s/o Do you or your kids have clothes that water would ruin?

[ktgrok]

I know I'm pretty frumpy and way too casual, but honestly, I don't think I've ever owned anything that water would ruin. Although, idid just buy a new dress and it didn't even occur to me to check...guess I will now!!!!

 

Maybe my husband's suit jackets? I don't touch those so no idea. 

 

But my kids certainly don't have any clothes that would be ruined by getting wet. And if for some reason they did, I'd make sure they knew it, so could act accordingly. Because that would be so far from their reality it would never occur to them that water=damage. To them, water=clean. 

 

Just me?

[fairfarmhand]

Yes. And my 2 oldest dds have several pieces.

[Guest]

negative, none

[Corraleno]

Nope! I won't even buy clothes that aren't machine washable. My clothes are linen, cotton, or some kind of techy sport fabric. When DD was doing violin recitals and youth orchestra, she had some dressy dresses, but I usually got them off the clearance rack at Macy's for $20 or less, and I never worried about them getting wet or stained or whatever. We just donated them after she was done with them.

[BarbecueMom]

Forget water, I only have one short-sleeve shirt without holes or paint stains on it.

[ktgrok]

Yes. And my 2 oldest dds have several pieces.

 

Ah...see that explains a lot, and why you assumed she would know that water might damage it. My kid would probably be astounded to find out that water can damage fabric. I am positive he's never heard of that.

[zoobie]

Me? No. My nicest dress is that matte jersey awesomeness that's washable. DH has some ties that wouldn't do well if they got wet. His suits aren't supposed to be machine washed, but he gets rained on and hasn't melted. Kids? Nope. DD has a prom dress for a play costume, but it's also made of a matte jersey and washable chiffony stuff. And was $20.

[Daria]

This thread and the other have made me realize that I need to be very clear with DS about what can and can not happen in his rental tuxedo at prom.  Otherwise, he'll choose to go paintballing or something.

[Melissa in Australia]

Yes suits, plus some wool tops

[hjffkj]

None of us do.

[ScoutTN]

Me, yes.

Kids, no. But they are young. By high school they might well.

[J-rap]

I have no idea.  I'm kind of fabric-clueless.

[Corraleno]

Yes suits, plus some wool tops

 

They would be ruined just by getting wet (as opposed to machine washing)? Like if you got caught in a thunderstorm, they would be ruined?

[aggie96]

Yes, everyone except youngest boy, unless his tie would end up with a water stain (but likely not since it's a kid tie).

 

ETA:  But it's not everyday wear for anyone.

Edited April 26, 2016 by aggie96

[Acorn]

Maybe a necktie? It has snowball fighting penguins on it, so I can't image it's fancy fabric.

[AmandaVT]

I don't think so. I have a linen dry clean only dress (that currently is too small) that might not like water? I'd have to check though.

[EmilyGF]

I do - a few dresses. The sort I wouldn't wear around my kids. :-)

 

My kids don't.

 

I had a machine-washable wedding dress. It was custom made and the seamstress told me she thought it was a shame that wedding dresses can't go in the wash, so she made sure mine could. She made my prom dress, too. Not sure if it is machine washable. Since I designed it, though, to some extent, and it was quite unique, I wouldn't try. (This is one of the least expensive seamstresses I know, so my wedding dress cost less than most alterations.)

 

Emily

[rmtzc2009]

Nope. I can't imagine owning something so delicate for me or my kids.

[Melissa in Australia]

They would be ruined just by getting wet (as opposed to machine washing)? Like if you got caught in a thunderstorm, they would be ruined?

They would be ruined in a water fight. And being machine washed. A heavy thunderstorm would not be good but light rain ok.

[Kathryn]

No. What kind of fabric gets ruined by getting wet? I didn't know such a thing existed.

[Corraleno]

So what fabrics are ruined just by getting wet? The only one I could think of was silk velvet, but I googled around a bit and apparently steaming will usually restore the pile if it gets wet, and some people will even hand wash it. I used to hand wash my silk blouses back in the old days before I decided that if it can't go in the machine then I don't really need it. I think a lot of manufacturers just slap a "dry clean only" tag on their clothes because it's easier/cheaper than dealing with unhappy customers whose clothes that fell apart when they washed them improperly.

[bolt.]

We have one little girl dress that is satiny and not technically washable -- I wash it anyways, and it is slowly becoming 'ruined'. I imagine if it were doused or spattered with water and dried poorly, you would see the outlines of the wet spots clearly remaining on the dry garment. (They might be hard to remove, or they might just go away when it is washed next.)

 

It's not in great shape any more anyways, but my dd likes it so much that I urge her to be careful when wearing it: both to prevent the accumulation of (even more) subtle stains, and to go as long as possible between washings.

Edited April 26, 2016 by bolt.

[Guest]

Not normally, no. I can imagine having a silk dress for some special ocassion, but in reality, no, I would never choose regular clothes that couldn't survive a pop-up thunderstorm.

[fairfarmhand]

Some rayons are very suceptible to water spots. It depends on the fabric treament.

 

Chiffons can sometimes be like that too.

