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Home and Garden
Housekeeping
Laundry
Cleaning Clothes
Drying Clothes
How to Dry Clean Clothes at Home Download Article Co-authored by Safir Ali
Last Updated: March 10, 2025 References
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Hand Cleaning Clothes
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Using a Machine Wash
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Removing Dirty Spots and Stains
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Expert Q&A
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This article was co-authored by Safir Ali. Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map. This article has been viewed 96,900 times.
Dry cleaning can add up to a significant household expense. However, there are ways of cutting down on your professional dry cleaning expenses by washing dry clean clothes by hand or machine at home. Not all garments with dry cleaning listed in the care instructions necessarily require professional dry cleaning. If you wash dry clean clothes at home, take the time to look at the type of fabric or mixture of fabrics and use the appropriate detergents and methods for the specific fabrics in your garment.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Hand Cleaning Clothes
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1 Read the label. Look for the label with care instructions on your clothing item, which can often be found on an inside seam. If the label says, “Dry Clean Only,” you should consider taking it to the dry cleaners. If it simply says, “Dry Clean,” you are probably fine to wash it at home.[1]XResearch source
If it is silk or wool, you can hand-wash them instead of going to the dry cleaner.
2 Test a spot to see if you can wash it at home. Find a spot on the garment that is rarely seen. Drip a few drops of water on this spot. Using a cotton swab, rub the water across the surface of the garment. Take a look at the cotton swab to see if any color has been removed in the process. If the color bleeds, you need to take it to the dry cleaner. If not, go ahead and wash it at home.[2]XResearch source Advertisement
3 Wash silk in cold water. Fill a tub or sink with cold water and a small amount of mild detergent or, if you have it, silk detergent. Gently, hand-wash your silk garment in under thirty minutes, since silk suffers from prolonged water exposure. Air dry the silk garment.[3]XResearch source
Silk is a little harder to clean at home. If you decide to do it yourself, you should use a silk detergent, which may be tailored for lingerie or silk sheets.
You can also clean silk fabrics on a hand wash cycle in your washing machine.[4]XResearch source
4 Clean wool garments in cold water. The main challenge with washing wool at home is felting, which occurs when the wool fibers get matted together during washing. To avoid this scenario, you need to hand-wash wool garments with a gentle touch in a tub of cold water. Use a wool cleaner, such as Woolite, to clean cashmere, angora or other wool garments.[5]XResearch source
Avoid putting wool garments in the washing machine, since the agitation of the machine cycle will likely result in felting and shrunken garments.
Avoid using detergents with a lot of chemicals when cleaning cashmere. Instead, choose all natural cashmere detergents.[6]XResearch source
Always lay out your wool garments flat to dry.[7]XResearch source
5 Wash your linens in cold water. Use a mild detergent in a tub of cold water to hand-wash your linen garments. Then, air dry your linens. Right after washing, you should press them. They may get wrinkled if you don't press them right after the hand-wash.
You can let your linens air dry on a clothes line.
Linens can also be washed on a delicate cycle in a washing machine.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Using a Machine Wash
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1 Determine whether you can machine wash the item. If the item says “Dry Clean,” as opposed to “Dry Clean Only,” and is made of cotton, polyester, nylon, spandex or cotton, you can machine wash it. Although hand-washing is generally advised for wool, silk and linen, you could also use the hand-wash cycle on your washing machine.[8]XResearch source
If you have a garment made from multiple fabrics, you should treat it as though it were made completely of the more delicate fabric.[9]XResearch source
Sophisticated garments made from multiple fabrics and involving intricate designs are generally best left to the dry cleaner.
Embellished tops with sequins are hard to successfully wash at home.[10]XResearch source
Rayon and viscose should always be dry cleaned.[11]XResearch source
2 Put your clothes in a delicates bag. Turn your clothes inside out. Then, place them in a mesh bag designed for washing delicates.[12]XResearch source
3 Choose cold water.[13]X Expert Source Safir AliProfessional Dry CleanerExpert Interview You should always choose the cold water setting when machine washing items that you normally take to the dry cleaner. Warmer temperatures may result in problems like shrunken or misshapen clothes.
