Dry clean only? Drat.

[supersuds]

I bought a pair of Kenneth Cole "dress" trousers today, noting that the label said 65% polyester/35% rayon. When I see polyester, I think "washable," but when I got home, sure enough, the inner label says "Dry Clean Only."

Machine washability was the reason I didn't get wool!

Can I get away with laundering them in Woolite? Should I hand wash only? It's not too late to return them....

 

[maytagbear]

How much do you love them?

If you love them, they might be worth drycleaning.

If you don't totally love them, I would consider taking them back.

That said, however, some garments have "low labeling," that is, they are labeled for more delicate care than they really need, and could be washed in water, very gently. However, if a person washes a "dryclean only" item in water, and it's not successful, there is no recourse with the manufacturer.

Just my two cents.

Your experience may differ.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[geoff]

Hi Supersuds!

75% of my closet is Kenneth Cole. Some of them say delicate, some of them say Dry clean. I wash ALL of my Kenneth Cole's on cold Handwash cycle with Woolite. Some of these items I have had for 5 years or more. I have had no probllems with shrinkage or fading. I will say though that if you are in doubt, hang dry it. A lot of my clothes I don't put in the dryer for that reason and they come out beautifully. One thing, don't EVER iron them. I made that mistake once with one pair. Kenneth Cole's poly/rayon blends are permanent press and if you don't line up the pleats perfectly, you'll have two permanent pleat lines.. Hope this helps

 

[butch-innj]

Dry Clean to me means - cold water and Woolite.
I've never had a bad experience - so far.

 

[supersuds]

Thanks, excellent advice from all.

Lawrence, now that I think about it, I'm not in love with them and might just return them.

 

[dogboy44]

just a thought

Dry Clean Only sometimes refers to the construction of a garment as much as the fabric. All synthetic? HMMM I would think you could wash them, but gently! Also, have you ever tried Dryel? It does a nice job.

 

[supersuds]

From what I read on the internet, rayon, while a synthetic fiber, is made from wood pulp and can shrink as much as 10% in water. "As much as" covers a lot of ground. I'm sure by instructing owners to dry clean only the manufacturer can wash its hands of responsibility, so to speak. I believe geoff and butch that you can get away with it, I just wonder whether it would be worth it. Same goes for Dryel, but maybe I should try that anyway for some of my wool garments.

Thanks again for the feedback, everybody!