8 Things That Decide Whether Clothes Need Dry Clean Or Not

  • Amrita Singh
  • September 30, 2022
Facebook Instagram Linkedin
8-Points-To-Consider-Before-Sending-Clothes-To-A-Dry-Cleaner
8 Points To Consider Before Sending Clothes To A Dry Cleaner

Table of Contents

When the garment care label says “dry-clean only” the manufacturers make it very clear that the garment needs special care, hence it needs dry cleaning.

Generally, such garments are made up of delicate fabrics or have embroidery, embellishments, etc. So, it does make sense to get them dry-cleaned and preserve them for a long time. 

But, you might have seen the “dry clean only” label on some of the most basic, plain and daily wear kinds of clothes like t-shirts and jeans. It is obvious and normal to feel an obvious urge to wash such clothes at home. And this is where it becomes tough to decide between Wash & Dry Clean.

Here, we will discuss this aspect so that you can give appropriate treatment to your clothes. 

Plain clothes are labelled “dry clean only” when manufacturers recommend the safest cleaning method and ensure the best results for their consumers. They just want to be extra protective with their clothing.

If you think that a garment can be washed at home, you may be right. You can hand wash or use a home dry cleaning kit on some fabrics even if its garment care label says “dry clean” or “dry clean only”. However, this doesn’t mean all clothes can be washed at home.

Here are 8 things to look at before deciding whether you should wash or dry clean your clothes.

Ease Of Ironing The Garment

Ironing gets easier if pleated garments are dry-cleaned

Ironing a pleated skirt or shirt with pin tucks is slightly tougher than ironing plain T-shirts. Such garments should not be washed at home. Because a normal wash cycle will leave the pleats and tucks messy. And, it will be hard to iron them. You may not be able to give them their original crisp-free finish at home ever again. 

Inner Linings Of The Garment

Garments having inner linings needs dry cleaning
Garments having inner linings needs dry cleaning

If the garment has inner linings you should check whether the inner fabric is washable or not as well. For example, Acetate and polyester do not shrink with a normal wash. Whereas, inner linings of cotton, viscose and rayon are prone to shrinkage while laundry. Inner linings with silk or wool will require special care while being cleaned.

Leather Elements In The Garment

Garments having leather elements needs dry cleaning
Clothes having leather elements need dry cleaning

Sometimes clothes are trimmed with leather or they feature leather in other ways. For example, a denim jacket may have leather elbow patches. If you will wash such clothes the leather part will get adversely affected. Leather is a natural fibre, the oils in its skin bind to water molecules. After a regular wash, the water will dry and it will start drawing out the natural oil in leather. This will make the leather stiff and brittle. And your garment will lose its original charm. Leather always need dry cleaning so you should not wash such clothes at home.

Colour Bleeding Garment

A man concerned about how to remove colour bleeding stains from clothes

If a garment bleeds colour, don’t wash it at home. To check the colourfastness you can dip a cotton swab in plain water and rub it on the garment. Make sure you do it on the hem or an inside seam. If colour gets transferred to the cotton swab then the garment should not be washed at home. Otherwise, you will lose the original shade of the garment. Dry cleaners use special chemicals that ensure 100% preservation of the colours of the fabric. It’s up to you what you choose.

Click here to know: How to remove colour bleeding stains

Already got colour bleeding stains on your clothes?

Try Tumbledry

Value Of The Garment

It is better to dry clean clothes that are valuable to keep them safe
It is better to get valuable garments dry cleaned

Laundry disasters are real. Sometimes even if your focus shifts slightly your laundry mishap can happen. It always feels bad when clothes get damaged in laundry. But it is worse when clothes that are a little more precious gets ruined. Thus, many people prefer dry cleaning for some clothes which hold a special value to them to minimize risk of damage. That being said, it is completely up to you whether you want to treat such clothes at home or not.

Special Finish On The Garment

Garments with special finish or structure need dry cleaned
Garments with special finish or structure should be dry cleaned

Some coats, suits, and jackets have interfacing which gives a certain shape to them. In such garments, the outer fabric may be washable. However, the interfacings that create gaps may not tolerate water or excessive agitation in the washing machine. 

Your special clothes need special treatment at Tumbledry stores.

Order Now!

Click here to know: How to wash coats at home

Fibre Of The Garment

Fine fabrics like silk need dry cleaning
Fine fabrics like silk need dry cleaning

Read the garment care label to see the fibres of the garment. Wash it only if you know about the fibre. For example, you might know about fibres like cotton, silk, wool, etc. And you will easily find washing guides for such fabrics. However, you might not know about fibres like spandex or acetate. Wash such fabrics only if you have successfully washed the fibres earlier or it is directed on the label to wash them.

Lifespan Of Garment

Very old garments need dry cleaning
Very old garments need dry cleaning

If a garment has spent several years in your closet and it has lost its original shade and shine, it might need special care. Washing it at home may steadily weaken the fabric. Because sometimes that fabrics lose their ability to tolerate regular laundry detergents, bleaching agents, fabric softeners etc. You can send such clothes to dry cleaners.

