What Happens if You Accidentally Wash a Dry Clean Only Dress?

Imagine your favorite dress is shrunk, faded, or misshapen when you take it out of the washer, and then you notice the label: "Dry Clean Only." It's a typical error that can cause irreversible damage. This is why it's so crucial to follow clothing care guidelines. 

Water and machine cycles are simply too much for certain textiles and designs to withstand. Always read the care label before washing to prevent these accidents. Or when in doubt, rely on expert laundry and dry cleaning services like ByNext, which understands how to handle delicate items with skill.

How to Identify a Dry Clean Only Dress

Look for signs like "Dry Clean Only" or "Do Not Wash" or symbols like a circle that indicate dry cleaning on the care label to determine whether a dress is dry clean only. These clothes often feature materials such as rayon, velvet, silk, and wool. 

Professional care is also usually needed for structured items, intricate embellishments, or dresses with pleats and linings. To prevent damage to your dress, if in doubt, do not wash it. Instead, seek advice from a reliable cleaner, such as ByNext.

Accidentally Washed It? Don’t Panic – Read On

What Can Go Wrong If You Wash a Dry Clean Only Dress?

Washing dry cleaned only items at home can cause several permanent issues. Delicate textiles and custom designs can’t withstand machine agitation or water. Here’s what might occur:

• Shrinkage: The dress may lose its original fit and get noticeably smaller.

• Color Bleeding or Fading: Water and detergent can cause the dress to develop uneven color patches. 

• Fabric Warping Can cause significant changes in the fabric's drape and shape.

• Seams Loosening: The structure of the garment may be affected by weakening or unraveling stitching.

Can You Save a Dry Clean Only Dress After Washing It?

If you take quick action, you can often save a dry clean only dress after washing it. To minimize wrinkles, try lightly steaming the dress, avoid using heat, and let it air dry. However, it's best to have the dress cleaned by a professional company, such as ByNext, if there is shrinkage, fading, or fabric warping. Our skilled handling can often restore the garment's fit and appearance, preventing irreversible damage.

Also, read our blog on dry cleaning for armpit stains to explore how professional care can be effective.

What to Do If You Washed It

If you’ve accidentally washed dry clean only pants or other garments, don’t panic. Avoid additional washing or heating, and lay it flat to dry. Look for signs of fading or shrinkage. Take the garment to ByNext for recovery, and we can restore it to its original form and appearance. Or if you cannot do that immediately, then follow these steps.

Step 1: Gently Blot and Air Dry

After washing your dry clean only item, use a fresh towel to blot away any excess water gently, do not twist or wring. As the garment dries, lay it flat on a dry towel and reshape it. To avoid more damage, let it air dry naturally, keep it away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

Step 2: Try a Garment Steamer

Try using a steamer to remove the wrinkles from clothes and help the garment return to its original shape after it has completely dried. To prevent moisture buildup, keep the steamer a few inches away.

Step 3: Take It to a Professional Cleaner

Take your clothing to a professional dry cleaner like ByNext, even after air drying and steaming, if it still appears distorted or damaged. To restore your washed, dry clean only item, experts can inspect the fabric, address shrinkage or distortion, and apply the appropriate techniques.

Bonus Read: Dry Cleaning Dress Shirts.

How to Safely Clean Dry Clean Only Dresses (Without a Washer)

Dresses that can only be dry cleaned should not be washed or cleaned with water. To keep your dress in top shape, spot clean it carefully or use a professional dry cleaning service like ByNext. 

Before tossing them in a washer, ask yourself: Can you wash dry clean clothes at home? If you don’t have an answer, we do.

At-Home Hand Washing

Hand washing is the gentlest method if you need to clean a "dry clean only" item at home. Avoid twisting or wringing the fabric. Instead, use cold water and a gentle detergent. Lay flat to air dry after patting dry with a towel. However, it's safer to let experts handle the job for delicate or structured clothing items.

Using At-Home Dry Cleaning Kits

Lightly soiled clothing can be conveniently washed with at-home dry cleaning kits. Usually, these kits come with a dryer-safe bag, cleaning cloths, and a stain remover. They work well for small odors and wrinkles, but they are not the best for stubborn stains or delicate materials.

