Time to wash that silk blouse or take care of cleaning that wool jacket? Before you load up the washing machine, make sure you’re not about to clean any of these items at home. Forget handwashing, steaming, or your delicate cycle; some fabrics need dry cleaning in Richmond to get laundered correctly.
Here are four things you should never wash at home, plus two that you may think to need dry-cleaning in Richmond, but don’t.
Silk is such a wonderfully luxurious fabric, and if cared for correctly, your expensive silk clothing can last you a lifetime. The key is to never, ever put silk in the washing machine. Some silk clothing can be carefully hand-washed when needed, but the better solution is always to have your silk items professionally dry cleaned.
Clothing with lots of embellishments, such as sequins or beading, should be cleaned professionally. Even on a delicate cycle, stitching can easily come undone, leaving you with annoying gaps in your sparkly ensemble.
Typically, a suit only needs to be washed after every third or fourth wear. But like silk tops and fancy dresses, suits need dry cleaning services. No matter what you have read on the internet or heard from a friend, there is no safe way to clean a suit at home; they can be freshened between wears in a steam dryer, but never washed in a washing machine.
Leather is a difficult material to launder, but if you care for it, a nice leather jacket is a timeless piece that will last many years. There are at-home cleaners and conditioners for small areas and quick fixes, but if your leather needs a top-down clean, it’s safest to trust your garment to a professional dry cleaner.
Wool is a surprisingly high-maintenance fabric. However, it’s also comfortable, warm, and most important, all-natural, so it’s worth a little extra work. The best way to wash wool items is at home, by hand, in cold water using a very mild detergent. Make sure you do not wring or stretch the fabric. Lay the garment flat to dry, carefully reshaping the item.
Jeans lovers feel very passionately about their favorite blues, and there is a surprising amount of controversy about how often jeans should be washed. The general consensus is that jeans should be cleaned after every 3 to 10 wears, although some die-hards will say jeans should never be washed. What almost everyone does agree on, however, is that jeans should not be dry cleaned. Instead, turn them inside out, wash them in cold water, and avoid the dryer.