How do I wash this dress?

[PaperPanama]

I have a floor-length evening dress, polyester, fully-lined bodice and skirt, net over-dress (I don't know whether this is the correct terminology) with unlined sleeves. The net part is heavily decorated with sequins. The care instructions say handwash only. How? The dress is already heavy. I'm worried about tearing when it is even heavier with water. And I've never washed anything sequined before.

I thought I might put it in a very large lingerie-type bag and swish it gently in the bath using liquid detergent or soap. Leave it to soak for a while. Then rinse it in the bath several times without wringing. Put fabric conditioner in last rinsing water. But then how do I dry it? Spread it out on a towel?

Any tips?

I’d take it to a dry cleaners and ask them to launder it (wash it with water) rather than dry clean it.

If you get it wet in the bath it will be so heavy that you’ll be in danger of tearing something when you hang it up, and as you can’t wring it out or spin it, all that water will run out of it in gallons even if you do get it hanging somewhere. if you do decide to try it at home, then perhaps getting it on to a coat hanger and then if you have a suspended track from a shower curtain you could hook it over that and let it drip into the bath, but be prepared for it to take several days to dry.

If you do go with your original idea, don’t bother with fabric conditioner.

I wouldn't wash it. If it really needs it I'd gently hand wash or sponge dab around neck and arm holes.

I would also use something like this on it

I would hand wash in the bath and then hang over an airer in the bath to slowly drip dry. I wouldn’t dry clean it unless you really have to and I wouldn’t use fabric conditioner either.

Seriously, does it even need to be washed? MN is obsessed with washing but other than around neck and armpits I can't imagine why this needs to be fully laundered.

How expensive was it?

If inexpensive I'd probably risk on a delicates cycle in the washing machine.

If expensive I'd take it to the drycleaners.

This too - don't wash it unless necessary, and certainly not every wear.

@PaperPanama if you do end up washing it yourself, a couple of things that help with sequins: turn it inside out first, use cool water and a tiny bit of gentle detergent, and when you lift it out support the whole weight from underneath (a big towel works like a sling) rather than pulling it up by the straps or net. Then lay it flat on a thick towel, roll it up gently to soak out the water and leave it flat on a fresh dry towel. Don't hang it while it's wet as the weight can stretch the net. Good luck with it!

I have to wash it. I bought it second hand and it smells of the most gorgeous perfume. Unfortunately, I am allergic to perfume.

I wash everything except tailoring.
Do you have a hand wash programme on your machine?
I use woolite ( pink washing liquid). Put big stuff in a pillowcase and tie the ends.
I then hang in my airing cupboard.
If it's heavy lay it flat to dry. As pp said it will take a few days. Sequins are plastic as is polyester. Both don't like being dry cleaned.

Why not?

I would wash it in a laundry bag in the washing machine. It is polyester and plastic sequins so there’s no danger to the fabric from water and detergent. The only danger is stress to the delicate net fabric, which would be sorted by folding it and using a laundry bag.

The washing machine will spin the water out (maybe just spin at 800 if you’re worried, though in a laundry bag I wouldn’t worry). Then lay it flat on a towel to dry. If you can prop an airer or something over the backs of a few chairs for the towel to rest on it’s dry quicker, but being flat would be important to me so it doesn’t stretch. Fan heater or dehumidifier or warm room will help.