Want to avoid dry cleaning fees and the hassle? Let me show you how I wash all our “dry-clean-only” items at home for free; plus a few tips and tools that make it easier!
Before I get too far ahead of myself, I should clarify that there is a slight risk in washing your “dry-clean-only” items at home… obviously. 😉 If you’d be devastated if an item was ruined, it’s probably worth a trip to the dry cleaners.
That said, if you want to try washing your items at home but always chicken out, I hope I can offer a bit of confidence (and a few helpful hints and tools)!
For the record, I’ve never been to a dry cleaners… ever! I’ve always washed any “dry-clean-only” items at home for and I’ve never regretted taking that risk.
I’m also not a fashionista, nor am I a perfectionist when it comes to laundry, but I do love finding simple ways to save myself time and money… and washing dry-clean-only items at home is a winner for me in both categories.
Here’s how I do it…
Down Pillows, Comforters, Quilts:
I wash and dry our down pillows and comforters at home by throwing a few tennis balls in the washer and dryer so the items don’t get lumpy.
Feel free to use your regular detergent, wash on a gentle cycle, and dry on low. You might need to run a few dryer sessions to get things fully dry (wash and dry with the tennis balls).
The items will likely still be lumpy when they go into the dryer, but if you use tennis balls and give them a good shake after they come out of the dryer, they should be as good as new!
Also, don’t overload your machine — I can usually only do 2 pillows and 1 comforter/quilt at a time.
NOTE: washing large and bulky items like pillows and comforters is significantly easier in a washer without an agitator.
Clothes and Coats:
Although we don’t intentionally purchase dry-clean-only clothes, we do find a handful of “dry-clean-only” items at thrift stores for prices too good to give up simply because the items need to be dry-cleaned.
Over the years, I’ve successfully washed many types of “dry-clean-only” fabric in my washing machine with zero issues — including my wedding dress that I chopped up to make a baptism outfit for our boys!
How I wash dry-clean clothing at home:
- Use the gentle cycle.
- Use cool or warm water only (not hot).
- Use laundry balls instead of detergent.
- Use a gentle detergent like Woolite.
- Use mesh garment bags to protect items with “embellishments”.
- Hang items or lay them flat to dry on a drying rack.
- Don’t wash dry-clean items with bulky jeans, snow pants, or anything with velcro or zippers that could snag on your nice dress or sweater.
- Iron on the lowest setting, only when necessary — or try a garment steamer on any wrinkles.
- Hand-washing smaller items in the sink.
- Try an in-home dry-cleaning kit like Dryel.
NOTE: Wool items will smell bad when they are wet. After they dry, the smell goes away.
How to Wash Specific Fabrics:
Silk: I’ve washed silk in our washer many times with warm water in a garment bag. But if you’re nervous, just hand wash it and lay flat to dry. Also, make sure it’s not drying in the sun so the colors don’t fade.
Wool/Cashmere: Wash in cool water with a wool-specific detergent. Reshape the items and dry flat. I often put a towel under and over the items as they dry to absorb more moisture. Also, it’s probably worth noting that this is only for nicer sweaters/coats. I don’t go through this hassle with wool socks or scarves. 😊
Leather/Suede: I don’t wash leather or suede in water (I also don’t own anything leather or suede other than shoes!) Instead, spot clean with a damp cloth and use a leather conditioner to maintain the material.
Rugs:
Since we have hardwood floors throughout most of our home, we also have several rugs. If they are small enough to fit in the washing machine, I wash them. However, most of our rugs are larger braided rugs that I simply vacuum and spot-clean when necessary.
My Favorite Rug/Carpet Spot-Cleaning Tools:
- Folex Instant Spot Remover (we’ve used this A LOT since getting a dog)
- Carpet cleaning scrub brush
- Old towels to absorb moisture left behind.
Here’s how I cleaned a larger shag rug at home.
Huge area rugs are cleaned professionally when we get our carpets cleaned.
There are certainly some items that would turn out best when dry-cleaned, but apparently our family hasn’t come across any of these items yet!
If you’re willing to risk a slight chance that your item might get ruined in the wash, give my tips a try and see if they work! You might just end up saving yourself a bunch of time and money (plus, you’ll get the satisfaction of “doing it yourself”!) 😉
More Tips to Simplify Your Laundry
- Our laundry room renovation (from 2021)
- Why you need a laundry routine (let me convince you!)
- How to clean stinky towels
- 10 Tips when you’re overwhelmed with laundry
- How to thoroughly clean your dryer vent (and prevent the risk of fire!)
- My Thoughts On Washing Whites
- A Laundry Experiment — 10 Ways to Reduce Static Cling
- More Tips to Simplify Your Laundry Routine
What are some dry-clean-only items you wash instead?
Heather Ratliff says
Thanks for this post. I have several “dry clean only” or “professional dry clean” items. I had read that I could hand wash most of those, but I just haven’t gotten to it yet. I usually only wear them for a couple hours at a time, so they’re really not too dirty yet.
