http://www.care2.com/greenliving/wet-clean-wool-silk-and-rayon.html
Wet Clean Wool, Silk and Rayon
By Annie B. Bond
If you want to avoid dry cleaning because of the chemicals used, rest assured that you can wash many clothes by hand that say “dry clean only,” but you need to learn some tricks.
Almost all dry cleaning establishments in the country clean with perchloroethylene (perc), a probable carcinogen, neurotoxic chlorinated solvent that bioaccumulates in fat and is suspected endocrine disrupter, meaning it is a chemical that may confuse the body into thinking it is estrogen!
Until the dry cleaning industry changes, we can take charge of getting our “dry clean only” fabrics cleaned safely by learning the wet clean process.
Through hard-earned experience—I shrunk a lot of rayon outfits three sizes before I finally figured out what I was doing wrong—I’ve finally learned how to wet clean wool, rayon and silk.
The most critical bit of information you need to know is that it is the agitation of wool, silk and rayon that causes the shrinkage of the fabric, not just hot water. Even the agitation of the gentle cycle in a washing machine is too much agitation for these fabrics. Make sure to spot-test the fabric for colorfastness first.
Wet Cleaning Wool and Silk
- Hand wash in a sink by gently swirling the clothes in cool water; never twist or wring out wool or silk.
- Use a mild detergent with a pH below 7 for wool, such as Infinity Heavenly Horsetail, available in health food stores. A mild liquid castile soap such as Dr. Bronner’s baby soap is best for cleaning silk, since it won’t strip the natural oils. Any harsh lye-based soap with a pH above 10 will destroy silk.
- If necessary, spot clean with vinegar or lemon juice, but test for dye color fastness first.
- Gently press water from the fabric. Block wool—lay it flat on a towel and stretch it to the correct size and shape—before drying; it will dry to the blocked size. Wool is resilient and recovers quickly from wrinkling if hung. Hang dry silk.
Rayon
- Rayon absolutely must not be agitated at all; it is a weak fiber and shrinks easily.
- Follow washing directions for cleaning wool and silk, with one big difference: rayon is an alkaline fabric, and acidic detergents can harm
the fabric. Don’t spot clean rayon with acidic vinegar. Most all-purpose detergents will be fine to use, or a liquid castile soap.
Even a harsh detergent won’t harm rayon.
- Gently press out water, and hang dry.
Note that I haven’t tested this method on expensive wool coats and jackets. I spot clean such clothes with vinegar.
Go to the Source
Better Basics for the Home
Natural living has reached the mainstream: we are now far more concerned about the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the chemicals that surround us, and recognize that government regulations all too often fall short of safeguarding our health. Enter Annie Berthold-Bond, whose Better Basics for the Home is a compendium of practical information -- recipes, tips, and guidelines -- for creating a simpler, cheaper and environmentally safer lifestyle.buy nowrelated stories
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add your comment »Another item to consider would be washing these dry clean only garments in soap nuts.
This is what we do in my home, and without question the results have been impeccable.
No shrinkage, no color fading, and virtually no pressing required because soap nuts leave no residue nor to they strip silks of their luster.
If you are unfamiliar with soap nuts you can find my personal experiences and usages on my blog http://soap-nuts.info
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why is this inappropriate?
I was a dry cleaners for 25 years in Northern California.As Perc. is going to phasing out from year 2010, I have decided to convert to 100% wet cleaning system. It's been over 10 months. I have been on the news paper 4 different times. My employees love it because they don't smell any chemical while they are pressing garments. Customers noticed that there is no more solvent odor and most of all, clothes are softer and fresher. The electricity consumption has gone down 20 %, water consumption is down by 5 units per month. One unit is equivalent to about 800 gallons.Since there is no solvent or chemical is involved we have been certified for green business certification program by the county. I believe it is a win win situation for the business and consumers and environment. check out our customers reaction on YOUTUBE under Hesperiancleaners or Greenercleaner. It can't get any better than this.
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why is this inappropriate?
I just tried DryCleaner's Secret to get a stain out of a silk blouse and it left a stain. Now what do I do?
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why is this inappropriate?
Professional wet cleaning is becoming more and more prevalent. The problem is when a garment says dry clean only and a cleaner wet cleans them and if damage occurs, the dry cleaner is responsible.
The article says, "until the dry cleaning industry changes.." Well, the industry has changed and professional wet cleaning has made trememdous strides. Most wool and silk garments that say dry clean only can be safely wet cleaned, but the cleaners assumes all responsibility for possible damage. What needs to change is the manufacturing industry to produce garments that are safely wet cleaned and for the ftc to require wet cleaning labels. The dry cleaning industry is small and fragmented, especially compared to the garment manufacturing industry, yet we have provided solutions. What we need is the manufacturing industry to step to the plate, they are the ones with the money.
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why is this inappropriate?
I found another solution because I hate the smell from the Dry Cleaner and I know that Perc is really bad stuff. Instead I found at my market a product for dry-cleaning in your dryer. Its called DryCleaner's Secret. All I do is place a dryer sheet in with a few of my skirts & sweaters for 20 minutes and they come out great and ready to wear. I use it all the time now. My mom uses it on my dad's uniforms too. I did some research and it does not use Perc, is non-toxic and saves me the gas for driving to & from my cleaners all the time.
JoAnn
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