Machine washing dry clean only skirt

[AnythingNotEverything]

I've just bought a lovely skirt in a sale. I've taken a risk as it's dry clean only, and the cleaning fees will outstrip any savings quite quickly.

It's a linen skirt - thick suit type linen, and the label lists linen, "lyocell" (which Google tells me is machine washable) and polyester, which I assume is the lining.

My question is whether the washing machine (on a 30 degree delicates wash) will destroy it? I suspect the issue is with the lining, or that the skirt will be un-ironable ...

Any thoughts/advice/experience?

TIA

The potential issue will likely be the lining. If you use a delicates or hand wash cycle it should be absolutely fine. I tend to ignore the dry-cleaning label, unless it's heavily beaded/sequinned and haven't had a problem yet.

That's what I hope moonlight. There's nothing to fall off it and no suede or silk to be damaged.

Thanks for backing me up!

- I even do silk in the washing machine! - That is what the 'hand-washing' programme is there for...[lazy slattern emoticon]

If the lining is only attached at the waist I would risk the machine. I wouldn't risk anything with a fully sewn in lining marked "Dry Clean" in the machine. I have ruined clothes that way. Washing up liquid and tepid water in the bath. A quick swirl and rinse. Some don't even stand up to that. I also ruined unlined thick woven linen suit trousers in the machine in the silks wash. I then tried the jacket with the hand wash method and it was just as bad. Both emerged as irreversibly crumpled. Normal linen is usually fine in the machine.

Thanks Dinah. You sound like the voice of experience.

Bitter,bitter experience. I also discovered that there is a limit to the number of times clothes will take dry cleaning. I read some advice that said 6 dry cleanings was the limit. I found that hard to believe until I discovered for myself that some items only survive 3 dry cleanings. If you really love that skirt you might think about giving it 2 goes at dry cleaning and then try the hand wash.

This made me recall this. Interesting piece about washing dry clean only clothes. (Daily Mail)

Lyocell is a form of viscose which often does not much care for water. I have found from bitter experience that mixed fabrics often don't wash as well as single fibre fabrics, and would worry that the Lyocell would shrink/stretch more than the linen, leaving a somewhat mis-shapen garment.