Mitch Hedberg famously said, "This shirt is dry clean only. Which means... it's dirty." Certainly a relatable joke, with the expense and time involved in taking clothing to a dry cleaner. But sometimes you can clean garments labeled "dry clean only" at home, if you are careful.
Sure, the label on your blouse might say “dry-clean only,” but is there any wiggle room? According to Gwen Whiting, cofounder of The Laundress, there is. “The instructions found on care tags aren’t necessarily the best way to clean an item but are instead a way for manufacturers to avoid getting blamed for irreparable damage when instructions aren’t followed,” she told Glamour. “When manufacturers default to dry-cleaning care instructions, it’s to push the responsibility to the dry cleaners rather than themselves.”
There comes a point when the risk is worth it, when the garment is too dirty to wear and too old to justify the expense of a professional cleaning. I once threw two leather jackets in the washing machine since otherwise I would have to pay more than their original prices to be cleaned, and they came out fine. Your mileage may vary. But you might be able to squeeze some more wear out of your dry-clean-only clothing with some laundering tips from Lifehacker.
(Image credit: Carrielwilson)