Yes we know that some clothes have been tagged “dry clean only”, but this does not mean that they can become totally ruined by gentle machine washing or even hand washing, provided you are very cautious and careful.
A lot of the time, when you think about it, it may be difficult to make that trip to the dry cleaner and spend such amount of money. Other times, you begin to consider doing it yourself because you need it urgently and can’t find same day laundry in London. Against all odds, you can carry out your own dry cleaning in your home and get away with it just by following these steps.
Here are a few steps to guide your washing process;
-
Decode Those Symbols
Every piece of clothing has symbols drawn on their labels. Some have just labels drawn on them, while others have a bit of written instructions too. These symbols and instructions are meant to guide you on cleaning and washing these clothes. The most common symbols are the circles. An empty circle means the clothing should be handled by a professional dry cleaner. Other times, you may see a circle with the letter “F” or “P” written inside of it. The letters signify the type of solvent to be used in handling or cleaning the clothes.
For clothes that should not be dry cleaned, you will see the symbol of a circle with a large “X”, often extending outside the diameter of the circle found on the label. Taking note of all these symbols and more will help you know how to handle each piece of clothing.
-
Find Out Which Fabric Can Be Washed
Even though you would like to carry out your cleaning yourself, pay attention to the different fabrics. For instance, some delicate fabrics like velvet, leather and some silk will not come out well when washed with soap and water. They will have to be taken to the dry cleaner. Other fabrics like cotton, wool and even some silk can survive very gentle handwashing or machine wash.
Some fabrics will not be affected in cold water, while some others require a warm one, and denim must never go into the machine. For better understanding, you must once again refer to the symbols on the labels of each of the fabrics.
-
Do A Quick Spot Test
The essence of the quick spot test is to determine if the cloth is prone to fading or its colors will be ruined. You conduct this test using a wet cotton swab mixed with some detergent. The aim is to rub it on some areas of the cloth. If the cotton swab comes out with some color from the fabric and is no longer white, then the cloth must be dry cleaned.
-
Washing
This is done with the assumption that your cloth passed the quick spot test. You are either hand washing or using the delicate cycles of the washing machine. Whichever one it is, do it carefully, with emphasis on color separation and once you are done, you can air dry on a flat surface or on a line, provided their shape is not affected.
-
Celebrate
Yes, you have achieved this task. Give yourself a thumbs up and celebrate. This will make it easier the next time you decide to carry out your own laundry. The important thing is to pay attention to the labels and symbols.
If you are still unsure about the cleaning process, it might be best to continue your appointment with your regular dry cleaner. Also, you can use the dry cleaner near me option to search for the closest dry cleaning company near you.