I have a very large collection of expensive cashmere sweaters, and I had an equally large collection of dry-cleaning bills. I joked that if I ever married for money, I'd marry a dry cleaner. Those dry-cleaning bills were really mounting.
Then I read where two top designers advised hand-washing expensive cashmeres, saying that it was better for the "loft." Delighted, I took their advice and have been saving money ever since. I use Woolite or baby shampoo (even cheaper), and sometimes I even cheat and use detergent. I rinse well, squeeze out the excess water (don't wring), roll the sweater up in a thick towel to get rid of as much moisture as possible, and then dry flat on a mesh sweater dryer. The sweaters come out perfect and naturally you don't iron them.
I even wash expensive silks. White silk blouses should never be dry cleaned because they turn yellow. Good dry cleaners are so expensive that I even wash silk dresses. Wash them in cold water, hang on a hanger, and then iron. Perfect.
I've started washing just about everything. I'm afraid to use a washer or dryer on good clothing so I have to hand-wash, but I'm saving lots of money and love the way my things look.
I'm not telling you to do this, but recently I washed an expensive designer wool skirt! I have a Giorgio Sant Angelo black wool skirt that was a gift from the designer himself. I wore it with a washable black top to a party where someone spilled red wine on me. As soon as I got home, I threw the top in the basin with detergent and cold water, and then, without thinking, threw in the skirt, too. I was horrified when I realized what I had done but I rinsed, wrapped it in a towel, dried it flat, and then ironed it. The wine stain came out and the skirt looks like new.
Recently I bought a dress made of cotton and spandex at Club Monaco. The salesman said the dress was washable, and I told him the label said to dry clean only. He said to disregard it, it's still washable. He was right!
With all my forays into washing, you'd think I'd ruin something and you'd be right. I took a chance washing an old, cotton knit. It was white with a black design. The black ran and I threw it out. That was the only time I washed something that didn't come out perfectly.
Miriam Silverberg is a freelance writer and the owner of a boutique publicity agency, Miriam Silverberg Associates. She can be reached at silverbergm@mindspring.com.