4 Pick the shortest possible cycle. Delicate fabrics like silk, for instance, do not benefit from prolonged exposure to water. As such, it is always best to choose the shortest wash cycle.[14]XResearch source
5 Turn it to the gentlest cycle. Washing machines have a range of options for the speed and force that they use to wash your clothes. Pick “delicate” or “slow” cycles.[15]XResearch source
Avoid “regular” and “permanent press” cycles, which are not sufficiently gentle.
6 Pay attention to your load mix. You want to wash silk with silk and wool with wool, rather than mixing everything together. Put all your delicate items in one load, rather than adding towels or other items with your delicates load.[16]XResearch source
Remember to wash light colors with other light colors, rather than mixing darks and whites in the same load.
7 Air dry your clothes.[17]X Expert Source Safir AliProfessional Dry CleanerExpert Interview The dryer should be avoided at all costs, since it will likely result in shrunken or misshapen garment. Instead, let your clothing dry on a clothes line or on a clothes horse.[18]XResearch source
If you are drying wool, remember to lay it flat so that it doesn't get misshapen.
You should air dry your wool clothes away from hot areas, since they could shrink if exposed to excessive heat.
If you absolutely have to use the dryer, only fluff dry your clothes. Don't use heat.[19]X Expert Source Safir AliProfessional Dry CleanerExpert Interview
8 Use a home dry cleaning machine. If you want to avoid the time involved in hand-washing your clothes as well as save money on dry cleaning, a home dry cleaning machine may help. Keep in mind that home dry cleaning machines will not work as well as professional dry cleaning. They typically use steam to refresh you clothes between visits to the dry cleaner.[20]XResearch source
You can get home dry cleaning units for between $350 and $1600
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Removing Dirty Spots and Stains
Download Article
1 Spot clean your garments.[21]X Expert Source Safir AliProfessional Dry CleanerExpert Interview Use a microfibre cloth and a cleaning detergent for delicate clothing, such as a silk detergent or a brand with the word delicates in the title. Dampen the microfibre cloth in warm water and a small amount of the detergent. Twist the cloth to remove most of the water. Then, dab off the dirty parts of the garment.[22]XResearch source
2 Steam clean your garments. If you have a delicate silk shirt, acrylic or wool garment that is a bit dirty, you could try steam cleaning. Put some delicates detergent in your steamer. Steam the garments. Let to dry on a flat surface.[23]XResearch source
3 Use soda water to remove red wine stains. If you spill a bit of red wine on one of your favorite dresses or shirts, use a clean cloth dampened with some soda water to remove it. Dab the red wine stain with the cloth, adding more soda water as necessary. It works best if you apply the method immediately after the stain has occurred.[24]XResearch source
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Question What's the best way to remove a stain on a dry clean only shirt? Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map. Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner Expert Answer Try to spot treat the stain so you don't have to wash the whole shirt. A lot of times friction does most of the work. Get in there and scrub the stain using very short, rapid strokes. Also, make sure you're using the right product to remove the stain. Most commercial products are not meant for fancier materials, so in those cases, try just using some hot water. Dab a little bit of hot water on the stain and rub it out with whatever you can that won't damage the garment. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Question How can I prevent my clothes from getting damaged in the dryer if they're dry-clean only? Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map. Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner Expert Answer Always use the air fluff setting instead of the heat setting. Also, don't dry your garment for very long. If you're just drying one thing, start with 10-15 minutes and then see where it's at. Make sure you're monitoring the garment—don't just turn the dryer on for 45 minutes and walk away or your clothing could end up shrunken or faded. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner This article was co-authored by Safir Ali. Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map. This article has been viewed 96,900 times. 1 votes - 0% Co-authors: 10Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 96,900 Categories: Drying ClothesArticle SummaryX
Before you try to dry clean clothes at home, drip a few drops of water on a hidden part of your garment and then rub a cotton swab across the surface to see if any color transfers. If it does, you'll need to take your garment to a dry cleaner or else the colors will bleed when you wash it. If the color doesn't transfer, hand wash your garment in a tub or sink filled with cold water using a mild detergent. Then, when you're finished, let the garment air dry. To learn how to spot clean clothes that are dry clean only, scroll down!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Download Article Co-authored by Safir Ali 
