Sunnye

I just bought a jacket, made in India, white cotton with other colorful cotton in it and also brightly colored threads (think stupendous stitching). It says "dry clean only" but I wondered about cold, hand washing with maybe a color catcher. Line dry? What do you think?
Thanks in advance.

Hemlock Tea

Does your machine have a hand-wash cycle? That might work. Or one of those home dry-cleaning kits, if they still make those...

Lori S

Check for the colorfast of the fabrics before doing anything. Just take a damp piece of white fabric and press the fabric between your fingers and the white cloth.
There is a good chance this fabric has some silk in it , as alot of Cotton/silk combinations are very common.
If it was me and I loved it ... I would not risk deviating from the Dry Clean Only !

TanyaL

Ihave bought things from India that ran faster than a race horse. I would dry clean it.

Sunnye

Yes, my machine has a hand wash cycle. I do remember in the past that I had a skirt from India. It didn't bleed but it did shrink like heck! Perhaps the home dry clean sheets in the dryer would work if I can find one with no scent! Or dry clean. I should have read the label better before buying!

Tartan

Do you LOVE it and it fits perfectly? If so Dry Clean! If you tested for colourfastness, if it's a little big, I might take a chance of hand washing in a large tub of water and block or hang on a good plastic coat hanger to dry. Can it be ironed is the next question. Sometimes you just can't get the wrinkles from washing out without ironing.

nativetexan

I would not trust anything from India to be colorfast. dry clean.

Sunnye

Thanks ya'll! You are right. I'll dry clean.

jitkaau

Often, manufacturers put that label just to cover their backs in case you are silly with the way you clean it. If you have tested a small piece and are prepared to risk it, careful washing is often a good option.

penski

if you are really in doubt i would dry clean it