We hope now it will be easy for you to check whether a garment with a “dry clean” or “dry-clean only” label can be washed at home or not. Keep reading our articles for more detailed information on dry cleaning and laundry.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not necessarily purport to reflect the values or views of Tumbledry.

Subscribe to us:

Sign up to get more such information & get the best deals on professional cleaning

Useful Links

Contact Us

Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube

schedule Free Pick Up

Our 7 Step Process For Spotless Shining Shoes!

Seven Step Process

Try it once to feel the difference

Schedule Pickup

  • Inspection

    Shoe material analyzed to decide the cleaning methodology.

  • Dismantling

    The laces, sole, and other removable parts are separated to be cleaned individually.

  • Deep Cleaning & Stain Removal

    Any spots or stains are removed with German organic chemicals.

  • Deodorize (Anti-bacterial Treatment)

    All the bacteria, viruses and bad odor is eliminated.

  • Drying

    Shoes are Air Dried, Blow Dried, or Sun Dried depending on the skin type.

  • Shoe Nourishment

    Shoe skin is nourished & enriched with our unique natural oil based polish

  • Assembly

    Once polish is dried, our experts reassemble all shoe parts and pack them for delivery.

Try it once to feel the difference

Schedule Pickup
Back

Carpet Cleaning

Carpet Dry Cleaning Service By Tumbledry

An intense, deep-cleaning of carpets to restore their original glory

We specialize in dry cleaning of Persian rugs, silk & Turkish carpets, and all other premium, imported rugs of nylon, wool, cotton, polyester and olefin.

  • 100% carpet fabric color & luster preserved
  • Eco-friendly, pet and child-safe detergents
  • Anti germ treatment & deodorization
  • Mold damage reversal
  • Complimentary border pasting
Schedule Free Pickup
Back

WOOLENS DRY CLEANING​

Tumbledry Dry Cleaning for Woolen Garments

Our Woolmark approved Lagoon system is the world’s most advanced and eco-friendly technology for dry cleaning woolen garments – sweaters, coats, furs, shawls, pashmina, and jackets.

Your woolen garments will be delivered stain free, and will retain their original texture, smoothness, fluffiness, shape & size. Our advanced systems and processes ensure zero shrinkage.

For expensive and delicate woolens like furs & pashmina, we use special eco-friendly chemicals from Germany which are of neutral ph, and form a protective covering around wool fiber to maintain its shine & lustre after dry cleaning.

Schedule Free Pickup
Back

CURTAIN CLEANING​

Curtain Dry Cleaning Service At Tumbledry

Premium curtain dry cleaning service service with facility to remove the curtains from rods and install them back after dry cleaning.

  • Processing as per curtain fabric type (silk, velvet, blackout etc)
  • Zero shrinkage guaranteed with our Italian technology
  • 99% stain removal promise
  • 100% shine & lustre maintained with our German organic chemicals
  • Crisp, wrinkle free steam iron
  • Complimentary curtain ring replacement
Schedule Free Pickup
Back

Leather Dry Cleaning

We specialize in dry cleaning of leather shoes, bags and jackets

Professional leather dry cleaning for jackets, bags, purses, clutches, wallets, belts, shoes, boots and stilettos.

Protect your leather items from dirt, dust, oil stains, perspiration, dehydration, mold & mildew.

Our expert leather care technicians inspect each item with utmost care to assess the color, shade, and type of leather, and accordingly decide the most appropriate treatment.

Complimentary conditioning and polishing to ensure smooth & shining finish

Schedule Free Pickup
Back

Shoes/Bag Cleaning & Restoration

Shoe & Bag Dry Cleaning & Restoration By Tumbledry

Experts in dry cleaning of Sports, Canvass, Leather, Suede, Nubuck Shoes, Sneakers, Boots, Sandals and Canvass, Jute, Leather & Suede Bags

    • Gentle chemicals and conditioners to maintain the color & fabric.
    • Mink & Lanolin Oil Nourishment
    • Spotless cleaning of laces, straps, insoles, and inner lining
    • Disinfection with our German deodorizers

Following Restoration Services are also available:

    • Sole pasting
    • Inner sole replacement
    • Damaged collar replacement
    • Inner lining replacement
    • Heel replacement
    • Sole replacement
    • Re coloring
    • Laces replacement
Schedule Free Pickup
Back

Haute CouturE Dry CleaniNG

Haute Couture Dry Cleaning At Tumbledry

Want to restore the glory of your haute couture? Look no further than Tumbledry!

We have a separate team of processing experts who handle your most expensive silk, bridal & designer wear for dry cleaning. Each Haute Couture article is given a customized treatment in our state of the art dry cleaning facility.

Our team has more than a decade experience of dry cleaning most delicate and expensive silk sarees, including: Banarasi silk, Kanjivaram/Kanchipuram silk, Baluchari silk, Bomkai silk, Tussar silk, Chanderi silk, Dharmavaram silk, Banglori silk, Mysore silk, and Patola silk.

Be it Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Masaba Gupta, or Sabyasachi Mukherjee – we have got tons of experience dry cleaning fashion articles from most popular designer houses. We understand the nuances of the make and design, as well as the fabric structure used by these designer houses – and this enables us to give the perfect treatment to these haute couture articles

Schedule Free Pickup