Simple Steps for Hand-Washing Your Clothes at Home 
How to Dry Clean a Coat at Home: An Expert Guide 
How toWash Dress Shirts in the Washing Machine 
How toClean Dress Pants 
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Co-authored by: Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner This article was co-authored by Safir Ali. Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map. This article has been viewed 96,900 times. 1 votes - 0% Co-authors: 10 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 96,900 Categories: Drying Clothes Article SummaryX
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1 Read the label. Look for the label with care instructions on your clothing item, which can often be found on an inside seam. If the label says, “Dry Clean Only,” you should consider taking it to the dry cleaners. If it simply says, “Dry Clean,” you are probably fine to wash it at home.[1] 
2 Test a spot to see if you can wash it at home. Find a spot on the garment that is rarely seen. Drip a few drops of water on this spot. Using a cotton swab, rub the water across the surface of the garment. Take a look at the cotton swab to see if any color has been removed in the process. If the color bleeds, you need to take it to the dry cleaner. If not, go ahead and wash it at home.[2] Advertisement 
3 Wash silk in cold water. Fill a tub or sink with cold water and a small amount of mild detergent or, if you have it, silk detergent. Gently, hand-wash your silk garment in under thirty minutes, since silk suffers from prolonged water exposure. Air dry the silk garment.[3] 
4 Clean wool garments in cold water. The main challenge with washing wool at home is felting, which occurs when the wool fibers get matted together during washing. To avoid this scenario, you need to hand-wash wool garments with a gentle touch in a tub of cold water. Use a wool cleaner, such as Woolite, to clean cashmere, angora or other wool garments.[5] 
5 Wash your linens in cold water. Use a mild detergent in a tub of cold water to hand-wash your linen garments. Then, air dry your linens. Right after washing, you should press them. They may get wrinkled if you don't press them right after the hand-wash. 
1 Determine whether you can machine wash the item. If the item says “Dry Clean,” as opposed to “Dry Clean Only,” and is made of cotton, polyester, nylon, spandex or cotton, you can machine wash it. Although hand-washing is generally advised for wool, silk and linen, you could also use the hand-wash cycle on your washing machine.[8] 
2 Put your clothes in a delicates bag. Turn your clothes inside out. Then, place them in a mesh bag designed for washing delicates.[12] 
3 Choose cold water.[13] You should always choose the cold water setting when machine washing items that you normally take to the dry cleaner. Warmer temperatures may result in problems like shrunken or misshapen clothes. 
4 Pick the shortest possible cycle. Delicate fabrics like silk, for instance, do not benefit from prolonged exposure to water. As such, it is always best to choose the shortest wash cycle.[14] 
5 Turn it to the gentlest cycle. Washing machines have a range of options for the speed and force that they use to wash your clothes. Pick “delicate” or “slow” cycles.[15] 
6 Pay attention to your load mix. You want to wash silk with silk and wool with wool, rather than mixing everything together. Put all your delicate items in one load, rather than adding towels or other items with your delicates load.[16] 
7 Air dry your clothes.[17] The dryer should be avoided at all costs, since it will likely result in shrunken or misshapen garment. Instead, let your clothing dry on a clothes line or on a clothes horse.[18] 
8 Use a home dry cleaning machine. If you want to avoid the time involved in hand-washing your clothes as well as save money on dry cleaning, a home dry cleaning machine may help. Keep in mind that home dry cleaning machines will not work as well as professional dry cleaning. They typically use steam to refresh you clothes between visits to the dry cleaner.[20] 
1 Spot clean your garments.[21] Use a microfibre cloth and a cleaning detergent for delicate clothing, such as a silk detergent or a brand with the word delicates in the title. Dampen the microfibre cloth in warm water and a small amount of the detergent. Twist the cloth to remove most of the water. Then, dab off the dirty parts of the garment.[22] 
2 Steam clean your garments. If you have a delicate silk shirt, acrylic or wool garment that is a bit dirty, you could try steam cleaning. Put some delicates detergent in your steamer. Steam the garments. Let to dry on a flat surface.[23] 
3 Use soda water to remove red wine stains. If you spill a bit of red wine on one of your favorite dresses or shirts, use a clean cloth dampened with some soda water to remove it. Dab the red wine stain with the cloth, adding more soda water as necessary. It works best if you apply the method immediately after the stain has occurred.[24] Advertisement 
Safir Ali Professional Dry Cleaner Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map.