So I bought a dress from Zara last year and in the dressing room, I read the care label. It said, “Do not wash.” But also “Do not Dry-Clean.” Uh, what? When I asked the girl behind the counter how to clean this dress, she looked at me like I had just asked her for a large plate of Fettuccini Alfredo. *Shrugs * No idea. I bought it anyway, because I know what to do with it.
Here’s the real secret of care labels: Clothing Manufacturers use the “Dry-Clean Only” label as a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card to release them from any responsibility for shrinkage or garment damage while washing. Most garments can, in fact, be washed at home. The problem is; the only real way to find out if a “Dry-Clean Only” garment is actually washable is to experiment. Be brave and go slowly. You can do this! Here’s how: