You fall in love with a shirt only to flip the tag and see the dreaded words, "Dry-Clean Only." Instead of leaving it at the store, bring your new favorite item of clothing home with you without fear of dealing with the dry cleaner. Along with being a big bother to drop off clothes and then pick them up, dry-cleaning isn't the best for the environment — and getting clothes professionally laundered adds up!
Start by figuring out what type of material you're working with. Most store-purchased clothing items are already colorfast, but it's always smart to do a quick test to double-check hues won't fade or bleed before hand washing. And it's a good idea to spot treat with a gentle stain remover before giving a gentle cleaning.
After you know what type of material you're working with, you can safely hand wash these items at home:
If you're still concerned about actually dunking your beloved clothing item in water, you can pick up a dry-cleaning kit ($20) that works with items that have linings, like business suits and velvet jackets. Follow the directions, and you're on your way to refreshed clothes.
You can also DIY your own dry-cleaning sheets and follow these directions for cleaning dry-clean-only clothes at home.