Whether it’s properly cleaning your wool sweaters or suits, here’s how to keep your belongings in pristine condition.
Whether you’ve been in self-isolation and can’t send your beloved “dry clean only” items out to the cleaner, or if you simply want a more DIY way to maintain your belongings so that you can wear them for years to come, it’s tricky to know where to start when it comes to taking care of those special care items at home. (We’ve all accidentally shrunk a cashmere or wool sweater. It’s not ideal.)
There are ways that you can properly and effectively clean those items, though, whether it’s suits, silk blouses, dresses—even your knitwear—that doesn’t require taking them to the cleaner. We sat down with Lindsey Boyd and Gwen Whiting from New York City’s The Laundress, for all of the tips, tricks, and secrets for how to take care of your dry clean items at home—and feel very chic doing it.
Simply put: The dry cleaning process cleans clothes with chemical solvents instead of water and detergent. One of the most common dry-cleaning chemicals is tetrachloroethylene or perchloroethylene (also known as “perc”).
So, what’s the alternative at home?
It’s important to remember that if you’re doing it at home, it’s not going to be dry cleaning, per se. You’re going to have to hand wash. But, as a rule, hand-washing is always the gentlest way to wash and preserve your delicate items or items considered “dry clean” such as silk, some synthetics, lace, wool, cashmere, and other knits. Some other items that should ideally be treated by hand (and not in the washer and dryer) if you’re maintaining them at home are embellished items, bathing suits, bras, and delicate underwear.
The explanation is simple: “[Hand-washing] increases the longevity of textiles by preserving fibers and detailing. In a washing machine, delicate fabrics can snag inside the drum and disrupt the fibers or detailing, and using a water temperature that’s too warm or a spin cycle that’s too aggressive can also disrupt delicate fabrics,” says Whiting.
However if you find yourself in a pinch with certain delicates, there are some workarounds, to make using the washing machine a little more safe. First, use the right detergent (preferably plant-based and made for delicates, or if you’re washing a sweater, wool & cashmere shampoo) and cool water. Another added safety precaution is putting said delicates in a mesh bag to prevent snagging during the wash cycle.