Can You Ever Put 'Hand-Wash Only' And 'Dry-Clean Only' Items In The Washing Machine?

All too often, you find that you’ve fallen in love with a sweater or a shirt in the store only to bring it home and read those dreaded words on the label: “hand-wash only.” Or worse, “dry-clean only.”

You tell yourself that the extra cleaning effort is well worth it. But as laundry piles up, it becomes increasingly tempting to ignore the tag’s instructions and simply throw the item into the washing machine. Surely there must be some leeway with manufacturers’ cleaning instructions.

So, could throwing in a hand-wash-only or dry-clean-only item really be all that bad? We spoke to experts to get the lowdown.

Why are some garments labeled ‘hand-wash only’ or ‘dry-clean only’?

“Manufacturers develop their cleaning recommendations based on the type of materials used, construction and adornments,” said Rich Handel, the senior test project leader and resident laundry expert at Consumer Reports.

While simply constructed clothing made of durable materials can hold up well, not all garments are suitable for the washing machine.

“If the garment says ‘dry-clean only,’ it could shrink, become misshapen, or its colors may run,” said Jerry Pozniak, a dry cleaner with 38 years of experience and the CEO of luxury dry cleaning business Jeeves New York .

Pozniak also noted that if your garment includes particular structural components (e.g., brims in baseball hats or underwires in bras), it’s a good idea to avoid the washing machine and opt for hand-washing instead.

Can you hand-wash ‘dry-clean only’ items?

It may be tempting to skip a trip to the cleaners and hand-wash your “dry-clean only” pieces. After all, hand-washing is a gentler way to wash clothes, right?

“If you’re adventurous and are willing to risk damaging the item,