Should I risk putting this in the washing machine?

[Rox1701D]

I have this dress from Hobbs (picture will load soon I hope). It says dry clean only.

However it’s 100% polyester (I know, I know but it looked great on me).

Should I risk putting in the washing machine? I’d use a laundry bag and not wash it with anything else.

How about hand-washing it?

I think I'd do that first. Then if that's ok, next time I washed it I'd put in in the machine on the shortest, coolest cycle.

Lovely dress, by the way!

I would absolutely.

Do you have a delicate setting? That’s more of a soak wash than a quick vigorous one. That, on a cool temp I’d imagine would be fine.
anything I’m not sure about I wash on a delicate setting and it’s not failed me…yet

I do have a delicate setting and can set temperature and spin speed separately as well.

I’m nervous!

It annoys me when clothes say dry clean only when there is no obvious reason for them to need that. I think it’s manufacturers covering themselves.

Like others, I’d start with a hand wash and if that was ok the next time I’d put in the machine on a hand wash cycle.

I'd also wash it on delicate and cold. I recently bought some cushions from vinted that were dry clean only, put them on a normal 30 wash and they turned out perfect! No reason at all they should be dry cleaned!!

Actually, given my general hamfistedness and lack of domestic aptitude it’d probably be safer in the wash than if I tried handwashing it. It’s beautiful, I hope it works out.

Hand wash, a machine wash on delicate is in the water too long.

Okay. How does one properly hand wash? I’ve never been sure.

I can get my delicate wash at 20°, a spin of 400 and finished in 28 minutes.

There’s also a quick wash I can do at 20°, 400 spin that finishes in 13 minutes?

I wouldn't even bother with a delicate wash, but a 30-40° normal wash. But I probably wouldn't have bought something in polyester in the first place, as I'm fussy about fabrics. I stick stuff like silk and cashmere in the machine, though. I detest hand washing. My machine has wool and delicates cycles for a reason.

I would. I bought an expensive silk cotton dress that was dry clean only but I put it in the washing machine on the cashmere wash (20 degrees) and it’s been fine. I generally always risk it unless it’s got sequins, intricate embroidery or special finishing and I’ve never had an issue.

I have a beautiful silk shirt that's dry clean only. I put it on a baby clothes gentle wash and it's fine.

Would absolutely put 100% poly in the machine. Dry clean wouldn't get rid of underarm smells and it's full of chemicals.

Wool wash

I would. I recently put a Hobbs dry clean only dress through the wash on a 30 degree short wash and it was absolutely fine. Dry cleaning doesn't get rid of sweat odours - and I'd worn it to Court and sweated!

Do you have a handwash setting? I did a polyester dress in a normal setting (despite it saying handwash only) and it came out like cardboard and had shrunk a little. I ironed it which I've seen recommended before which helped then the next wash I did it in a handwash setting as I figured it was probably ruined anyway. It's fine now, seems to have recovered from the normal wash! Agree with others, what a gorgeous dress!

I always wash dry clean things on the delicates setting in the machine. Never had anything go wrong so far, 25 or more years in.

Beware that if you are in London/SE at the moment then the water feed is unlikely to be at 20 degrees (might even be warmer than 30) and the machine won't cool it if that's the case. And/or might reach >20 or >30 by the end of the cycle.

Hand wash you will be able to control better.

I have this dress. I got it dry cleaned after I wore it. Please report back how the wash goes, I might try it next time.

I’d recommend hand washing - it won’t exactly take long. Is it wholly polyester, or is there any sort of lining? One reason for saying dry clean only is that two different fabrics can shrink differently (which is the case with, for example, lined curtains) but if your dress is as it appears, hand washing would seem to be absolutely safe, and in this weather, it will dry quickly on the line even if it’s absolutely soaking when you hang it out.

Is it lined? The only problem I can think of is if the lining shrinks more/less than the outer and doesn’t hang properly.

With these settings, i think you'll find the delicates is more of a soak then wash (so more similar to hand washing) The quick one isn't as gentle, just a faster version of a normal cycle so it can be rough on delicate fabrics.

Shrinking is caused by the garment being too long in water. Delicate washes wool washes, baby wash silk wash, quick wash they’re all far too long in the water. A quick wash agitates clothing more than a normal wash.

Any update OP? How did it go?

I’ve not done anything with it yet! Still nervous. Also I’ve been unwell so have been deliberately lazy. Soon.