Can I wash "dry clean only" pants in a front loading washer?

[Kolesar]

These look like great pants, lined wool. Warm, stylish, and if they are good wool, they won't get wrinkled like my cotton pants. I could probably wear them several days between laundering and save on work, water, and electricity.

I would hope that I could put them in the washer with Woolite (R) instead of detergent and not have them shrink or...whatever. What do you think, would it work?

http://www.eddiebauer.com/eb/product.asp?cm_cg=T347&product_id=30043&.rand=disabled

[TygrBright]

1. Risky. How much do you love them?

The problems are multiple: Wools of different twists, weaves, and fabric finishes respond to washing in different ways. Also, if they are lined, you run the risk that if the wool even slightly deforms --not enough to be noticeable in wearing them again, for instance-- the lining will respond differently and you'll end up with bulges and puckers in various places just from the (usually synthetic) lining not responding to water the same way that the wool does.

You can clean wool pants pretty well by just airing them thoroughly and using a steamer or spot-cleaning with a clean damp cloth. I dry-clean mine but once a year, but air them thoroughly every other wearing or so. If they're not a dark color you can air them in sunlight, otherwise pick a place with good indirect light and plenty of air circulation, away from kitchens, fireplaces, etc. Give them a good brushing-down for lint, etc., and spot-clean any visible spots, then let them hang for a good 24 hours. Press lightly, using a pressing cloth, to restore creases, etc.

Too much dry cleaning isn't good for them, either. Airing and spot-cleaning and gentle care is the way to go. Wool is a wonderful, remarkable fiber that has amazing resilience and long life if it is not abused.

Howsoever, if it's a case of "These damn' things are too much work to take care of and too expensive to dry clean, and I don't like 'em well enough for either investment," go ahead and put them in your front-loader on cold/hand wash cycle and when they're done, dry them flat. If it works, you're in good, if not, well, you didn't really want to invest the time or money in the darn things anyway so they're no real loss, right?

philosophically,
Bright

[Warpy]

3. I would add a couple of things

Adding some vinegar to the wash water might help, as alkaline solutions (which all laundry soaps produce) plus agitation equals felt, meaning the pants will shrink. Also use cold water and don't shock them by putting them in a dryer unless you want woolen clam diggers. In any case, whatever you do in washing them will likely do terrible things to the lining, so I can't recommend it unless you're willing to lose the garment.

A better bet would be one of those dry cleaning packets and your dryer, put on cool/delicate setting. Tumbling woolen clothes in a dryer with one of those dry cleaning packets removes most odors and freshens them quite well. It's not a substitute for a periodic dry cleaning, but it can stretch the period between cleanings.

The safest thing of all would be to bite the bullet and take them to the cleaner's when they start to get funky.

[Kolesar]

4. I got hot sauce all over my dress pants yesterday

Dropped the bottle in the kitchen. Splatt. I often wear the clothes I wore to work all day after that. Sometimes I fall asleep in them when I unwind in front of the tv. My point is that I expect a lot out of my dress-casual work clothes. They are not just spiffy threads that I hang up when I get home. I would need to launder them often. I was trying to imagine a mode where I could go just a few more days between laundering, because wool has that quality of not wrinkling.

thanks everybody for your advice. I am impressed by your knowledge. I will collate it in my mind :hi:

[yy4me]

2. Except for something like a heavy wool coat, I wash by hand

almost all the things that say "dry clean only" I really feel it is come sort of collusion between the mfgrs. and retailers. There is no reason you cannot wash most of what comes thru with that label. Obviously, you should take care. I do not do them in the washer and I use luke warm or cold water and very little liquid soap. I hand wash and rinse, then spin the excess water out with the last few seconds of my spin cycle on the washer. Hang or rack to dry. Press using steam over a damp cloth. One of the articles that really bugs me is the type of coat with a poly/cotton jacket face and wool blend liner. I have washed ours many times and they always come out great. Same with good old wool sweaters. Some of our national mail-order houses seem to be really prone to using this label. I have washed wool slax by hand the same way. The ones I have washed try are of a tight weave. Most have linings which makes the pressing a little more time consuming but it works. I have had good luck but have taken care not to use a washer for the job. It would beat the heck out of what is a fragile fabric.

[politicat]

5. Regarding drycleaning....

One of my profs at uni (in my technical theater classes -- I took 'em for humanities credits) has been in costuming for decades, and she gave me the skinny on fabrics: Unless a fabric says wool or (sometimes) rayon, or has a deep pile (faux fur, some velvets), the reason that it says Dry Clean Only is because the manufacturer (of the cloth or the garment) didn't want to do the necessary testing to determine what conditions the fabric can handle. Dry Clean Only is the default. This is especially true with cheap clothing because one of the ways to save money in the manufacturing process is to not do the testing. Cotton has a long enough product history that all of the testing has been done, but some of the new man-made fibers are not as well tested. (However, beech and tencel are both totally water-friendly.)

