Silk Dress can I hand wash it.?

[lilacben]

I have a silk dress and it says dry clean on the label. Has anyone hand washed silk instead,? Just wondered if I hand washed it with cool water if it would be ok.

[Naomicorlett]

I have hand washed silk with no problem and also dyed it from pink to bright red with dylon wash and dye in the washing machine. ( hope it works for you......please dont tell me if it doesn't !!)

[lilacben]

Haha Naomi that made me laugh.!! many thanks.

[Snowy Owl]

Cold water and a very gentle liquid like Woolite and hand wash it.

There was an article in a sunday supplement at the back end of last year that I cut out and kept. To quote: As long as you use cold water, most clothes are washable despite their dry clean only labels. It goes on to explain how dry cleaning is carried out and it does not make for pleasant reading! Bad for the environment, your health and definitely the health of the workers who do it. In the USA the chemical used is considered both a health and environmental hazard and a known carcinogen.

Wash it!!!!

[quazimumdo]

Yes agitate very gently and rinse in cool water. Do not wring, squeeze gently. Do not add conditioner as this marks the silk if it is plain. Drip dry so it creases less and when dry iron with a medium iron, better to start off cool and increase slightly if needed. Also don't panic if some colour comes out in the water, when you rinse it will be ok. I have washed a lot of silk, dry clean only, and this works fine for me.

[raphaeli]

hand wash gently with woolite or good soap flakes and then rinse carefully and do NOT WRING but let it drip dry on a hanger, good luck, you can iron with a cool iron to finish it off , if needed..

[lilacben]

Many thanks to you all with your answers.
I think there is one that has been taken off which I found ver interesting, about how they dry clean things when you leave them at a dry cleaners.
I have washed it and it is now hanging in the bathroom drip drying.

[rhiannon1234]

I am currently trying to clean a dress at home that the label says is dry clean only. It is 97% cotton 3% Elastane. I put it in washing machine on cold water rinse. It is now hanging up to dry. Another website recommended once it's dry 3 minutes in the tumble dryer on low setting to get the wrinkles out. Any thoughts?
Am unsure about ironing as it is ivory colour - don't want to risk dirtying it at all!

[lilacben]

Not really sure about the tumble dryer. I just let it drip dry and put a cool iron over it whenit was dry. Good Luck.

[rhiannon1234]

When you say cool iron - what sort of temperature? Do iron inside out or not?