All too often, you find that you’ve fallen in love with a sweater or a shirt in the store only to bring it home and read those dreaded words on the label: “hand-wash only.” Or worse, “dry-clean only.”
You tell yourself that the extra cleaning effort is well worth it. But as laundry piles up, it becomes increasingly tempting to ignore the tag’s instructions and simply throw the item into the washing machine. Surely there must be some leeway with manufacturers’ cleaning instructions.
So, could throwing in a hand-wash-only or dry-clean-only item really be all that bad? We spoke to experts to get the lowdown.
Why are some garments labeled ‘hand-wash only’ or ‘dry-clean only’?
“Manufacturers develop their cleaning recommendations based on the type of materials used, construction and adornments,” said Rich Handel, the senior test project leader and resident laundry expert at Consumer Reports.
While simply constructed clothing made of durable materials can hold up well, not all garments are suitable for the washing machine.
“If the garment says ‘dry-clean only,’ it could shrink, become misshapen, or its colors may run,” said Jerry Pozniak, a dry cleaner with 38 years of experience and the CEO of luxury dry cleaning business Jeeves New York.
Pozniak also noted that if your garment includes particular structural components (e.g., brims in baseball hats or underwires in bras), it’s a good idea to avoid the washing machine and opt for hand-washing instead.
Can you hand-wash ‘dry-clean only’ items?
It may be tempting to skip a trip to the cleaners and hand-wash your “dry-clean only” pieces. After all, hand-washing is a gentler way to wash clothes, right?
“If you’re adventurous and are willing to risk damaging the item, you could attempt hand-washing and hanging it to dry,” said Handel.
But if it’s an item that you truly treasure or dropped some serious cash on, it’s generally not a good idea to attempt hand-washing a dry-clean-only piece. “Hand-washing” is not synonymous with “dry cleaning.”
“‘Hand-wash’ means that the garment can be cleaned in water without risk of dye bleeding or shrinkage if it is not subjected to aggressive mechanical action and high spin rates,” Pozniak said.
Despite the name, “dry cleaning” isn’t technically dry, as this laundering process uses liquid solvents to clean clothes. However, because the solvents used in dry cleaning don’t include water, dry-clean-only garments do not become damaged as they would if washed in water.
While Pozniak noted that some items labeled “dry-clean only” could potentially be washed by hand (such as cashmere sweaters), you always run the risk of damaging the item by introducing water into the equation.
“We had a client who had a black-and-white check dress labeled ‘dry-clean only’ that she got a small stain on. She tried to use a bit of soap and water to remove the stain, but the black bled into the white. She added more soap and water to correct the bleeding and made it worse,” Pozniak said. “We were able to fix the problem with a lot of effort.”
Can you just use the machine’s gentle cycle on ‘hand-wash only’ items?
While following “hand-wash only” garments’ instructions keep them in top shape, there’s no doubt that hand-washing can be a more involved process than simply tossing the items in the washing machine.
Since many washing machines have “delicate” and “hand-wash” settings, is it actually necessary to wash your “hand-wash only” items physically by hand?
“It depends on how treasured the item is and whether you are willing to risk damaging it,” Handel said. “Seeing how well the item stands up to hand-washing may indicate how it will bear with the delicate cycle.”
While the alpaca wool sweater knitted by your late grandma should never go anywhere near a washing machine, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t use your machine’s gentle cycle for the less sentimental sweater you got on sale.
“The hand-wash/delicate cycles vary from washing machine to washing machine, so some are more gentle than others,” Pozniak said.
“In general, a front-load washer will be gentler than a top-load agitator washer,” Handel said.
If you’re willing to experiment with putting your hand-wash-only items in your washing machine, mesh laundry bags may add a layer of protection.
“Mesh bags are used to limit mechanical action and abrasion of the fabric during washing,” Pozniak said. “If you use a mesh bag and air-dry your garment, [the garment] technically may last a bit longer as it is somewhat protected in the wash in the mesh bag and then not subjected to tumbling during drying.”
Although mesh bags can provide some protection for delicates, they won’t make these items invincible.
