Should you follow the ‘dry-clean only’ label on clothes?

A "dry clean only" label suggests a garment should only be cared for in that way, while "dry cleanable" labels mean there are other options available. Photo / Nicky Park, RNZ

By Isra’a Emhail of RNZ

Clothes-makers are required by New Zealand consumer regulations to attach labels that outline general cleaning and care instructions, including if garments need to be dry-cleaned.

However, Auckland-based Regal Drycleaners managing director Kate Mitchell says it’s become a problem in the fashion industry that “dry-clean only” labels are inserted as a safety measure on everything.

“Often it is wrong, but the issue with that is that you want to follow the label, because otherwise if something does go wrong then you can’t do anything about it.”

Auckland-based stylist and The Edit label designer Caitlin Taylor says she advises her clients to follow “dry-clean only” tags, but you can use your own discretion with “dry-cleanable” labels.

“Generally, [for dry-cleanable garments] it’s either a hand wash or a gentle machine wash cycle and the key with that is following the temperature instructions on the label. So generally, clothing labels will have how to wash it, what temperature to wash it in and how to dry it. It’s kind of like you need to almost follow that combination of them.”

Welcome Back vintage clothing reseller Dianne Ludwig says she doesn’t dry-clean anything any more and prefers to hand-wash, use a delicate cycle on the washing machine or air and wear them.

Fashion historian and vintage clothing reseller Dianne Ludwig.

“It’s a bit of a catch-all anyway, because they don’t want to do specific labels for every garment, and they also might not have tested out how things will respond to being washed.”

She believes most garments are washable – either by machine or hand – or can be spot-cleaned and aired out. The 61-year-old says in all her years of washing she’s only had a few mishaps – mostly with acetates (semi-synthetic fabrics), which didn’t respond well to water because they were vintage.

She suggests sticking to cold water and avoiding overcrowding the washing machine if you are using the delicate cycle. She says to keep an eye on the bucket if you are hand-washing a piece for the first time (or test patch it), and using a delicate detergent for hand-washing or grate some soap and dissolve it. She also soaks woollen jerseys for half an hour, to saturate the fibres, before throwing them into the machine for a gentle cycle.

Do I ever need to bother with dry-cleaning?

Dry-cleaning involves using a solvent, instead of water, to get rid of odours and stains. In general, it’s best suited to delicate materials such as silk, cashmere, and wool, which can be damaged with normal machine washing.

Taylor says by ignoring care instructions, you could risk items losing their colour, size or shape – and things such as beads or sequins may fall off.

AUT chemistry associate professor Jack Chen says materials such as rayon or viscose can swell when soaked in water, disrupting the fibres, which can cause shrinkage when it dries. Leather and suede fabrics can also be distorted by water and detergent.

Some materials can swell when washed by machine or hand, disrupting the fibres, which can cause shrinkage when it dries, says AUT chemistry associate professor Jack Chen.

Mitchell says there’s a “myriad of reasons” why people resort to dry-cleaning, including trying to extend the life of their clothes and removing stubborn stains. So even washable garments are sometimes brought in.

“It’s best to leave it to the dry-cleaner to decide and they can look at the care instructions and also [decide based] on their experience … because it’ll sometimes depend on stains.”

On the other hand, Chen says water-soluble stains, for example wine or blood, tend to be efficiently removed using water and detergent.

What shouldn’t be dry-cleaned

Be careful with clothes that have anything the solvent might dissolve – for example, plastic buttons or dye which could run, Chen says.

Mitchell says her company never dry-cleans garments that have glue because it will turn yellow and brittle.

Faux leather, also known as polyurethane or PU leather, has a risk of peeling, especially if it is low quality, she says.

Dry cleaning involves using a solvent, instead of water, to get rid of odours and stains. Photo / Getty Images

How often would I need to dry-clean?

Taylor suggests dry-cleaning lined blazers, for example, at the end of the season or if they are stained. Till then, just air the jacket out after wearing.

“If you’ve worn your blazer all day, I’d hang it up like somewhere like on a door handle or if you’ve got a rack or something like that – rather than sticking it straight back in your wardrobe.”

Her stylist hack is to buy underarm sweat pads to prevent stains around the armholes.

Ludwig says less washing – of any kind – is always better for clothes, to avoid disrupting the fibres as much as possible.

Taylor acknowledges the admin of dry-cleaning, plus the cost, so advises clients to avoid purchasing “dry-clean only” garments.

“I’m a mum of three kids. I don’t have time. My clients don’t have time to hand wash and dry clean … I’m always checking the care label before I even purchase to see how much time I have to invest in it … I’m all about low-maintenance clothes.”