Machine washing a dry clean only coat

[chickenmama]

My coat is beige and filthy and I never get round to taking it to the dry cleaners. It's made up of the following:

outer 100% cotton
lining 100% nylon
fake fur 52% modacrylic 48% acrylic
backing 100% polyester

and it says dry clean only.

I know nothing about materials and was wondering if it'd be ok if I put it in the washing machine. My daughers coats are all fine to be machine washed and this doesn't look so different.

Can anyone help?

Fake fur isn't very washing-machine friendly.

Cotton may shrink.
If you can't afford for it to be ruined, take it to the cleaners.

I machine wash everything that says dry clean only. On 30 degree wool wash only if it's something delicate.
Don't sue me though if your coat is unwearable, but I just chuck everything in.

I machine wash a French Connection coat which is cotton outer/polyester lining. It has a kind of moleskin appearance

It's aqua blue and comes up beautifully

I can see Dittany's point though if it's a good quality, structured coat

I also machine wash my DDs' fake fur items with no disasters to date

It's not shaped, not sure how to describe it but it's cord and more like an anorak/duffle coat than something fitted.

I'll wait for a few more comments and then might give the 30 degree wool wash a go

Don't know about your coat specifically but just to offer a tip for washing of any fake fur: as soon as it has come out of the machine, comb it out gently with a narrow-tooth comb (ie a hair comb). This straightens and separates the fur and it dries a lot smoother and nicer in appearance.

I generally spend a good 5 mins doing say, a fake fur collar. Don't skimp on doing the edges either! (where the fake fur meets with other fabric).

It can take a good 10 mins or more to do larger fake fur items properly, but it is certainly worth it.