Saturday, February 07, 2009

Should you dry-clean or hand wash sweaters?

Wool: Most care labels will say DRY CLEAN or DRY CLEAN ONLY; they mean the same thing. Ignore the label and the sweater could shrink, fade, or lose its shape. If the sweater is washable, then hand wash it with mild detergent in cold or warm water.

Cashmere: It can be dry-cleaned OR hand washed, so follow the care label.

Cotton: Most labels say to hand wash but dry-cleaning keeps cotton softer.

Silk: It's better to follow the care label. However, hand washing beats dry-cleaning for removing perspiration odors.

Synthetics: Most can be hand washed in cold or warm water, especially acrylic and polyester, but check the label for variations.


From Real Simple/September 2007/pg 66

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