Rayon can't handle a lot of washing, especially rayon challis. It definitely needs cold water and the gentle cycle.

Wool can be washed, but it takes care. (Wool has been washed for centuries, after all... :eyes: ) There are two methods, and both of them are labor intensive: Cold and Warm. The cold method is basically the longest running clothing washing process in the world: dunk in cold water, pound it on rocks (agitate), then spread it on dry grass or bushes (dry flat). No soap. The risk here is fulling -- which is what causes pilling, shape changes and weird shrinkage. (Fulling is the same process as felting, but felting is raw wool while fulling is woven or knitted cloth.) Fulling is caused by abrasion -- it is essentially tangling up the hairs in the wool to create a fuzzy surface. Worsted (smooth) wools won't do this as badly, but they can and will do it eventually.

The warm method is what I'm using on my merino sweaters, and so far, so good. (They've been washed about once a week since early October, and still look new - no pilling or fulling. Also, skirts and slacks handle this treatment well, and nothing has changed shape.) It requires time, a couple of dish pans or empty sinks and a flat drying rack and a towel. Also, Ivory dish detergent. (No, I don't use Woolite. Ivory is cheaper, works better and in the doses I use it in, gentler.) Wool's enemies are the combination of alkalinity and high heat with agitation. Keeping at least two of the three out of the cleaning process will keep the wool looking good and in excellent shape. Ivory has a ph of 7.2, so it's neutral.

Brush any actual, physical dirt or dust from the clothing. Spot treat any stains. Fill the sink with bathwater warm water (what you'd use to wash your hair), but no clothing in the water. Turn off the tap. Add a squirt of Ivory dish soap (the plain old original stuff, though basic shampoo will work, too.), about 1-2 teaspoons. No more. Swish the water a little to disperse the detergent, but not enough to suds it up. Lay the garment on the water, but don't scrub, swish or agitate it. Just let it soak in. Brownian motion and the Ivory will remove the body oils and any dirt. Leave it alone for twenty minutes or a half hour or so. (I usually go work out in between changes - sweater 1 goes in, I treadmill for half an hour. Move the sweater, start the second one, do my weights or pilates floor or whatever for a half hour. Move the sweaters, start the third one, get in the shower.) After it has soaked, drain the water from the sink or gather the sweater up in your hands, fully supporting it, and transfer it to another sink/pan of water without Ivory. This is the rinse. No swishing. The soap will disperse. If you feel there's still soap, you can repeat this rinse step.

Once it's rinsed, roll it up in a towel and press to squeeze out the excess water, but don't rub. Then lay it on a flat drying surface (where kitties won't go -- they love the feel of an almost dry, warm wool garment in the little hammock that is a drying rack....) so that it's not stretched out or deformed. Let it dry. In Colorado, this is an 8 hour process, but in more humid climates, it can take up to three days (so rotate and flip the garment so that it dries evenly.)

Keep it out of the dryer - so don't use the Home Dry-cleaning products like Dryel - and don't hang it up to dry.

[133724]

6. NO!!!!!! I used to own a Dry Cleaner

Some of the fabric will most likely shrink. Usually it happens along the seams. where you have different types of materials....

[DrDan]

7. sure you can - make sure you use the hot water, extra rinse cycle

and add plenty of bleach

[flying_wahini]

8. not unless you want to ruin them

sorry - probably not the answer you wanted.

[DrDan]

9. sure . . . hot water cycle and double rinse in hot water

let rest in the washer after the wash is complete for 4-6 hours

then a hot dryer . . .

(well, perhaps this is best not done - perhaps best dry cleaned)

[Kolesar]

10. You already did your dumb-ass post three months ago

Or faux dumb-ass.

[DrDan]

11. well - just responding to your dumb-ass question you posted three months ago

[Kolesar]

13. So I should expect you to post the same dumb-ass comment in August?

Btw, the thread started four months ago, not three. Look it up.

[DrDan]

14. if you like . . . I can do that for you . . .

you sound like a decent person . . . just a bit laundary-challenged . . .

what happened - did you do your "dry-clean only" laundary in the hot cycle?

why would you get your panties-in-a-twist over someone else's post? Why did it bother you so much?

You really have some insecurities on display, you know.

[Kolesar]

15. You are a troll

You are baiting.

Maybe that's what we should expect from a Don Imus fan: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=109&topic_id=29185#29187

[DrDan]

16. did you even read my Imus post?

I sort of doubt it.

If you did, you would see that I listen to Imus because I think he had great guests and did a good interview.

I also stated I did not agree with his racist misogynistic views.

Of course, you happened to conveniently miss that.

Also, had you read that post, you would see that I did something about it - I emailed the show indicating their behavior was out of line.

When the last time you took a proactive view on a reich-wing position?

My feeling is that your main concern is how to beat the cost of dry-cleaning your pants - saving a few bucks by washing them instead. How republican of you.

[TygrBright]

17. sheeeeeeeeesh, get a room, you two... n/t

[DrDan]

12. btw - what part of "only" do you not understand