Can you/should you wash hand-wash only clothes in a washing machine?

[dunceinlove]

If it is on gentle cycle or woolcycle?

I'm talking a mahair jumper and pure new wool jumper? I've handwashed them but would like to know for future.

[BelleDameSansMerci]

I wouldn't put mohair in the washing machine... I wash lots of handwash only clothes in my washing machine (it has a specific handwash/delicates and a cold cycle). I even put some dry clean only things in. I still wouldn't put mohair or pure new wool in though. I think it will shrink.

[DinahRod]

A lot of handwash items only I put inside a knotted pillowcase on the handwash cycle with something like Dreft, including woollens. However, mohair is a bugger to wash and I'm not sure I'd risk it.

[DitaVonCheese]

I only wash handwash (and most dry clean only) stuff in the washing machine. I don't have the patience to do actual handwashing, so if it gets wrecked then I wouldn't have worn it again anyway, it would just have languished at the bottom of my laundry basket for the rest of my life. It has only gone wrong twice, both times with stuff shrinking - once managed to rectify by dampening and then stretching and ironing, other time this ended up with dress being ripped to pieces!

I have no info on mohair though. Also some cashmere stuff tends to get holey before it perhaps would usually.

[emsyj]

I wash all my handwash and many dry clean (other than wool suits or formal dresses) items in my washing machine, although heed my warning that the little Oasis silk shift dresses do NOT cope with this treatment! Mine started out a lovely peacock-blue silk dress and came out a greyish dishrag. Gah!

I do put cashmere and pure wool in the machine, but be careful what detergent you use and only do it if you are willing to risk the item getting ruined. You can't return it if the machine chews it up. That's why lots of clothing manufacturers put 'hand wash' on their labels - they can't be arsed doing the necessary testing to see if it can withstand machine washing. Don't use fabric softener with wool.

[Sonilaa]

I wash every thing in the mashine, even dh*s cashmir jumpers. woolcycle cold, no spin, squeeze between wo towels before putting up to dry.
I use ecover delicate washing liquid for that. no complains so far.

[Bonsoir]

I wash absolutely everything in the machine - I have a top of the range Siemens washing machine and use Woolite and the wool/silk "handwash" cycle for delicates.

[SparkyToo]

My washing machine has a hand-wash option - which I tend to use for those items that require hand-washing. Thing is, it's using a whole cycle for a few bits and pieces, so probably abit of a waste, but certainly saves the hassle!

[fruitstick]

I have always done this and today - my washing machine decided to shrink them .

No difference to the setting I normally use - obviously the washing machine has decided to fight back!

[thumbwitch]

mohair and lambswool no. I have always handwashed mohair (and cashmere) - I got a bit cavalier with my fine lambswool cardigan and although it didn't shrink, it ended up with fine holes all over it. Just can't take the bashing in the washing machine.

If you have net washing bags it might make it better (I have them now, didn't before my lambswool cardi suffered) but you still run the risk of shrinking.