Dry Clean Only - grrr

[tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz]

When you find an outfit that ticks every box, try it on and feel a million dollars then just as you are about to order check the washing instructions and it's

BLOODY DRY CLEAN ONLY

Just - why?

(Outfit is a Ted Baker jumpsuit (100% viscose!!!) for an accident prone spills wine when tipsy wearer at a wedding)

And now I'm trying to buy it anyway and there is nowhere to put my promo code.

Damn you Ted Baker

Viscose should be okay hand-washed. I own quite a few ‘dry clean only’ items, all are washed carefully and I’ve only had one item ruined in about 30 years, and I suspected that one might not have survived it anyway.

So hard to know whether to risk it. Often the fabric will be ok but the lining will react differently to the main fabric and you will end up with irreversible puckering and slanted twisting at the stitches.

I’ve washed several dry clean only items over the years. All have been fine. It’s a risk worth taking if you love an outfit enough.

You need to be super careful or it will shrink.

Lots of things will shrink up to 3% after a first wash (which you may be able to get away with) but will keep shrinking at a similar rate until about wash five.

Sometimes you can get viscose back with ironing, but that's it's own gamble.

If you won't wear it often you might be better spending the money on a dry clean.

This is what DH has suggested too and that actually provided I'm not sweating lots in it and don't obviously spill anything (herein could lie the problem I'm going to have to be super careful!) if I hang it out to air after each wear it shouldn't need washing every time.

You know what I think I'm going to go for it and it's a gorgeous colour I would never have considered but DH thought it might look great so I tried it on and it does actually look great with my colouring.

Thanks all for replying! Happy Sunday