 

These fabrics are also VERY fragile when wet.

[Amy in NH]

Wool can get wet. It is agitation and drying that are dangerous.

 

No. I wouldn't buy something that would be ruined just by getting wet.

[Guest]

Not a single item. Me neither. I have plenty of wool and silk but it can all be laundered/cleaned carefully, just with different care instructions. All my handmade items, including shawls, can be washed and water won't hurt them.

[ktgrok]

Some rayons are very suceptible to water spots. It depends on the fabric treament.

 

Chiffons can sometimes be like that too.

 

These fabrics are also VERY fragile when wet.

 

Wow, I had no idea rayon would be in that category. All I could think of was silk! Not sure I know what chiffon even is, sadly. 

[Murphy101]

The majority of the kids clothing wouldn't be ruined if for example they spilled a glass of water over their front. But they do have a few Sunday clothes that might be. All their dress shoes would be ruined if soaked through. Cheap dress shoes don't hold up to diddly.

 

Dh has suits and dress shoes. It would depend on what kind of water and how quickly it was properly dealt with.

 

Me, I have very few not stained up clothing as it is. I'm a klutz mess. And I swear when pregnant I can't get food directly to my mouth, something always lands on my boobs, in my cleavage or on my preggo belly. It's a point of family humor at this point. 98% of my clothing is machine wash and dry. I have one dress and some knit items that could be damaged, especially pending the type of water and care afterwards. My one pair of knee high boots would be fine, my sneakers would be fine. My cheap dress shoes would be ruined if they got soaked.

 

My grown sons all have a few items too I think.

[Corraleno]

Wow, I had no idea rayon would be in that category. All I could think of was silk! Not sure I know what chiffon even is, sadly. 

 

The few rayon tops I've owned I machine washed on cold and hung up to dry. I did accidentally run a rayon blouse through the dryer once, and it came out about 4 sizes smaller, so I never did that again! But I never had any trouble with washing them; maybe there are different types or grades of rayon?

 

I've never owned anything chiffon, though I can see how a sheer fabric like that could get twisted out of shape easily if it were washed.

[itsheresomewhere]

No.  I am trying to replace my stained/holed shirts and no way would I buy something that couldn't be washed.  

[fairfarmhand]

The few rayon tops I've owned I machine washed on cold and hung up to dry. I did accidentally run a rayon blouse through the dryer once, and it came out about 4 sizes smaller, so I never did that again! But I never had any trouble with washing them; maybe there are different types or grades of rayon?

 

I've never owned anything chiffon, though I can see how a sheer fabric like that could get twisted out of shape easily if it were washed.

 

It's the finish of the fabric that determines whether or not it water spots.

[Murphy101]

Wow, I had no idea rayon would be in that category. All I could think of was silk! Not sure I know what chiffon even is, sadly.

Yes. And contrary to its reputation, silk is strong and depending on how it is spun and dyed and such, sometimes it can even be machine washed. From a knitting perspective, I'd gladly make even my kids a silk blend sweater before I'd even make my teen a dress out of rayon. In fact, several of mine have handknit mittens, which kids give quite a beating too, that are wool silk blends, and are machine and dry. The best of both worlds. Silk does not felt or shrink and is strong, wool is very warm and repels moisture and cushion.

 

I didn't really know much about fibers until I started knitting. I've been really surprised by quite a bit of what I've learned in just a couple years.

[Haiku]

Nope. If it can't be washed in the Whirlpool and dried in the dryer, it's too high-maintenance for me.

[SKL]

Yes, my kids have some clothes from other countries that cannot be washed and should avoid getting wet.

 

My kids are 9 and I do remind them when they are wearing something that is of this nature.  So far so good.

[Murphy101]

And yes, before someone jumps on me about rayon, yes I know there's some great rayon yarns, but personally I've found a lot more affordable quality silk blends than rayon blends. Which confounds me bc I have no idea why that is. Maybe eventually I'll figure it out.

[SKL]

And yes, I have some suits and dress clothes that don't go in the washer.

[Katy]

I did, but it got wet accidentally and ruined. It was a muslin for my wedding dress, but in a fabric such that it could have been hemmed at the knee and worn out.

 

ETA: it was rayon.  I bought it because it was pretty and on sale.  I never bought another fabric without looking at care instructions and fabric content again.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Katy

[Spryte]

DH does.

 

I have some dry clean only items, but rarely wear them.

 

Kid kids - no. Adult kid - yes.

 

For prom, I could see it happening.

[reign]

I did not realize water could ruin fabric! I have washed the last several formal dresses I've purchased. I also spilt water on a pleated gauzy dress I wore for a wedding. It went right back to shape after drying. Though I don't plan on wearing it again. Even my husband's suit coats have been spot cleaned with water. Learn something new every day!

 

Editing to say! I did know washing and drying could felt wool. But I thought getting wool wet and then allowing it to dry would be okay? Not sure I guess...

Edited April 26, 2016 by reign

[Ausmumof3]

Yes suits, plus some wool tops

Wool can be washed but it has to be handled with care.

