Dry clean only - do you risk hand washing?

[HuntingoftheSnark]

I know, depends what it is. It's a Jigsaw dress - in a photograph on here recently I think - and like a fool I bought it before checking washing instructions. I am usually good ....

If I wash it in cold water, what do you think (I appreciate that you don't know) are the chances of it being ok? It could afford to shrink a bit anyway.

It’s a lovely dress.

l would have taken a bigger risk than you have OP and machine washed it at 30 degrees on a delicates cycle. I regularly break “dry clean only rules”. It’s expensive, plus I think dry cleaning machines can be almost “violent” compared with a gentle machine wash.

Viscose is made from bamboo and is quite a robust fabric.

Let us know how it goes.

I think it will be fine OP. It might look as if has shrunk when it comes out but a combination of pulling it into shape when it comes out, then partially flat drying it and finally a cool iron while still quite damp should restore it.

Thank you. That's exactly what I did and it looks ok. Fingers crossed.

I think it worked! Thanks so much for all your advice.

OP, you might want to try a delicates machine wash next time. I think you would be quite safe, and l wouldn't encourage you to do so if l thought it would ruin you dress; it’s lovely.

@StarlightLady thank you, I will!

I put mine in the machine on the hand wash cycle

I usually don't risk it until the item gets old, then wash it on "Delicates" and find I've paid dry cleaning for umpteen years for nothing!

I suspect that it's largely to legally protect the manufacturers in case you stick it into a hot wash with a couple of rugby kits and a pair of trainers . . .

Viscose? Heck yeah, it'd be in the regular wash probably.
Certainly no hesitation to handwash in cold water.

I have several Samantha Sung cotton dresses to which that applies.

With some dresses I will gently handwash underarms, collar and cuffs. The rest of a dress if it's worn with a full length slip doesn't need washing after every wear.

@TheLassWiADelicateAir well that’s all my money spent on Samantha Sung dresses forever…god they’re beautiful.

I chuck mine in on a 15 minute cool wash on 30

Ok, lesson learned. First time on since I hand washed it in cold water and it has shrunk and gone crinkly. It was a calculated risk I chose to take .... is there any solution or is that it?

Photograph today - it hangs completely differently.

As one of the people who suggested go for it, l feel bad now. ☹️. Try wearing it about the house. Body heat may help.

@StarlightLady no of course don't feel bad!! I went with the majority. It's ok but now it's just a dress.

Oh! It has taken hasn’t it! But wet it down and give it a good stretch and it should soften. I must admit I am quite brutal with viscose!

This is why, unless I'm really super careful (preferably hand wash myself rather than in machine and if in machine on delicates or whatever wash) I always dry clean things which need them.

Really? I'm at work but will try that when I get home. Thank you.

The last Jigsaw dress I bought said dry clean only or hand wash. So I took it to the dry cleaners. Came back with fabric stretched to twice the size: dress unwearable, ruined.

Great cut though so I bought another and vowed to handwash it. Which I did, very very gently in completely cold water. The fabric expanded to twice the size and the dress was again ruined.

😐

As a slight aside, some years ago my sister bought a bikini which said “dry clean only” on the label! 🤔

I always wash viscose. It can shrink up and thicken, but steam pressing it afterwards brings it back to size.
I would worry more about dye run than shrinkage, so with a print like that I wash the item first in cold water with a colour catcher to see what the dye is doing.
Most things are washable with care.

Did you iron it? Unironed viscose is completely different from ironed! (see my point in an earlier post about what happens to the fibres when it's washed)

LOL, I've accidentally washed rather a few dry clean only clothes. Some have been totally fine, some fairly OK (viscose) and some have sadly now departed. My favourite one was a rather lovely old Austin Reed suit that I had picked up for not a lot in a charity shop several years previously. My 3 year old DD looked wonderful in it after the wash.