What Happens if You Accidentally Wash a Dry Clean Only Dress?
Not reading care instructions on clothing is one of the top laundry blunders that we Brits are guilty of. Whether we want to admit it or not, most of us have been in a horrible situation whereby we wash a new garment only to open the machine door to be greeted by a nightmare!
Dresses can be one of the trickiest to wash as they often feature multiple materials and complex design patterns. If you are trying to figure out whether it’s better to wash or dry clean clothing, you should always start by paying attention to the care label, as the answer has already been determined. This is one of the main reasons why dry cleaning should not be done at home and that people take the time to understand whether or not their new fabrics can withstand a machine cycle.
As expert dry cleaners, we have treated our fair share of dresses, from mini styles to ball gowns, so let us share our insights into what can happen if you accidentally wash a dry clean-only item.
How Do I Know if My Dress Is Dry Clean Only?
The primary way to avoid this costly and frustrating error is to pay attention to the care labels on clothing. 70% of people say that care labels in clothing confuse them, but they are pretty simple to decipher if you know what to look for. You want to look for the hand wash only, do not wash, do not wring and, most importantly, the dry clean symbol to indicate when dresses are too delicate to withstand a spin cycle.
There are many lovely washing pieces of artwork with the full laundry guide displayed, so choosing one for your laundry spot is a good idea. You can also find many expert guides to laundry symbols online to make the process easier.
Another good indicator of whether or not a dress has to be dry cleaned is the fabric used. Certain materials are only suitable for dry cleaning as using warm water in a washing machine will damage the fibre constructions, resulting in a damaged product. You should always dry clean items if they are made from any of the following:
Wool – One of the main reasons that dry clean only items get ruined in the washing machine is that the materials were not pre-shrunk when the dress was made. Woollen dresses are a style staple for the colder months, but the fibres are only designed to be lightly handled as the garment can lose its entire shape if put in the wash and not dry cleaned.
Linen – We all know how annoying linen can be for creasing if it gets too hot. This fabric is designed to be lightweight and breathable, which is achieved due to its flexible fibres. Summer linen dresses should always be dry cleaned; otherwise, you will end up with a crumpled and creased mess that may never look like the dress you loved again.
Silk and Rayon – These materials are incredibly delicate, and putting them in the washing machine is a big no-no. Sleek silk and rayon dresses should always be dry cleaned to retain the colour, styling, and fit.
Dry cleaned clothes tend to last for longer in terms of lifespan and between washes if you care for them properly, so take the time to educate yourself on the care needs of your new dress.
What Happens to Dry Clean Only Dresses if You Wash Them?
The average adult will ruin 95 items of clothing in their lifetime. One of the main reasons is accidentally washing items that should never be inside a washing machine. If you accidentally wash a dress that was intended for dry cleaning care, you could experience any of the following:
- Shrinking could happen, so your dress becomes only suitable for children! The use of water to clean items should only take place if a material has a construction that can withstand the effects of liquid. Most clothing is also pre-shrunk but not dry clean only items due to the delicate fabric used. When a dry, clean-only dress is subjected to water and heat, the construction will naturally shrink and deteriorate in quality to the point that it cannot be returned to its former state.
- Some dresses are labelled as dry clean only as their colours will fade or become lost if washed normally. This not only means that your dress will lose its original coloured design, but other laundry items will also become damaged from dye, which is very hard, if not impossible, to repair with re-dying.
- Damage is also a common side effect as delicate dresses will likely suffer from loose stitching, rips, tears, and being left distorted in their form if washed. This is even more common for dresses than other garments, as they are often made of fabric panels and materials to achieve detailed designs. The more elements, the more chance of damage occurring if they are not washed properly.
Can You Save Dry Clean Only Dress if It Has Been Washed by Accident?
While you may be able to work some magic to save a dry clean only dress that has gone through the wash, unfortunately, it is highly unlikely.
The best method is to dry the item properly using either air-drying or steaming. You can then assess the damage and determine the best course of action. You may be able to re-dye items, make alterations and fixes, and even steam out creases, but most damages will be irreparable. This is why it’s always important to read the care label or to send dry clean dresses to a professional dry cleaner for processing.
How Can I Clean Dry Clean Only Dresses?
There are some suitable substitutes for dry cleaning which we have included below.
Send for Professional Dry Cleaning
The best option is to choose an expert dry cleaning service like what we offer at Love2Laundry. This ensures dresses are treated with professional cleaning detergents and only treated with dry cleaning machines that use gentle heat with garment agitation to achieve clean results.
Even when dry cleaning items need to be individually assessed, all dresses will have individual cleaning instructions. To achieve this, dry cleaning experts will look at the care labels, fabrics and design and only process similar items together.
Hand Wash at Home
You should also be able to hand wash dresses using only cool water at home, but check the label first.
During this process, you should gently pat the items and never pull them to ensure distortion does not take place. Items should be cleaned one at a time and left to dry properly in a way that doesn’t pull on the dress, as damage can still occur when items are damp due to the item’s weight.
Steam Clean at Home
Last but not least, you can steam-clean dry clean items only. This can be done with a steaming product or in a tumble dryer by using a low setting and combing the dress with a damp towel. This creates the steaming effect and agitates as dry cleaning would.
How Does love2laundry Care for Dry Clean Dresses?
Love2Laundry is your go-to laundry app for dry cleaning that offers the perfect way to return dresses to their former glory.
To ensure you are always the belle of the ball, our experts dry clean dresses individually using only suitable treatments that will never leave damage. Check out our pricing and contact us if you have any questions.
Do you want to learn more about dry cleaning? These blogs would be a good read for you –
How Long Can Clothes Stay In The Cleaners?
