"Dry clean only" is frequently a manufacturer covering itself rather than a real requirement. Plenty of delicates wash beautifully by hand — and hand washing is often gentler than dry cleaning, which uses solvents that are hard on some fibers over time.

The exceptions are real, though, so start by knowing which is which.

When to genuinely not wash it yourself#

• Structured tailoring — suit jackets, blazers, anything with interfacing and shoulder construction. Water distorts the internal canvas and it will not recover.
• Leather, suede, fur.
• Anything labeled "S" in a circle, meaning solvent-only.
• Heavily embellished pieces — beading, sequins, or trims attached with adhesive.
• Pleated garments where the pleats are heat-set.
• Vintage or sentimental items whose dyes you can't test.

Everything else — silk blouses, cashmere, lace, bras, wool knits, viscose — is usually fine.

Test the dye first#

On anything you haven't washed before, dampen a white cloth and press it against an inside seam. If colour transfers, hand wash that item alone in cold water and never soak it.

The hand-washing method#

1. Cool water. Under about 30°C. Heat is what shrinks and felts.
2. Dissolve the detergent before the garment goes in. Concentrated detergent landing directly on delicate fabric can spot it. Use a pH-neutral wash — regular detergent contains protease enzymes that digest protein, and wool, cashmere and silk are protein.
3. Submerge and swish gently. Squeeze water through the fabric. Never scrub, twist, or stretch.
4. Soak up to 30 minutes, less for anything whose dye you're unsure of.
5. Rinse in clean cool water until no suds remain. Residue stiffens fabric and attracts dirt.
6. Never wring. Press water out against the side of the basin, then lay the item flat on a towel, roll the two together, and press. The towel takes most of the water without stressing fibers.
7. Dry flat, out of sun. Knitwear hung wet will stretch permanently under its own weight. Reshape while damp. Direct sun yellows silk and fades dyes.

Using a machine instead#

A delicate cycle plus a mesh bag handles most of this acceptably, and for bras and light knits it's genuinely better than a sink because the spin removes water without wringing.

Rules: mesh bags always, cold water, lowest spin speed, wash delicates only with other delicates, and never with towels or denim. Zip and fasten everything — an open hook will shred lace.

Air dry regardless. The dryer is where delicates actually die.

Fabric-specific notes#

Silk — pH-neutral wash, cool water, no chlorine bleach ever, no direct sun. A cup of white vinegar in the final rinse restores lustre. Perfume and antiperspirant stain silk badly, so dress last.

Cashmere and wool — wash rarely; airing handles most odour. Cool water, wool detergent, dry flat. Pill with a cashmere comb rather than a razor. Store folded, never hung, and clean before storing since moths are attracted to body oils.

Lace — always in a mesh bag. Support the weight when wet. Dry flat.

Bras — hand wash or mesh bag, never the dryer. Heat destroys the elastane that does all the supporting. Hook them closed and dry flat rather than hanging by the straps.

Viscose and rayon — much weaker wet than dry. Handle minimally, never wring, dry flat.

Embellished pieces you've decided to risk — turn inside out, mesh bag, hand wash only, and check that beads are stitched rather than glued.

Storage matters as much as washing#

Clean everything before it goes away for a season — invisible body oils are what attract moths and what oxidise into yellow stains. Store knitwear folded in breathable cotton, never plastic, which traps moisture. Cedar or lavender rather than mothballs.

Our machines have true delicate cycles with adjustable spin, and separate temperature control, which many home units don't offer. For anything you'd rather not risk, our wash, dry & fold service handles delicates on request — flag them at drop-off. Find your nearest store on the locations page.