out brilliantly - served me for a good 5 years, with me washing it a few times a year following granny's instructions.

daisiegg

I have a pure wool dress, but it doesn't say dry clean only, it says hand wash. I hand wash it in cool water and dry it flat and it's fine. (well, I say that...I've done it about twice...the rest of the time it sits at the bottom of my washing basket and gets passed over along with another dress that is hand wash only...worst purchases I ever made!)

I suppose they must have washed wool in the days before they had dry cleaning...

meritaten

my nan always told me to wash woollen items in warmish water using soap flakes (Lux in the old days - no idea if its still available). then rinse in progressively cooler water and add a drop of vinegar to the last rinse. after wrapping the item up in a fluffy towel and twisting it to remove most of the water, pull into shape and dry flat.
of course I dont bother with all that palaver - I bung it in the machine on the wool cycle at 30 degrees!