Can You Iron "Dry Clean Only" Clothes At Home

  • Amrita Singh
  • July 1, 2023
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Can I iron dry clean only clothes at home
Can I iron dry clean only clothes at home

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We have seen people confused about whether or not they should iron their expensive, heavy, and special clothes at home. These clothes are generally labelled as “dry clean only”. So, in this article, we will answer a common question that many people have – Can I iron my “dry clean only” clothes at home? 

A one-word answer is yes. You can iron such clothes at home, however, there are some precautions and conditions to do that. Let’s see all of them so that you can decide whether you should visit dry cleaners to get rid of wrinkles or not. 

Things To Consider Before You Iron Dry Clean only Clothes

Check if there is dust, dirt or stains on the garment

Carefully check the whole garment if it has any stains or not. In case you notice, sweat or deodorant stains, soil or visible dirt, do not iron the “dry-clean only” clothes. It will make the dirt or stains set strongly into the fabric.

Read the garment care label

In general, manufacturers always put clear instructions about the fabric on the garment care label. You will have to set the iron temperature on the basis of the fabric. For instance, cotton is ironed on the high-temperature setting, whereas, nylon is ironed on the low-temperature setting. 

Take care of embellishments & special elements in clothes

If the “dry clean only” garment is heavily embellished with beads, sequins, etc. or they have embroidery of plastic threads, you should cover them with a light cotton cloth before ironing. If possible, try to avoid ironing such parts of the garment. In case the embellishments are removable, remove them before ironing.

Gather and prepare everything you will need

Things you will need to iron
Things you will need to iron "Dry-clean only" clothes

To iron “dry clean only” clothes, you will need an iron, ironing board, a pressing cloth and water in a spray bottle. Make sure you have all of these present in one place and here are a few important things that you should ensure:

  • Iron: Make sure the baseplate of your iron is clean. Many times our storage spaces have dust. When you heat up the iron without removing dirt or dust from its baseplate, it will transfer and set strongly directly onto the clothes. 

There are two types of iron: Dry iron and steam iron. If possible, then you should choose a suitable iron depending on the fabric of your clothes.

  • Ironing table: Always use a sturdy ironing board. In case you don’t have it at home, you can use a sturdy table. 
  • Pressing cloth: You may need a fabric to use a protective shield while ironing. It is supposed to be kept over the garment while ironing. Make sure you use a clean (preferably cotton) fabric for this purpose.  
  • Spray bottle: You may need to dampen the garment to remove tough wrinkles. Hence, keep a spray bottle filled with distilled water handy. 

Now, let’s see how to iron dry clean only clothes at home:

How To Iron Dry-Clean Only Clothes At Home

Things You’ll Need

  • Iron
  • Ironing table
  • Distilled water
  • Pressing cloth

Caution: In case your garment has two types of fabrics (such as inner lining and outer lining), change the temperature while switching the fabric. 

  • Turn the garment inside out. This is a preventive action to avoid scorching marks on the front side of the garment. Do it even if you are using a pressing cloth.
  • Lay the pressing cloth on the garment. Run the iron over the pressing cloth. 
  • Keep checking the iron temperature by touching the garment to make sure your iron isn’t overheated. 
  • Move the iron in a to-and-fro motion. You don’t have to put it in one place for more than 2-3 seconds. 
  • Keep moving the iron on the entire garment until all the wrinkles and creases are gone. 
  • In case, the wrinkles are not going away, dampen the wrinkles by spraying water. 
  • Then, iron as usual. 
  • If you are not satisfied with the results and want a crisp finish, you can repeat the process after turning the garment right side out.

Things that you should know: Turning garments inside out is crucial to prevent fading or shiny marks on dark-coloured clothes and fabrics like linen, silk, rayon, and acetate.

Hang the dry clean only clothes after ironing

Hang "dry-clean only" clothes after ironing

Do not let your garment stay on the ironing table or anywhere else after ironing. You may put your hands on the garment or someone else in your family can mishandle the garment unintentionally. In all, there is a high chance that your garment can get creases or wrinkles again. 

Hence, hang the garment on a clothes hanger. In case it is damp let the garment air dry on the hanger. For knitted garments, you can let them lay flat on a ventilated rack. Once it gets dry, then store it properly in your cupboard or almirah to avoid wrinkles and creases.

What if we say you can get clean and wrinkle-free clothes without any effort?

Know More

How To Use A Clothes Steamer For Ironing Dry Clean Only Clothes

Remove wrinkles from dry clean only clothes using a steamer
Remove wrinkles from dry clean only clothes using a steamer

The clothes steamer releases hot steam which relaxes the fibres of the fabric. Eventually, the wrinkles go away. 

That being said, a clothes steamer will not help if the garments are pleated such as skirts. You will have to use an iron to get crisp pleats. In case you want a smooth finish and no creases on slacks then only you should prefer an iron. 

Clothes steamers are available in different variants and sizes, such as small, large, floor models, etc. If you are planning to buy a new one, you should check out the difference between various clothes steamers and choose one at your convenience. 

The exact way to use a steamer may differ from brand to brand. However, this is a general way of usage you can refer to: 

  • Hang the garment.
  • Fill the water tank of the clothes steamer. 
  • Switch the clothes steamer on. 
  • Leave it for 1-2 for steam formation. 
  • Run the steamer from the top of the garment. 

You can run it top to bottom, right to left or in any other motion you find convenient. Just make sure the nozzle of the steamer doesn’t touch the clothes to prevent overheating. Once the wrinkles are removed you can let the garment dry and store it properly.

Removing stubborn wrinkles can be too time consuming. Would you like some help?

Try Tumbledry

Key Takeaway

When clothes are not dirty and just wrinkled, you may want to iron them at home. While it would be best to get such clothes ironed by dry cleaners only. However, if you can’t send them to a dry cleaner for any reason you can definitely iron such garments at home. Make sure you have checked everything that has to be done before ironing as well as the steps to iron such clothes. You can do the ironing at home to remove wrinkles with the proper equipment and ironing skills.

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.

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