How to Avoid Dry Cleaning

Toxic and expensive, dry cleaning is a necessary evil of modern life. After all, you can't put a wool suit in the washing machine, and you can't wear cotton yoga pants to the office every day. However, there are some steps you can take to significantly reduce your use of dry cleaning.

Instructions

1. Read labels. Check the washing instructions on a garment before you buy it. If the label says "Dry clean only," decide how important it is for you to have that garment and whether it's worth the extra cost, both financially and to your health, to buy the garment.

2. Make your own rules. Many times a garment is labeled "Dry clean only" when it's actually hand-washable. When attempting to wash a garment, always use cold water and gentle soap. Roll the wet garment in a towel instead of wringing it out, and lay it flat to dry. Some fabrics, like rayon, require ironing to regain their original texture.

3. Spot clean frequently. Use a laundry spot cleaner to keep your garments looking good between cleanings. After wearing a garment, examine it carefully for spots. Sometimes stains don't appear right away, so look closely. The sooner you address a spill or soil spot on the garment, the more likely you are to remove it completely and avoid frequent dry cleaning.

4. Disinfect after wearing. It sounds funny, but bacteria causes odor. After wearing a garment, spray it with a disinfectant spray before hanging it up to eliminate bacteria and keep odors from forming in the fabric. Focus especially on any parts of the garment that were in direct contact with your skin.

5. Freshen garments periodically. Put your "Dry clean only" garments in the drier with extra fabric softener sheets. The hot air freshens the garment and removes wrinkles at the same time.

Tips & Warnings

• Never apply disinfectant spray to your skin or spray a garment and wear it right away.