<p>Before you cut out pattern pieces for a garment, you should pre-launder the entire length of fabric using the same method you will use to launder the finished garment.  This is so you don't get any nasty (and especially unfixable) surprises when you wash it after the garment is made, including shrinkage, off-grain fabric, fabric with so much sizing that the washed fabric characteristics don't match the prewashed fabric characteristics, fabric that wrinkles to an unacceptable level after being washed, etc.</p>
<p>It can be a pain to pre-launder fabric, especially dry-clean-only fabric, but it's better to find out how it handles being cleaned regularly before you spend the time and energy making the garment and find out that it didn't come through its first &quot;regular&quot; washing/laundering intact.  I didn't check the straight grain of fabric before I made a garment out of it ONE time, and I ended up donating the garment after a few wearings because it would NOT sit nicely on the straight grain no matter how much I tried to iron and starch it into conformity.</p>
<p>Please don't wash wool in the washing machine unless it's labeled as washable wool.  One of my children did a great job of turning a wool jacket into a felted doll jacket by throwing it in their wash.  :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-31T09:32:18.453Z
2023-12-31T09:32:18.453Z
Mama Bear to 4
<p>As well as shrinkage, you'd have to consider the fabric itself.  Would velvet or suede be as aesthetically pleasing, or would the essence of the fibre be lost?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T14:57:03.020Z
2017-06-14T18:29:57.733Z
2017-06-14T18:29:57.733Z
diane
<p>I think it really depends on the fabric.</p>
<p>If the manufacturer of the fabric states that it should be dry cleaned, that's probably a signal that they're serious about it. Silk and wool can often be hand-washed in very gentle shampoo as a way of pre-shrinking the fabric... but some fabrics simply don't tolerate washing well. They lose their look or shape when soaked in water, so even pre-washing won't do much for you. Another consideration is colorfastness... apparently some brightly-colored silks can lose their color when washed.</p>
<p>From a <a href="http://drycleanersatlanta.com/2013/10/what-fabrics-can-and-cant-be-dry-cleaned/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dry cleaner's website</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The first determination is whether or not the fabric can be submersed in water. Fabrics such as cashmere and wool are susceptible to losing shape in full submersion and will likely shrink, so typical washing should be avoided. Another gentle fabric is silk. An extremely delicate material, silk can be hand washed; however, it should never be complete submerged nor agitated in a washing machine.  [. . . ]</p>
<p>While some fabrics may be washed, like certain chiffon, satin, and lace articles, additional care must be taken when ironing. A dry cleaning process offers a safer alternative to typical ironing, making it more effective for a wider variety of products.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you're making a structured jacket and you want to retain the crisp lines and smooth drape, you probably don't want to machine wash your jacket as it may destroy the cut and the work you put into it. Now, if it's a casual jacket that doesn't need to look &quot;neat&quot; or &quot;sharp&quot;, your washing regimen likely won't matter but keep that in mind.</p>
<p>I found <a href="https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/01/how-to-wash-fabric-before-sewing/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">another quote</a> that sort of peeved me - it's tangentially related and I thought it might be valuable here...</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Q: I was wondering, does it mean all the Big Designer Labels pre-launder all their fabric before production?</strong></p>
<p>Graceful Sewing<br />
June 1st, 2015<br />
No, they do not. That is often the only reason that garments purchased from them have to be dry cleaned. If they had preshrunk the fabric, we could toss it in the washer and it would do fine. But because they skip this step, we are left with huge dry cleaning bills so they could save a few dollars and make us think we are. Also, on clothing that is washable, you will often find the the seams are a just little gathered coming out of the dryer, or that the garment is not quite on grain like it was (that why our garments tend to look old quickly). The best way to handle these is to gently tug on each end of the seams (particularly in knit fabrics) and straighten it out while warm. The lay the garment out flat or neatly fold it without wrinkles and let it set until it cools completely. If the garment is twisted off grain, gently tug on the two shorter corners to pull it back into alignment and then proceed as above. Your clothing won’t have the advantage of custom-made (and preshrunk) does, but it will look better and last longer.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, my interpretation here is that, yes, to a degree, if the fabric is pre-washed, it may affect the final outcome's washability... so it's not <em>only</em> the fabric type that determines the washing method on store-bought clothing.</p>
<p>Another interesting source is on <a href="https://www.thelaundress.com/clean-talk-blog/which-dry-clean-only-items-actually-need-to-be-dry-cleaned.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Laundress</a> where they go through various fabric types and garment styles to hash out what can and can't be washed at home. The ones that relate to fabrics specifically include</p>
<ul>
<li>Don't wash viscose (it shrinks, often unevenly)</li>
<li>Don't wash polyamide blends (they grow)</li>
<li>Don't wash &quot;structured&quot; items - ties, blazers with shoulder pads</li>
<li>Don't wash suede &amp; leather - if marked &quot;not washable&quot; or &quot;Dryclean only&quot;</li>
<li>Don't wash fur with skin</li>
</ul>
<p>There's actually not too much on this list, amusingly... so it seems that, provided you do some research on <strong>how</strong> to wash anything else properly (<strong>that does not mean you can toss everything in your washer, though</strong>), you should be able to avoid dry clean only clothes to a large extent.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T17:10:54.827Z
+1 for your last three paragraphs. This echoes what I have always heard--a great many clothing items that are labeled "dry clean only" are labeled as such because they need special treatment if "wet-washed" and clothing manufacturers are concerned that people will blame them if a poorly executed wash ruins the garments (or if they know that they are cutting corners during manufacturing as mentioned above).
magerber
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T19:58:56.303Z
@abbie good to know. The site I was on specifically said "baby shampoo" so maybe I should have been more clear.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T16:42:10.323Z
2017-06-14T16:42:10.323Z
2020-06-18T08:35:49.040Z
Catija
<p>Common wisdom is to wash your fabric before sewing in the same way you plan to wash the finished project. This way any shrinkage from machine washing will happen before cutting out your pieces, and it won't shrink more after you've sewn it up.</p>

