Home Cleaning Laundry Do You 'Really' Need to Dry-Clean That? Dry-Clean vs. Dry-Clean Only Sometimes clothing absolutely needs to be dry cleaned, but that isn’t always the case. By Nykia Spradley Nykia Spradley Nykia Spradley is a beauty journalist with over a decade of experience in lifestyle media. Highlights: * Interim beauty director at ELLE (maternity leave cover) * Commerce editor for Allure * Beauty editor at Essence * Deputy editor at Seventeen Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 23, 2023 Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Generally, clothing tags let us know when something is dry-clean only, but what if the tag is vague or worn, or you love to buy vintage clothing that has no tag? We're sharing some clothing secrets to help you decode just how fragile a garment is and how to launder it without ruining it. How to Tell if a Garment Is Dry-Clean Only Decode the label. Most manufacturers are required to list just one way to clean a garment. If the tag says "dry-clean only," obey it, but if it says "dry-clean," that means it's the recommended method, but not the only method. When dealing with garments where dry-cleaning is ideal but optional, you can use some gentle at-home methods to launder your items. Consider the fabric. Unless the label suggests otherwise, take silk, acetate, velvet, wool, and taffeta items to the dry cleaner. On the other hand, you can usually wash cotton, linen, cashmere, polyester, acrylic, and nylon at home. But wait! Before you wash, check for colorfastness: Moisten a cotton swab with mild detergent and dab it on a hidden seam to see if any dye comes off. If the dye bleeds, take the garment to the dry cleaners. How to Wash and Dry Delicate Garments at Home Machine-wash the garment if it's durable and doesn't bleed. After determining an item is not dry-clean only, use the gentlest setting on your washing machine. To minimize agitation, turn the item inside out, place it in a mesh bag, and run a short, delicate cycle. Hand-wash clothing that is delicate but not dry-clean only. If recommended for the dry cleaners (making it optional), it might be suitable for gentle hand-washing. Use cold water to prevent shrinking and bleeding, along with a mild detergent. Always skip the dryer. Too much heat harms an item's accents and fibers. Instead, gently push out excess water (don't twist), and then lay the garment flat on a white towel to dry (to prevent discoloring). Alternatively, let the item air-dry on top of a working dryer: The moderate heat given off by the machine speeds up the process. The only time you can put delicate items in a dryer is when you have an at-home dry cleaning kit with a special steamer bag. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit