Can you ignore then hand-wash only label?
We all have those items in our wardrobes that we avoid wearing because we know they're hand-wash only. But if you have a beautiful silk shirt or embroidered skirt you love, it's a real shame to leave it unworn just because it's too much hassle to launder.
What if we told you that you might be able to throw certain hand-wash only garments into the washing machine? Here's what you need to know.
What do hand-wash only labels really mean?
Some manufacturers put hand-wash only labels on clothes simply because they haven’t tested them in the washing machine.
However, many hand-wash only labels are added to very expensive, delicate or highly embellished garments in order to protect them from potentially damaging wash cycles.
Can you ignore hand-wash only labels?
It’s the temperature of the water in your washing machine and the agitation of the wash cycle that are most likely to cause a problem when washing some items. Non-washable wool, for example, can shrink and felt if it's washed in water that's too warm or spun too vigorously.
Delicates such as lace items, beaded or sequinned items and velvets can also be damaged by machine washing.
These days, many washing machines have hand-wash settings that use low temperatures, a gentle rocking action and a reduced spin speed to make them suitable for more delicate items. If you're thinking of taking the risk, use this setting and switch to a milder liquid detergent. It’s also a good idea to use a mesh laundry bag to prevent damage as well. You can also pad out the drum with towels or sheets if you want to protect it from the tumbling motion.
Remember, if you do decide to throw these garments in the washing machine, it’s at your own risk. If anything goes wrong, you’ve got no guarantee and there’s not much you can do with a shrunken woolly jumper or a bald, once-sequinned dress. So you’ll need to weigh up how upset you’ll be if it gets ruined, against how much time you’ll save by machine washing.
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Top tips for hand-washing
If you decide to play it safe and wash by hand instead, we’ve rounded up our top tips to get the best results.
Use a gentle laundry detergent designed for delicates, such as Ecover Delicate Laundry Detergent. Opt for liquids over powders; the latter will struggle to dissolve in lower temperatures and leave residue behind on the clothes. Make sure your detergent is fully dissolved before you add items.
Wash similar colours together, but keep items separate if this is your first time washing them. The water can quickly change colour from running dyes and you don’t want this spreading to other clothes.
Leave the items to soak in the water, and gently press the soap into the material to work it in. Do not scrub and don’t rub wool, or it will felt. Be extra gentle if you’re working with sequins; clean from the inside out and try to keep the item flat (rather than bunched up) if you need to work the soap in to remove a stain, so as not to damage it.
Use a pre-treatment stain remover if necessary, but always check it’s suitable for the material first.
Rinse with cold water and keep pressing until the detergent is removed and the water runs clear.
Press and squeeze to remove as much water as possible, but don’t wring or you could damage the item. Pressing it between two towels can help to remove excess water too.
Hang to dry (or dry flat if the care label recommends) in a well-ventilated space to speed up the drying process.
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