8 Fabrics That Always Require Quality Washes

We all love to wear our new clothes. But over time the clothes start looking dull and old. Washing clothes is one of the important factors to maintain your clothes for a long time. The majority of the time we wash all our clothes at home either manually or by machine.

But certain delicate fabrics can get ruined with wet washing leading to shrinking, bleeding colour, fading of colour, or fabric damage. Outfits with delicate fabrics like silk, wool, velvet, rayon, leather, cashmere or linen need quality washes that can save the damage and increase the life of the fabric.

A] 8 Fabrics That Demand Professional Dry Cleaning for Longevity and Care

1. Silk

Silk is the most ancient fabric, used for its royal, shiny and rich look. The silk fiber is a delicate natural fiber that might not absorb the dyes fully, leaving colour on the first few washes. Some silk fabrics can be washed at home but with few instructions to be followed.

However, it is not advisable to wash silk at home as it might lead to fabric tear, ruin the colour, damage the intricate work on the fabric and also lead to shrinking and fading of the fabric. It is best to dry clean silk fabrics and check for the washing instructions on the label.

2. Wool

Most of the time when you wear your woollens after washing them, you might find them a little tight. This happens because traditional washing, using detergent or machine wash will damage the fabric, making it rough, shrinking it, and disfiguring the outfit.

Wool does not absorb any odour or dirt, thus it doesn’t need frequent washing. Mufflers, scarves, or overcoats can be air-dried and need dry cleaning if it is soiled. Woollen shirts, tops or blouses need frequent cleaning thus, it is best to dry clean them each time you wear them. Dry cleaning maintains the fabric’s integrity, softness, colour and size.

3. Velvet

Velvet is a luxurious fabric made from woven silk which makes it soft and rich. It is a little difficult to clean velvet because of its intricate weaving. Velvet is widely used in clothes, covers, bags, duvets, upholstery and artefacts. It is such a delicate fabric that needs either hand washing or dry cleaning.

Hand washing might at times spoil the pile of fabric and it might lose its texture, colour, and durability and get damaged. Velvet when dry-cleaned, retains its colour, texture, tenacity, and shape and lasts for a long time.

4. Rayon

Rayon is a semi-synthetic material made from cellulose fibers that give a smooth and soft texture to the fabric. Rayon fabric is very delicate and can swell when it comes in contact with water and loses its shape. It also bleeds colour, gets distorted, loses its smooth touch and might shrink when it comes in contact with heat.

Dry cleaning rayon fabric ensures the fabric is cleaned thoroughly without leaving colour, losing shape or texture and does not ruin the fabric for the next wear. Professional cleaners have the exact knowledge of the type of detergent, solvent and method of cleaning for rayon.

5. Linen

Linen is a natural fabric made from flax plant making it durable and breathable. But, when linen comes in contact with water, it tends to wrinkle, shrink, make fabric coarse and thick, and wet linen is prone to damage. The local stain removers for clothes tend to damage the fabric.

Dry cleaners are the best ones to clean your linens without damaging the fabric or shrinking it as they have the appropriate stain remover for clothes. It is best to iron your linen before wearing it, air it in between your dry cleaning, and do not overcrowd the linen outfits in the wardrobe to maintain your linen outfits for long.

6. Leather

We all love our leather apparel and other accessories but find it difficult to clean them fearing we might damage the fabric. The leather develops fungus and molds when it absorbs moisture and chips if handled in the wrong manner.

Leather needs a special treatment and process to clean and wash it. It needs either high-pressure steam cleaning or solvent cleaning which is why dry cleaning is important for leather fabrics. Steam cleaning loosens the dirt and grease and cleans the leather easily. Always check the label on your leather outfits for instructions to wash them.

7. Sequins/Beaded Fabrics

The sequins and beads on our fabric enhance the look of the outfit. But we often notice that the beads and sequins come off while washing or might also tear the fabric if washed in the machine. It all depends on the fabric over which the sequin and beads are attached. To effectively clean such fabrics dry cleaning helps to preserve the sequin and beads on the fabric, prevents damage to the fabric, avoids distortion and helps maintain the outfit.

To preserve such fabrics with sequin and beads, wash the sequinned fabric inside out, use a steam iron instead or press iron, keep away from pointed objects while wearing the outfit, and handle with gentleness.

8. Cashmere

Cashmere is a luxurious and delicate fabric made from fibers of cashmere goats that gives smoothness, lustre, warmth and elegance. Cashmere fabric is very sensitive to water leading to stretching or shrinking of fabric and losing its shape. Washing in water with harsh detergents might lead to colour bleeding, make the fabric rough and cause irritation to the skin.

Dry cleaning such cashmere fabrics prevents their shape maintains their softness and does not damage the material. Always get your cashmere tops, blouses, shirts and bottoms cleaned by professional cleaners.

Conclusion

Maintaining fabrics without knowing their nature leads to damage to the outfit. It is best to check the label for instructions to wash and maintain the fabric. We give one of the best dry cleaning services in Mumbai to clean such delicate fabrics, increase the shelf life of the fabric and make the fabric look new for a long.