Marella Shirt Laundry Disaster

[ByCosyGoose]

This shirt was an expensive purchase for me. I paid 90 GBP in the sale. Full price was 145 GBP, I think. It was my special holiday top and I wore it out to dinner, perhaps a total of six times.
It is 80% cotton and 20% silk and the label says hand wash only.
We have a really good Miele machine and I machine wash everything including silk, underwear, wool and cashmere and have never had a problem until now.
I put the Marella shirt on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag and when I got it out the sleeves were almost cut through at the bottom with rips across the top of the sleeves and damage around the cuffs. Both sleeves are damaged in exactly the same three places. The body of the shirt is absolutely fine.
AIBU to think this is a manufacturing quality issue?
Marella were totally unsympathetic when I contacted them. They told me it is a delicate fabric and I should have hand washed it.

What does the label say? It’s not great at all, but if it says to hand wash I doubt you’ll get anywhere.

The label says hand wash only, but you didn’t.

I know that some things that say hand wash can be washed on a very delicate programme in the machine, but, given that it was an expensive purchase, I’d have erred on the side of caution and hand washed it.

I’m sure the company won’t be keen to do anything, because you didn’t follow the laundering instructions.

I’m going to guess it was the spinning which caused the damage. That wouldn’t have happened if you hand washed it.
Sorry but I think you have write this up as experience!

i would have dry cleaned tbh but still handwashing should have been fine.

it takes so little time to hand wash. But in any case it is really wearing how it’s ripped

Company covering its backside by 'hand wash' only. You didn't follow instructions so pointless in pursuing. Demonstrates that price / quality are not bedfellows any longer. Never had a supermarket / Primark item disintegrate on a hand wash machine programme and I even wash men's suit trousers in the machine. A lesson that hand wash only is a get out by a manufacturer unlikely to have tested a fabric.

The mesh bag could have caused the problem by rubbing the delicate fabric also. (I have a Miele and wash all sorts oh hand wash or dry clean only things in it but never in a bag just loose in the drum.) Unfortunately because you didn't follow the specific care instructions you won't get any help from the manufacturer or retailer.

Agree (vehemently!) with the commenter who said "hand wash" is used as a get out. I once had to interview a dry cleaning expert and there was a correlation there between high end manufacturers and lazy labelling/not ensuring the longevity of the designs, in stark contrast to high street manufacturing. The washing machine companies develop the hand wash settings to replace hand washing ergo they should be appropriate in my book. Anyway, I need to put this expensive catastrophe behind me, sob, and perhaps cheer myself up with a new holiday top. Not from Marella, obviously. Marks and Sparks here I come!