Friday, May 4, 2012

Dry Clean Only

I love my clothes, even if they are second hand. I treat each blouse, skirt and pair of jeans as if they're little pieces of royalty. They are lovingly washed and line dried. I usually iron them on the wrong side to help preserve the color. Delicate pieces are hand washed or put in a pillow case in the washer on gentle cycle...you get the picture, right? One thing I don't like to do is have items dry cleaned. Why? Well, when I pay $4.00 for a skirt, I don't want to spend two times that much to have it cleaned. But that's what happened with this Tommy Bahama silk skirt! I wore it three times and would have worn it a fourth until I spilled raw egg down the front (it's a long story). Normally I would have tried to wash it by hand but I like it so much and was really scared I'd ruin it if I attempted to do it myself, so to the dry cleaner it went.
     Fortunately, the egg came out, but do you know what the cost was? $6, plus and additional $2.10 (the pleats were 10 cents each extra). I now have over $12 invested in this skirt...pretty steep for a thrifter like me.
     I usually avoid situations like this by foregoing items that need to be dry cleaned or simply ignoring the instructions on the tag and washing them anyway.

9 times out of 10 the results are fine. This month I'm conducting a grand experiment. I'm going to wash something that should definitely be dry cleaned. I'll share the results with you ...good or bad. Cross your fingers!

     What do you do when it comes to "dry clean only" items? Avoid them, ignore the instructions or a little of both?
Any recent laundry disasters?
How about tips for removing stains? (especially oil) or laundry hints in gerneral. Do tell.

By the way, it's to the sink with a little Woolite and cold water next time this skirt needs cleaning!

Until next post, happy dressing,
Sincerely,
Style Agent 909

19 comments:

  1. Ugh! I feel the same way lady! Dry cleaning is a rip off, but it often pays off. Especially the case with this skirt! It is absolutely fabulous, beautiful and radiant. Perfect look darling! Enjoy your weekend Sheila!

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    1. I'm glad I took it this time, but it'll be the last. How are your wedding plans coming? Carsedra here (just under your comment) is getting married too. Love is in the air!

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  2. I usually hand wash my delicate stuff in wool lite. Not sure I would ever really trust my clothes are the dry cleaners.


    Carsedra of:

    http://www.embracingtherealme.com/

    http://sweets4yourtooth.blogspot.com/

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    1. I haven't had anything messed up yet by one...but then again, I don't go that often. How are the wedding plans moving along?

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  3. Hi Sheila! I don't usually feel too intimidated hand washing or using the delicate cycle on clothing I've thrifted. But if I'm willing to pay full price for something and it says "dry clean only" I usually change my mind. Unless its pants, or a jacket. Good luck on your washing!

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    1. Hey Joni, Thanks for stopping by to chat. The lemonade will be ready in a sec. Sit down.
      Oh yeah the full priced stuff usually gets dry cleaned...at least for the first couple of times...

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  4. The only item i send to the cleaners are winter coats or wool jackets everything else is either hand wash or washing machine at delicate cycle and usually it is fine

    Beautiful skirt

    Ariane

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    1. Yes winter coats are my exceptions. Those would be a disaster in the washer LOL!

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  5. There's an amazing soap for laundry called Zum (they also make bar soap) and it's perfect for just about everything. It smells heavenly and it only takes a small amount (fortunately because it's not cheap). I find it at Whole Foods. I wash silks, wools, just about everything, with cold water. Rayon can be tricky because sometimes it shrinks, but many things can be washed anyway.

    Your outfit is so pretty!

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  6. Thanks Jean, next time I'm at Whole Foods, I'll pick some up.

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  7. LOL. Think of all the money you're going to save over a lifetime!

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  8. You and your UH-MAZ-ING finds! $4.00 for that skirt? Killer! Even if you had to pay a little more for the dry cleaning!
    Ashley:)

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  9. I have a lot of vintage, so if I'm anxious about hand washing, I usually talk with a dry cleaner who can be trusted. But I'm with you - it's expensive and I want to feel that it's worth it.

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  10. Haha, sometimes I won't notice until AFTER something is washed that it's dry clean only and then wonder why since it came out okay.

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  11. I use Dryel in between sending my outfits to the cleaners. I washed two tops that were dry clean only and ended up donating both to charity. Lesson learned.

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  12. I have a dry cleaner near my job--- it's 1.75 for anything, so when I thrift that's where it goes, most times before I wear it. My wardrobe is about 97% thrifted.

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  13. i loooooove that outfit, but i hate dry cleaning!

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  14. Oh, I understand the expenditure to save such a lovely skirt. Thanks for the laundry tips. I am so careful with washing that I can make cheap, er, inexpensive tees last for years, but appreciated the ironing inside out tip. I wash sweaters inside out on delicate and line dry them. Dryel is also this careful laundress's best friend.

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