Will I kill a silk top if I bung it in the washing machine?

[freddiefrog]

Fell in love with a French Connection top in TK Maxx

Didn't read any of the labels or washing instructions at the time, it was a tenner so it didn't occur to me it would be anything fancy.

Except, it's 100% silk, dry clean only

I never buy dry clean only stuff, I'm miles away from a dry cleaner so stuff festers at the bottom of the washing basket for an age

I've got a delicate setting on my washing machine, will I ruin the top if I machine wash it?

I've washed all sorts of stuff by accident (including DH's dry clean only suit trousers) and it's all come out fine, but I love this top

I would hand wash it or put it on the delicates cycle but be prepared for potential colour fade.

Is it plain or patterned?

I do wash plain silk shirts but they then do have that washed silk look which I'm fine with.

But patterned silk, I'd be more wary of because of colours running.

It's just plain.

It's cream anyway so not much colour to fade

I wish I'd never read the washing instructions now, I'd've just bunged it in without all this procrastination

Thanks!

I'd do it on delicate cycle with woollite then.

I would just hand wash it gently with something like Woollite and wrap dry in towel to get rid of the excess moisture. Let it dry.

exactly what Mrs C-B said. Do it all the time (dry cleaning has become ruinously ££)

I wash mine with woolite on silk cycle then do short spin on lowest setting and hang over bath to dry - no issues.

It's creasing that's the killer with silk ime, it washes ok but it never really goes flat again.

It's the spin that's a bit with washing silk in a machine (like tights) so maybe just soak it in delicate detergent and hang it out after a gentle hand wring;I do that with my tights and they last a lot longer than when I machine washed them (even when I put them in a cotton washbag).

Thanks!

I'll give it a go with hand washing rather than in the machine, although there's a hand wash cycle as well as delicate

I was going to hang it on a hanger to dry, would it be better over the bannister instead?

Thank you

don't spin- let it drip dry after rolling in a towel.

Dry on a coat hanger but not metal- rust- wood - stains might come out- or material if the colour might come out.

I use a 15 degree delicates wash, spin on low speed. Works well on all silks, even cream silk shirt.

Lie a towel flat, place top on it ,spread out flat, then roll towel from one end- do not wring or twist. take top out and put on hanger- I do this ( minus hanger) for all delicate tops, dresses or knitwear.

god, i really want to know what the lovely top looks like now!