Fashion

[tansy]

My washer has a handwash cycle.  If something is delicate or embroidered, I put it in a mesh bag.  

I bought some Chico's pants recently that fit well.  The tag says lay flat to dry -- uh huh, like that's going to happen.  I put a towel over the shower rod and flopped the pants the rod.

[sunshine 919]

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@ECBG wrote:

Sometimes manufacturers will put dry clean on a piece of clothing to keep from having consumer problems.  I look at the fabric content before I buy.  

Mostly, I use cold water, Dark Woolite, and line dry.

It's rare that I dryclean.

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I do not dry clean either.  Back in the day I used to.  I have hand washed some tops from Evine that have beautiful embroidary and the babydoll tops.  I just want to keep them nice. I had a dress once with embroidary and i really messed it up.  Most items just go into the washer and dryer.

[DiAnne]

I don't handwash.  I use the delicate cycle on my washer.  I will lay flat to dry or hang to dry.  If I have a lined jacket I take it to the dry cleaners even if it says washable because I want a professional pressing job done.  I like button down collared blouses so I do iron what needs to be ironed to look neat.  

[libbyannE]

In general, I follow instructions, unless I really love something, in which case I follow what Mother taught me and take that item to the dry cleaner. This will date me, which is fine,  but in high school, Villager cotton shirtwaist dresses were among the hot things to wear, and Mother always took those and other good cotton clothes to the cleaners, even if they were washable. They always looked fresh and new, never droopy or faded. I have two Graver Premier Knit tunics, which I really love; the tag says they are washable, but I know better and have them dry cleaned. When they come back on hangers from the cleaners, though, I fold them and put them into a drawer. Never hang knits!

[ROMARY]

I've washed some 'dry clean only' items by hand.  The fabrics that I had to iron over and over again were crepe and satin blouses.  They were a 'pain' to iron, and also to get that new look afterward.   Otherwise, most items, including wool and mohair, and even cashmere sweaters, I wash in unscented Purex liquid laundry detergent, by hand.  I used to use Woolite many years ago, but discovered that Purex unscented (or whatever it's called / too lazy to go downstairs to look, lol). works just as well (for me).   .......... Edited to include saying that I stand by my washer, and only slightly spin on spin cycle.  Rearrange and then spin again.  Just a couple of minutes each time.  I try to avoid wrinkles by not over-spinning. 

[songbird]

I follow instructions except for hand wash.  I act like most people in the world that have washer/dryers. Put in a laundry type bag and wash in the machine on gentle.  Lay flat or hang to dry.  You have a be moron to hand wash anything.  This is not the 19th century.  Skip buying anything with embellishments.  What's the point of wearing anything if you can't machine wash?

[ROMARY]

I was some items by hand, and then stand there and lightly spin in my washer for a couple of minutes.  Maybe re-arrange, and spin again for a minute or two.  Just to avoid over-spinning which sometimes result in heavy wrinkling.  Then I lay flat to dry on my two wooden drying racks.  One in a tub, the other in a shower (only if they are too damp and/or slightly dripping/ wet.)  Otherwise, I'll move the rack into my sunny, West-facing kitchen where it's almost always very warm no matter how cold outside (sunshine or not).   EDITED:  I must also say that sometimes I let heavier items soak in the washer for,say, a half hour or so, and then I go downstairs and turn the agitate knob, let it agitate a few times, then I turn the cycle into rinse, and then let it go through the rinse cycle, making sure that it doesn't overly spin dry.  Less agitation and spinning that way, for certain items, such as sweaters, etc. that might be too heavy to handwash, yet too delicate to overly agitate, overly spin dry.  

[Texasmouse]

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@tansy wrote:

My washer has a handwash cycle.  If something is delicate or embroidered, I put it in a mesh bag.  

I bought some Chico's pants recently that fit well.  The tag says lay flat to dry -- uh huh, like that's going to happen.  I put a towel over the shower rod and flopped the pants the rod.

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I do the same thing, minus the towel. I find that air will circulate better around the garment that way and it will dry faster.

[apple1964]

Depends on the item.