100% silk top, do I really need to dry clean it?

[UntamedShrew]

The label says I do, but I have lots of clothes from the same place (Jigsaw) that say the same, like jumpers and dresses, and when I've handwashed them they have been fine. I don't know if maybe they just say that to cover themselves sometimes as a retailer, against shrunken items being returned.

Not sure about silk though, does anyone know? It also says 'due to crinkle nature of the fabric we recommend you do not iron' - so dry cleaning seems a real waste anyway if it can't even be pressed.

Thanks.

How do you tell what kind of silk it is? Label just says 100% pure silk.

I was going to use something gentle like Dreft or ecover hand wash, is that no good?

thanks!

I always handwash silk tops - dry cleaning every time is way too expensive. I use some fairy handwash powder or woolite and lukewarm water and am gentle.I rinse in cold, gently squeeze nad drr flat or on a hanger. I think the holes in the drum of machine can kind of catch and shred the silk even on a handwash cycle.

I have washed silk skirt by accident in bio wash powder. Seems ok much to my relief.
what sort of damage does bio powder do?

I think it can drain and dull the colour mainly and can sometimes leave whitish streaks

I machine wash on 30 degrees and slow spin and use Woollite. No problem.

I have some lovely 100% heavy silk wrap skirts, and they go in the (American, so hard on clothes and completely uncontrolled water temperature) washing machine, on hot, with standard powder (which I learned on here is all bio apparently) and they're just fine.

I then whack them in the tumble dryer, and apart from static they come out beautifully with no need to iron.

I think washing instructions are always very over-cautious. All the t-shirts/jeans/whatever I buy out here have instructions to wash in cold water (!) which seems ridiculous to someone from Europe who considers 40 degrees a gentle heat wash..

Dry cleaning doesn't fade the colour which washing will over time. Silk needs a very cool iron and can easily burn.