cut your dry-cleaning bills

[Guest guest]

cut your dry-cleaning bills

 

It's not your rigorous schedule that's turning your black suit a

dull gray —

it might be the dry cleaning. Skip the chemical process and try these

gentler, less expensive options:

 

If the label reads " Dry clean " (instead of " Dry clean only " ), you can

probably hand wash it with a mild soap, such as Woolite. (The Federal

Trade

Commission requires that a manufacturer specify at least one method

of cleaning, so

unstated alternatives will often work.) Run a test on a hidden seam

first to see

how the fabric reacts with the detergent.

 

Silk and rayon garments tend to hold up better when they're hand

washed

rather than dry-cleaned. Lay flat to dry, then, when the fabric is

slightly damp,

use a warm iron on the reverse side.

 

Most cashmere sweaters can be hand washed in cold water with a mild

soap; lay

flat to dry.

 

To remove odors or slight wrinkles — but not stains — try a dry-

cleaning kit

like Dryel.

 

~realsimple.com