I accidentally washed some cotton velvet today, and after ironing it looks fine. Is there a reason why velvets and velours are "dry clean only"? Also is there a way to tell washable silks from "dry clean only" silks? Thank you, I might as well throw in the question, would you try to wash satin bracade? It is polyester after all. Thanks

You didn't say if your cotton velvet was a piece of fabric or an item of clothing. I personally wash all fabric in hot water and hot dryer before sewing it into anything. [Maybe not silk.] My way of thinking is to shrink it before sewing, not after, if it gets put in a hot wash by mistake. I did this to a cotton velvet jacket I made for my daughter, and never had to worry about washing it. I would just toss it in with the other laundry, and it always came out beautifully.

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by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

It is fabric, I have both, most of it has been home "dry cleaned" this happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I only wash in cold water which can be warm in the summer & have been washing velour & velvet without any trouble for years in the washing machine. Hand wash silk in Martha Gardners wool wash successfully.Have even washed a mens suit jacket in the washing -it said you could.If in doubt use the delicate or wool cycle .I avoid using a dryer.

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by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

Ok, sounds like a plan. I appreciate your comments.

I washed a polyester crepe and it shrunk so don't do that one. lol! It was my prom dress I had made 40 some years ago. It was lined with a thin taffeta. It was old, and didn't fit, simple style and had yellowed badly, anyway, so I don't think the brocade would fare well but who knows.

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by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

I want to use this fabric for ITH projects that will not be washed, it is the stabilizer problem with the satin stitch edge as well as it feels dirty.

Many fabrics will fray terribly in the washer and dryer. If you believe any of these should be washed prior to stitching/hemming please consider a gentle hand wash in cool water. However, once the raw edges are hemmed, a gentle cycle in the washer with cold water and low heat or tumble dry without heat should be okay. Also, many fabrics are listed as "dry clean only" due to fabrics shrinking differently under the same washing conditions. (If the outer fabric of an article of clothing shrank more or less than the lining of a garment it would cause distortion and render the garment unwearable.)

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by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

Yes, I have experienced that, mostly with cotton curtains!

I wash everything even skidoo suits that say dry clean.i have a few men that bring me there's to wash.We grew up washing so why now don't wash??Darned if i know SOOOOOOO i wash lol hugs

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by bevintex 27 Apr 2014

I did not know what a skidoo suit was,I thought it was something you wear when you ride on a jetski. You can tell I'm not from "up north"

by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

snowmobile suit? I think maybe it had wool in it. which if non-woven will certainly shrink.

I think they say dry clean only, to protect themselves from lawsuits from people that throw stuff in the washer on hot water and dry it high heat and then wonder why it came out so bad! I wash mostly everything. Its worth a try, just use caution and consider what the fabric is. Gentle, cold wash, maybe no dry or light dry. I am the same way about dishes... if it can't fit in my dishwasher, it doesn't need to be in my kitchen! lolol. Just my 2 cents worth...

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by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

Love your philosophy. I ask about the brocade because I am allergic to factory dust and it feels dirty and I do not want to put in my machine.

I only bought velvet that was machine washable...they are out there but cost more. I'm surprised it looked OK after ironing as you are supposed to use a needle board to iron it. Or is that what you did? Sometimes I think it's a problem with shrinkage or color running on some of the dry clean only. In High School I made a couple of Velvet Prom Dresses and used washable fabric.


Muffy :)

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by cfidl 28 Apr 2014

I always just use a towel to handle the nap, and I do not know if it shrank, however I do know things shrink while doing home dry cleaning. I do not know why.