People Are Just Realizing What ‘Dry Clean Only’ Labels on Clothes Truly Mean

In 2023, a fashionista who goes by @nosliv.co on TikTok came upon a striking realization. For all the years of buying, wearing, and washing clothes, she had never paid attention to the mysterious symbols printed on the garment tags. These almost-undecipherable symbols were curated by the International Association for Textile Care Labelling (GINETEX), Paris, in 1963 after they sensed a pressing need to standardize the wash care instructions for clothing items. Victoria had to ruin a lot many clothes to learn these laundry symbols, but nowadays homemakers can decode them with the help of experts. For instance, Dependable Laundry Solutions unravels the meaning behind the “dry clean only” symbol printed on cloth tags.

"Truth is that most clothing manufacturers put 'dry clean only' when a normal wash at home would be just fine," they write on their website. They added that there’s a significant difference between “dry clean” and “dry clean only” symbols. The “dry clean” symbol is just a suggestion, not a rule. Plus, they insisted that fabrics like acrylic, cashmere, cotton, nylon, polyester, denim, and many wool variations can all be handled at home. However, when it comes to the “dry clean only” label, the company says, “Most clothing manufacturers put [it] when a normal wash at home would be just fine.” Watch out for the word "only" as it makes a lot of difference in how you maintain your clothing.

Resonating with this sentiment, a woman from Ireland, Sarah Fitzgibbon (@sarafitzwimin) wrote on X, “I get a giddy amount of joy out of sticking ‘dry clean only’ clothes in the washing machine and getting away with it.” New York-based laundry expert, The Laundress, even goes on to say that most fabrics can be washed right at home, using cold water and slow spins. The company explained that viscose fabrics or fabrics with manufactured pleats can be washed with a steamer, and wool can be washed with cashmere shampoo.

However, the company warns that if a garment is labeled “Not Washable” or “Dry Clean Only,” it should not be washed at home. Suede, for example, is made of leather, and it requires professional cleaning. For clothes with fur, the “fur without skin” is washable at home but “fur with skin” is non-washable. “Its skin can shrink or dry out with wet washing,” they explain. On the flip side, if you are sending a clothing item for dry cleaning just because it has lost its fresh scent or displays wrinkly texture, The Laundress doesn’t endorse it.

Instead, they suggest going for “steam cleaning” in these cases. “Steaming typically works well for ‘Dry Clean Only’ items as well as items that are not readily washable, such as upholstery,” they note, adding that hot steam can be paired with fabric freshening spray to lift odors. That’s for the “dry clean” symbols. If you want to decode the meanings behind other laundry symbols, it is fairly easy nowadays, especially for iPhone users with iOS 17 or upper versions. Additionally, Business Insider shares a detailed synopsis of thirty laundry symbols and their meanings.