All clothing and linen items come with a care label as a guide to instruct us with the proper cleaning method required for the fabric.

In some circumstances, it’s okay to delicately machine wash clothing that says dry clean, but that depends on the fabric type. Fabrics that should be dry cleaned are delicate ones that can’t handle the agitation and hot water from the washing machine.

What Fabrics Should Be Dry Cleaned?

• Wool
• Silk
• Rayon
• Linen

Wool: A sturdy and durable fabric like wool is too delicate to be machine washed, so it’s best to have it dry cleaned instead. The hot water and agitation from the washing machine will only ruin the fibres of the fabric. When cared for properly, it will last longer.

Silk: This luxurious fabric is known to need proper care when it comes to cleaning and maintenance, so the suitable method of cleaning is to be dry cleaned. Alternatively, it can be hand washed in cold water.

Rayon: Since Rayon is a manufactured fibre made from regenerated cellulose fibre, it can be difficult to decide on the appropriate cleaning method. This semisynthetic fabric is best to be dry cleaned as it may shrink or deform in shape in the washing machine.

Linen: This type of fabric can be hand washed as well as dry cleaned and often requires ironing. Linen is made of breathable flax fibres which, if washed incorrectly, can ruin the fabrics crisped finish. 

What Fabrics Shouldn’t Be Dry Cleaned?

• Cotton
• Synthetic Fibres

Cotton: Although cotton is a natural material, it can tolerate the agitation of being machine washed as well as machine dried and does not need dry cleaning. 

Synthetic Fibres: Clothing made out of Polyester, nylon, spandex, acrylic or acetate does not require dry cleaning as they won’t have a negative effect in the washing machine. 

Dry cleaning sounds like a long process but it’s actually really simple. If you don’t have the right equipment to dry clean at home, you can schedule a free collection and delivery with Laundryheap.