Steam Refreshing Between Wears

Dry clean only clothing can be gently cleaned of odors and wrinkles between washings by using steam refreshing. You can freshen clothes without worrying about washing damage by using a handheld steamer or the steam setting on your iron.

Why Professional Dry Cleaning Matters

Delicate clothing must be professionally dry cleaned to preserve its longevity, quality, and shape. Dry cleaners employ specific methods and solvents to clean without the use of water, in contrast to home washing, which can result in shrinkage, color fading, or distortion, especially if you've accidentally washed dry clean only. 

This ensures that structured clothing, such as dresses and suits, maintains its shape and protects delicate materials like rayon, silk, and wool. Putting your trust in experts helps keep your wardrobe looking its best and prevents irreparable damage. 

Fabric Preservation

Professional dry cleaners know how to wash dry clean only to preserve delicate textiles by using gentle, water-free cleaning techniques. Dry cleaning preserves the integrity, color, and texture of materials like silk, wool, and cashmere, whereas regular washing can weaken fibers or cause shrinkage, especially if you've accidentally washed dry clean only clothing.

Spot and Stain Removal

ByNext and other professional dry cleaners specialize in removing stubborn stains that are nearly impossible to remove at home. Every stain, whether from wine, oil, or ink, is handled with care according to the type of fabric and its intensity. This is crucial if you've accidentally washed clothes on clean washer cycle.

Dry cleaning ensures that stains are safely and effectively eliminated, without causing damage to your clothing, using specialized methods and solutions.

Convenience and Peace of Mind

You can avoid the hassle of doing it yourself by hiring a professional dry cleaner, such as ByNext. The entire process is smooth, from scheduling a pickup to tracking it in real-time. You can rely on ByNext to treat your clothes with professional care, providing you with total peace of mind and consistently polished results, like dry cleaning linen.

How ByNext Handles Dry Clean Only Items

ByNext takes great care to ensure that clothing should never be washed dry clean only. To find the safest and most efficient cleaning technique, each item is first thoroughly inspected, and its fabric is analyzed. After carefully pre-treating the stains, high-quality, environmentally friendly solvents are used to preserve the fabric's integrity. After that, garments are expertly pressed to achieve a perfect finish. ByNext offers specialized care for couture and designer items to maintain their texture, shape, and detail. Are you trying to find a dry cleaner near me? You can rely on ByNext to handle your most delicate items with skill.

Book a Dry Cleaning Pickup Now

Are you prepared for effortless and eco-friendly dry cleaning? To begin, download the ByNext app, book now, and schedule a pickup in just a matter of minutes. You can monitor your order at every stage with real-time tracking and flexible time slots. Take advantage of expert clothing care without ever leaving your house.

Schedule Your Pickup Today – It’s Fast & Easy

FAQs - How to wash dry clean only

What happens if I wash a dry clean only?

Here’s what happens if you wash dry clean only. You risk shrinkage, color bleeding, and fabric distortion, especially with delicate materials like silk, wool, and rayon. Structured items with linings or embellishments can lose shape or get damaged.

How do you dry clean at home?

To clean clothes at home, utilize a home dry cleaning kit or a washing machine equipped with a mesh bag set on a gentle cycle, then air dry. Another option is to freshen fabrics using baking soda and steam.

What is the process of dry cleaning?

Dry cleaning is a method that cleans garments using chemical solvents rather than water. It aims to eliminate stains and dirt from clothing that could be damaged by traditional washing with water. The procedure consists of multiple stages: inspecting and pre-treating stains, washing in a machine with solvent, removing the solvent, drying, finishing, and applying touches like steaming.

Is dry cleaning done with water?

No, dry cleaning does not use water. Instead, it uses liquid solvents to clean garments. This is due to water can damage certain fabrics, such as wool, leather, and silk.

Wrap Up!

Never try to wash dry clean only clothing at home, and always read care labels to preserve your wardrobe. Structured objects, such as silk and wool, need to be handled carefully. Count on experts like ByNext to confidently clean and maintain your clothing for safe, high-quality garment care.