Special care instructions for clothing

[Night Elf]

Can I put hand wash clothes in a delicate cycle in my machine? I hate hand washing items. I'm trying to find new clothes that have easy care instructions but I'm finding clothes with limits like hand wash, wash gently, and line dry. My new favorite skirt is 95% rayon and 5% spandex. It says hand wash recommended, no heat dry, bleach or iron. So I guess that means I hang it up to dry? What happens if you put rayon in a dryer even on a gentle cycle?

[NorthwestMom]

I use the delicate cycle to hand-wash items, and then I lay them flat to dry. I would not put your skirt in the dryer - the heat may cause permanent distortions in the shape of it.

[Lawana]

Rayon has a tendency to shrink. If you have a good delicate cycle on your machine, I might risk machine washing, but I would definitely not machine dry.

[regentrude]

I have always machine washed my rayon garments in the regular cycle on warm. But I don't put them in the dryer. line dry is better. 

Edited August 28, 2017 by regentrude

[Carol in Cal.]

I wash hand washables in my (older) Kenmore all the time.  I use the delicate cycle with cool water, and I don't put any heavy cloth (think denim or towels) items or items with hooks or velcro in the same load.  I also use more water than the size of the load would indicate to ease the friction some.

 

I have a hand wash cycle on the machine, that agitates only intermittently, but I rarely use it--VERY occasionally for a lacy item or two.

 

For your skirt, I would hang it on a skirt hanger (the kind with two clips hanging down), but NOT stretch it fully out, leaving a little slack between the clips, to dry.  IME rayon tends to wrinkle, and you can stain it by ironing it too hot, so hanging it like this is often a way to reduce wrinkling enough to avoid ironing it altogether.

 

ETA:  HOWEVER!  If you have one of those newer machines that is rough on clothes and/or doesn't fill for washing and/or rinsing, then don't use it--you might rip the skirt up.  Seriously.  It's remarkable how hard machines like that are on delicate clothes.

Edited August 28, 2017 by Carol in Cal.

[MercyA]

As others have said, rayon will shrink in the dryer. I would wash it inside out in cold on a gentle cycle and then hang to dry.

[Night Elf]

Oh I didn't think of wrinkling! If I hang the skirt to dry will it be wrinkled from the wash? My washer does a superb job of spinning so everything that comes out is wrinkled and the wrinkles come out in the dryer. If I can't use an iron on the skirt I'll have to live with the wrinkles? Aww..

[regentrude]

Oh I didn't think of wrinkling! If I hang the skirt to dry will it be wrinkled from the wash? My washer does a superb job of spinning so everything that comes out is wrinkled and the wrinkles come out in the dryer. If I can't use an iron on the skirt I'll have to live with the wrinkles? Aww..

 

I have never had an issue with ironing my rayon clothes. They iron just fine. Easier than cotton.

[Carol in Cal.]

Oh I didn't think of wrinkling! If I hang the skirt to dry will it be wrinkled from the wash? My washer does a superb job of spinning so everything that comes out is wrinkled and the wrinkles come out in the dryer. If I can't use an iron on the skirt I'll have to live with the wrinkles? Aww..

If you hang it up spread out, it won't be very wrinkled.

 

Also, some rayon skirts are supposed to be wrinkled, and those you want to twist all up to dry.

[Mrs_JWM]

Rayon irons beautifully.

 

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[Emba]

Decide how attached you are to an item. If you can deal with the loss or easily replace it, give machine washing on gentle a shot. Lots of things are labeled handwash that can stand an occasional trip through the machine. But some things can't. And in that case, you need not to be attached to them.