Keep Clothes Looking Like New With These Home Dry Clean Hacks

Going to a local dry cleaner takes time and money. If you’re just doing it for one dress or suit you’ll need for a special occasion that’s weeks away, it’s no big deal, right? How about if you need that garment right away? Or if you have loads of clothing to dry clean? Simple! You try these home dry cleaning hacks!

Dry Cleaning: The Basics

What’s dry cleaning? It’s a process used to keep silk, cashmere, linen, sequin, wool, and other delicates in perfect condition for longer. Essentially, there’s no laundry detergent used in the process. Instead, professionals use a liquid solvent to do the job. Most dry cleaners rely on machines to distribute the solvent on clothing throughout the entire washing cycle. Simple, right? Well, it really is easy, and it can be done at home, too. Read on to learn how to DIY dry clean your clothing.

Learn How to Dry Clean Clothes

Basically, you can dry clean clothing by hand or in a washing machine. As always, check the garment’s label before doing anything in order not to ruin your favorite piece. You’ll need a small clean tub (optional) and a fabric-specific detergent.

Directions:

1. Read the label carefully. Fabrics like silk, linen, or wool can be gently washed by hand.
2. Test if you can clean a spot on the fabric at home. To do it, just place a few drops of water and rub it gently on the fabric’s surface using a cotton swab. If the cotton swab is colored, you won’t be able to dry clean the piece on your own, as the color will bleed. If there’s nothing in the cotton swab, proceed to the next step.
3. Fill a small tub or sink with cold water. Place a small amount of the fabric-specific detergent. Mix until it foams, and place your garments inside. Hand-wash thoroughly.
4. Air dry your clothes. If you’ve washed wool, lay the clots flat to dry.

Dry Clean Clothes in a Washing Machine

If you don’t want to dry clean your clothes manually, just use your washing machine. You’ll need gentle laundry detergent and a mesh laundry bag. Like with manual washing, you should check the label before doing anything. You can test if the fabric will bleed (check step 2 above).

Select the washing cycle and temperature, following the label instructions. Turn the clothes inside out before washing, keeping in mind that delicates should be washed in a mesh bag. Once the clothes are washed, air dry them. Voilà!