 

I once bought some skirts that were at a discard place only to find they were silk and supposedly non washable. In the long run I weighed up the $15 I spent versus the ongoing dry cleaning cost and decided to risk a cold handwash. It probably shortened their life but they got a lot more wear than if I'd dry cleaned.

 

I also ended up with a suit that got an odour and even drycleaning didn't fix it. The dry cleaner told me to cold wash and shape it to dry and it worked fine. Most stuff isn't tryout unwashable unless it has cardboard shapers inside or water marks.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ausmumof3

[katilac]

Nope. 

 

We just spent five minutes laughing because dd's college checklist says, "Don't forget an iron and ironing board!" 

 

dh is the only one who really knows how to iron in this family. 

[shawthorne44]

DD has a tutu skirt with tulle and sequins that can be neither washed NOR dry cleaned.   The instructions say to gently spot clean only.   (sigh)  It was super cute and cheap and still left at the end of a convention center sized kid's clothes consignment weekend.  So, I should have known better.   She has also had two dresses that I washed, but they shouldn't have been washed.  The outer fabric shrunk and the lining fabric didn't.   But, I'd do the same thing again because she had many dresses that said dry clean only, that looked great after a washing.   I remember one in particular, used from ebay.  It still had the dry clean cleaner tag on it.  It looked even better after being washed and hung to dry.  

 

I've had a couple of silk shirts and suits that have to dry cleaned.  But, with shirts I'll only wear once, and the dry cleaning damages them eventually.  

 

I'm reminded of back when I was a waitress.   A regular brought a date in.  I was pouring wine and the towel slipped and a drop of water got the dates raw silk dress.   She went a bit hysterical.  Both the guy and I thought that she thought it was a drop of wine.  But, no, she knew it was water but as she shrieked, "It is raw silk"    He was NOT impressed.  

 

[Tap]

I did ruin a dress by hand washing it.  The chiffon looked cinged afterward.  It wasn't a cheap dress, but I hadn't worn it in a couple of years and was going to donate it anyways.  

 

DH's work used to have semi-formal events so I had several years worth of dresses I would never wear again. I was donating them and didn't want to donate them dirty, but wasn't willing to pay to dryclean them either. I threw them all in the bathtub and hand washed them.  I figured that if the water ruined any of them, I wouldn't want to donate them anyways.  All but one came out just fine. 

 

 

 

I have one dress now, that I wouldn't dare wash in water. It is very delicate and I have no idea what would happen to it. I also have a 25yo keepsake dress that is cotton that I wouldn't wash. 

 

DD has several dresses with sequins or jewels that I am not sure if they are glued or sewn on.  I am guessing the ones on the skirt are glued, so those would definitely not handle the water well.   Another dress is a very dark purple overlayed on a bright fushia pink.  I don't know if the dye from the purple would run or not.  

 

 

ETA: 

DD17 definitely knows that some fabrics are fragile.  She keeps a cloth laundry bag inside her laundry bin, just to keep  her hand wash items separate from the rest of her items.  She has about 5-10 shirts and most of her sweaters that we hand wash and lay flat to dry.  Several shirts have open lace areas or details like zippers on delicate fabrics that could snag. 

Edited April 26, 2016 by Tap

[Catalytic]

Forget water, I only have one short-sleeve shirt without holes or paint stains on it.

 

Don't feel bad, all of my shirts have an entire menu just above the boobs....

[eternalsummer]

We have wool diaper covers and some wool sweaters and baselayers.  Getting them wet wouldn't ruin them but putting them through a whole wash cycle probably would.  We are all very aware of this, though (all of us that do laundry - by which I mean me and DD).

 

Other than the diaper covers and the baselayers, my rule is that if it can't be washed on hot and dried on hot (tumble) I have no interest in owning it.

[SKL]

Even some of my kids' "washable" clothes are such that I try to get multiple uses between washes, because washing affects the way they look / feel.

[Seeking Squirrels]

Nope. Way too high maintenance for me. I hardly follow washing instructions at all. If it can't be thrown in the washer and dryer, it's not worth my time. So even if they say not to wash or dry I usually still do. I try to remember to check when buying anything as it's not my intention to ruin good clothes, but if we end up with something "hand wash only" it will probably be put to the test.

[gardenmom5]

yes i do.  and dh's suits and dress pants.

 

eta: - dh's ties go without saying.  doesn't take much to ruin a tie. . . .

Edited April 26, 2016 by gardenmom5

[heartlikealion]

I don't want to get suede wet. I have owned suede shoes before I think?? Definitely some type of jacket that was suede or similar at one point. I don't have that jacket anymore. It was given to me. Currently I do not think the kids or I have clothing items that would be ruined if they got wet.

[waa510]

No, but I think this kind of thing depends on how fashionable you are or whether you're confident at laundering different materials correctly. I'm neither of those. ;) I also think older kids may be more likely to be involved in activities that would require fancier, delicate or formal clothes like debate, ballroom dance classes, choir, band, cheer, etc. 

 

Anyway, no, not currently but I wouldn't rule out the possibility in the near future. (for my kids, not for me. I don't thing I'll have any need to be fancy beyond my kids' college grad)