So what would happen to my dry clean only slacks if I dropped them in the washer (cold/delicate cycle)?
Would they just be very wrinkled?
I’m asking because I’ve got a pair that’re covered in cat hair and the dry cleaners take exception to that.
PC
What is the fabric content of your slacks? What I would do in your situation is make sure to zip the zipper, button any buttons and place the slacks in a net bag. Wash the slacks on the delicate cycle in cold water, using Woolite or another cold water washing detergent. When the cycle ends, pull the slacks out and roll up in a towel so as to further dry them. Lay them out to dry and iron them carefully when dry. I do this with items that are dry clean only and they seem to come out fine. YMMV, of course.
If they’re covered in cat hair, brush or tack off the hair and give them to your dry cleaner…
I’d agree with the advice given by medstar. Perhaps you might also want to stand by the washer during the cycle, and manually advance the dial in order to skip or shorten the spin cycles. Hang the slacks up to drip-dry, and the wrinkles should drop right out.
Oh, and use the highest water level possible. This will allow the item to circulate freely in the wash water, instead of being yanked or tugged by the agitator. Too little water increases the risk of the machine pulling at seams.
If cat hair is the only problem, you may be able to skip the washer altogether. Put the slacks in the dryer, and tumble for half an hour on the no heat/Air Fluff setting. This won’t hurt the fabric at all, but will loosen the hair and deposit it in the lint screen.
I have washed Dry Clean only pants in water and had NO PROBLEMS what so ever. Now I am not saying this works always but not all dry cleaning is must.
If you only knew my cat. :eek:
Thanks guys, I’ll give it a try. BTW, the pants are 100% wool. Does that make cold water a problem?
Thanks,
PC
Some of my dry clean only wool takes just fine to the delicate cycle.
Some of my dry clean only wool is now in the trash.
How much do you like the slacks? How much duct tape do you have?
I had a pair of polyester/cotton slacks that were “dry clean only” that I machine washed every time. Nothing noticeable happened to them although I think they would have lasted longer had I took them to the cleaners. On the other hand, I once observed my sister attempting to machine wash a wool sweater, it came out looking like toddlers clothing.
I’m thinking 100% wool, dry-clean only pants in the washer is a really bad idea.
I would try to remove as much cat hair as possible (I understand - I have bunnies) and then take them to the cleaners.
Well, unless you don’t care too much about your pants.
I wash alot of ‘dry clean only’ items in the wool cycle, including winter coats, and have no problem. I tried the delicate cycle once, thinking it would be safe, but my sweaters shrunk, so make sure it’s wool/cold. Also, I did something stupid once - I knew not to put my coat in the dryer afterward, but I figured air-drying it would go faster if I laid it a few feet above the baseboard heater -duh! It shrunk.
You should be relatively safe washing certain dry-clean only pants at home. Some things to note, both before and after doing so.
Before you put them in the washer:
Examing the facing (the strips of cloth inside the pants used to re-enforce waistbands, hold pockets on, and attach linings, amongst other functions) and any lining present. If they are sewed on, you’re good. If they’re attached with cloth glue, or only tacked on with a few stiches, then don’t wash them, or you will run the risk of them seperating.
Fill the washer with cold water, using a cold water detergent, as mentioned above, and ensure it dissolves completely.
After washing, remove promptly.
DO NOT hang dry. I cannot stress that enough. The waist and lower legs can become deformed, unless you have specific hangers for hang-drying pants while keeping tension on the waist. Instead, lay the pants flat on a hard surface, and stretch out to their original shape. The stretch is mainly to combat shinking and deforming, but also helps take out wrinkles. Iron them as you normally would once they are dry.
By doing this, you run a lot of risks. Shrinking the pants, loosing the facing, and messing up the coloration and the weave come to mind. I don’t want to be a smart ass, but I might recomend finding a new cleaner. My cleaner regularly receives suits so covered with car hair they can double as monkey costumes, and I have yet to hear a complaint.
A morbid human nature inspired question: Did this problem arise recently after the multi-denomenation gift giving holidays? If so, they may be dis-satisfied with the amount/lack of holiday tip they received, especially if you’re a regular customer. It seems like everyone and their brother expects a holiday tip these days. The guy in front of me in line tipped the bag boy at the supermarket the other day. It’s starting to get scary.
Dont they have something called dryell where you put the packet in the dryer and its supposed ot be the same as a dry cleaners , ?
Anyone know if this does as advertised ?
Not necessarily, but agitation might be.
Careful, slow handwashing (if not the cleaners) will work.
After that, slow, cold water cycle, woolite, high water level, alone in the washing machine. And get them out before they spin.
Hang them or lay them flat to dry.
OK, guys, the thing about wool is that AGITATION + WATER = FELT.
Really.
If you wash something 100% wool DO NOT AGITATE IT! All that around and over and about motion makes the individual wool fibers curl up tighter, which is what leads to shrinkage and, eventually to felt. In fact, felt is made basically by doing all the “wrong” things to wool - hot-to-cold-to-hot temps, rolling, and so forth.
Wool handwashing properly incorporates gentle moving of the wool through the water with minimal sloshing - water with minimal agitation. Dryell tumbles the wool clothing through air - but note there’s no water. Either one works without shrinking the wool because you don’t have the combination of water and agitation.
Sudden temperature changes in wet wool also causes the little fibers to kink and curl, hence shrinkage in that case. If the wool is hot, it has to stay hot until it dries. If it’s cold, it has to stay cold until it dries.
Tension on wet wool can cause the little fibers to UNkink and UNcurl - which is how you get distortion from hanging wet woolens. Dry flat, unless you have a gizmo to put everything under proper tension.
And good luck.
I’m one of those cheap guys who thinks dry cleaners are a scam, either that or dry cleaning fluid sucks on the environment. Therefore I often wash that stuff in water. But not the washing machine, just in water with some special soap. Some of the dye comes out sometimes but so far 90% of the fabrics came out just fine. YMMV (your mileage may vary).
So I should either hand wash my heavy wool sweaters or use Dryel, but don’t try cold water on gentle cycle?
Just checking.
That’s about right.
If you MUST wash wool in a machine, use cold water and a machine that doesn’t have that central pillar agitator (which pretty much rules out most home machines I’ve seen). The “gentle” in the gentle cycle is a relative term. From the wool’s point of view it’s still pretty rough.