“Even when using the mesh bag, you’ll want to wash like items together,” Handel said. “You wouldn’t put a delicate sweater with a heavy pair of jeans in the same load.”
Pozniak reiterated that if your garment is dry-clean-only, using a mesh bag will not reduce the risk of bleeding, shrinking or damage when submerged in water.
Don’t have a washing machine? You can actually get one of these tiny portable versions for a fraction of the price.
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The Panda portable washing machine is preset with 10 different washing programs, five water level options, a drain pump and a separate air dry function that uses high-speed spinning to keep the stainless steel tub clean. The top-loading design can accommodate up to 10 pounds of clothing and uses a butterfly rotation system to reduce tangling.
Promising review: "This miniature washer machine truly functions like a regular machine. It has different cycles, all push buttons. You don't have to babysit your loads either. It comes with everything you need to install. Just hook the adapter and hose to your water supply and your laundry problems are over. The machine spin dries enough to hang dry really well. I love it. I have washed small kitchen and bathroom mats, light bedding like sheets and pillowcases and also towels." — Ronnie
Aside from its vintage charm, this manual, smaller-capacity washer and spin dryer features a hand-crank design, straightforward operation and fast wash times. It's a great choice for delicate garments or cloth diapers and is built with a suction cup base so it can be secured to the base of your bathtub or sink.
Promising review: "My washer broke a few years ago and I've been taking frequent trips to the laundromat. This little washer is a game-changer. If I need something washed quickly and don't want to make the drive and deal with the quarters, I can just toss a few items in here and give it a quick spin and throw them into my dryer. I might end up using it on a camping trip one day too!" — SK
Black+Decker's compact washing machine uses only cold water settings to remain energy efficient, as well as an automatic unbalance detector to keep operation quiet and at peak performance. It has five different washing cycles including rapid, heavy and soak.
Promising review: "This is one of the coolest portable washing machines I’ve ever used! (And believe me, I’ve seen some real doozies!). It’s well-built and sturdy. It is very quick and easy to hook up. Honestly, it washed more clothes than I expected and the best part of my portable washing machine… I do nothing but put the clothes in and the machine takes it from there. You choose your settings. The settings are digital and the display lights up. (Only cold water is to be used in this machine). It washes, rinses and spins like a big washer. And the tub is made of stainless steel. I’m telling you, this is an amazing product! I was really pleasantly surprised." — Mom-Mom
Space-saving, energy-efficient and capable of washing up to 11 pounds of clothing per load, this fully automatic washing machine by Cofmee has stabilizing feet to minimize excess sound and vibration, as well as six washing settings like delicate and heavy. There's also an extra rinse cycle option and three water temperatures to choose from. Many users caution that you may need to get a different adaptor depending on your existing faucet.
Promising review: "It is so quiet and can hold a full size quilt and wash all my bedding in two loads (sheets/pillow cases in one, and quilt in the other). It's amazing what this machine will do, all my clothes come out brighter, softer, and feel clean. It is a bit difficult to move around on its own, but I purchased a mobile roller adjustable furniture dolly designed for washing machines, and it works excellent with my machine. You may want to buy an extension cord too." — L.S. Hart
This two-tub washing machine features a side for spin-washing up to 11 pounds of clothes and another for spin drying up to six pounds of clothes, both of which can be operated simultaneously. The machine also allows you to choose washing times (5-15 minutes) as well as three different fabric modes. Unlike the options above, which have electric pumps to drain them, this washing machine uses a gravity drain.
Promising review: "I read reviews on all mini compact washing machines and decided on this one and I must say....I really am blown away at the performance of this unit. I've never seen clothes come out of a washing cycle this clean! The washing tub is a great size and holds more than I expected. The spin tub spins out about 90%+ of water so the garments are almost dried, but you must split the load as the spin tub is smaller and understandably so for it's purpose. It is very easy to use, quiet and the size/dimension is perfect for my RV shower stall. The only thing that surprised me is how little laundry soap is required to clean. I added more than I should have. The agitator moves so well that you really only need a tablespoon or 2 of laundry soap/detergent. If you are looking for a small unit for your RV, off-grid, small apartment etc, I highly recommend this unit!" — Lee