Allie says
A friend is a seamstress and she puts dry clean only items in the dryer on low with a wet towel and dryer sheets. It really refreshes the clothes.
monica says
I use the dryer sheets without the bag for dry clean only or better made blouses. I also agree with the tennis balls for fluffing up pillows and comforters as well. You can buy dry cleaning fluid in the laundry section of most larger grocery stores.. Apply with a q tip, blot very gently and spots disappear! The problem with actual washing of woolens is the fibers will tear down faster. I usually hand wash my better wool sweaters, roll in a clean white bath towel gently, don’t squeeze them dry, definitely reshape them and lie them on another dry white bath towel as well. I also use a linen spray that I can find relatively cheap at Marshalls for under $5 for a lift in the smell. I cannot remember the last items I took to the cleaners and I’ve been married for almost 29 years!
Laurie says
Rugs- crewel rugs I take to the huge $5 drum machine at the laundrymat then hang outside to dry. Indoor/outdoor rugs- I take to the car wash and clip them onto the mat clips on the wall, and spray them down. Gets them good as new!
Lori says
I have a dressy cocktail dress with a beaded neckline. The label said dry clean only but when I took it to the cleaners, the clerk said there was a risk that the beads would melt and suggested I wash it myself. I washed it on my delicate cycle and hung it to dry. It came out beautifully! I also wash all my “dry clean only” cashmere sweaters on the hand wash cycle and lay flat to dry. They come out great!
Andrea says
Love it!!! The newer washing machines can really do a lot!
carla says
Great blog!! I just found it through Pinterest. Just wanted to say when my sister needed some money in a hurry she asked me to sell her $2000 wedding dress on ebay. To save the cost of dry cleaning it I just chucked it in the washing machine on gentle cycle and it turned out beautiful!
Chrissy says
I have washed formal/bridesmaids dresses in my washing machine with no troubles. Gentle cycle and hang to dry. I figured I really would never wear them again so nothing to lose:)
Ava says
More things can avoid dry cleaning than you might think! 100% wool (or cashmere or angora or other natural hair fiber) suits can generally be cleaned pretty effectively with being aired outside in sunlight, brushed down with a clothes brush, and spot cleaning as needed. A spray bottle of white vinegar can be used to lightly spritz it (especially the lining) to clear away odor. Spraying vinegar (and/or throwing vinegar in with the rinse water in the machine) can help with odor for other things too, like that troublesome wool sweater you had.
I’m a dressmaker and very into natural fibers, so I tend to have a lot of garments and fabrics to take care of, made of wool and silk and other fine fabrics that tend to be marked dry-clean only, and I never dry-clean anything. I even machine-wash and (shockingly enough) machine-dry my best dress – a tea-length 1950s reproduction evening gown made of satin and chiffon! It helps that I made it myself so I pre-washed the fabrics first to pre-shrink them, but it’s just amazing to me how many storebought “dry clean only” things can be successfully washed. Cheaper AND less toxic – hooray!
CDB says
Vodka in a spray bottle is actually a great way to freshen up dryclean only items. Spot clean any stains on the item with a damp rag and then spray the armpits, collars, cuffs ect with the vodka, hang it up somewhere and as it dries the smells evaporate with the alcohol. Also, for wool coats I use my steamer to clean them but maybe you could have a similar effect by hanging it in the bathroom for a few steamy showers.
Katie says
My mom always bought a huge jug of the cheapest vodka just for freshening items. It works wonders to take the smell out of anything that has mildew or musty odors – even wood. It also doesn’t take much to do the job, so pretty economical.
Wendy says
Have you washed wool coats then? I have a couple that I have been afraid to wash, but would sure prefer that to dry cleaning chemicals.
Andrea says
actually, that is one thing I haven’t washed — because we only have one wool coat and it’s never really gotten dirty! I don’t want to tell you what to do with that… because I don’t want to be the cause for a ruined coat 🙂
stephanie says
I washed my husbands wool coat after our daughter threw up all over it.- we were all ill, the cleaner would take a week and wanted $20 and he was willing for me to risk his coat in our HE machine on the wool setting. The coat was clean but was damaged in a few spots. The coat was wearing out anyway (it was eight years old) and had a few weak areas in the fabric that tore. He didn’t mind too much since his new coat (yay after holiday clearance sales) was supposed to arrive in a few days anyway so I stitched it up so he could wear it to work.
I would only wash a wool coat in a home machine if you can afford to replace it if something goes wrong. The new coat will go to the dry cleaner.
Jan says
What perfect timing for this post! I have the exact same comforter as you have in the master bedroom and I’ve been curious as to how you cleaned yours. I live in a rural area and there are no dry cleaners readily available, nor did I want to pay to have it cleaned.
Amanda says
For 100% woolens (or any other delicates) you can buy no-rinse wool washes. They vary in price – eucalan, kookabura, and soak are a few that come to mind. They’re usually marketed to hand knitters/crafters. Many of them are machine and HE compliant, so you can use them to hand or machine wash. Woolite can actually break down wool. These are safe, as well as designed to help with the charming wet wool smell.