<p>Along those lines, I recently read a sewing blog post about how the author was making a jacket from fabric marked "dry clean only", so she took the fabric to a dry cleaner before cutting out her pieces.</p>

<p>That got me thinking. What if I <em>didn't</em> want to take my jacket to a dry cleaner? Could I just pre-wash the fabric in a machine, sew the jacket, and it'd be safe to machine wash? What would the consequences be?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T13:24:50.063Z
I *think* dry clean only is generally due to the delicate nature of the fabric, but I'm not positive -- so I'm looking forward to an answer to this!
Erica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T16:13:27.210Z
Considering the answer posted, could you be more clear about what sorts of "dry clean only" fabrics you're talking about?
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T18:28:47.627Z
@Catija I didn't have a particular fiber type in mind, the jacket I read about was wool but I've also seen silk and even polyester garments labeled as dry clean only. I didn't mean animal based (leathers, fur), or highly embellished fabric though (seems pretty obvious those would need special care!).
user812786
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T18:34:27.137Z
I posted the comment before I posted my answer, so I was thinking more about the two examples given there. Velvet, specifically. Though, velvet isn't particularly popular as a clothing fabric right now anyway. Regardless, clarity in a question is always appropriate and appreciated.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-27T12:11:26.540Z
Just to add another example, I was in a chain craft store yesterday and they had a "fashion" knit (nothing fancy in the fiber content and not particularly high quality either) which was marked dry clean only! TBH I probably wouldn't have thought to check on something like that, except for the responses to this question :)
user812786
<fabric><preparation>
What would happen if I machine laundered dry clean only fabric before making it into a garment?
user812786
# What would happen if I machine laundered dry clean only fabric before making it into a garment?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-14)

Common wisdom is to wash your fabric before sewing in the same way you plan to wash the finished project. This way any shrinkage from machine washing will happen before cutting out your pieces, and it won't shrink more after you've sewn it up.

Along those lines, I recently read a sewing blog post about how the author was making a jacket from fabric marked "dry clean only", so she took the fabric to a dry cleaner before cutting out her pieces.

That got me thinking. What if I *didn't* want to take my jacket to a dry cleaner? Could I just pre-wash the fabric in a machine, sew the jacket, and it'd be safe to machine wash? What would the consequences be?

**Tags:** fabric, preparation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I *think* dry clean only is generally due to the delicate nature of the fabric, but I'm not positive -- so I'm looking forward to an answer to this!  
> **username_2**: Considering the answer posted, could you be more clear about what sorts of "dry clean only" fabrics you're talking about?  
> **username_0**: @username_2 I didn't have a particular fiber type in mind, the jacket I read about was wool but I've also seen silk and even polyester garments labeled as dry clean only. I didn't mean animal based (leathers, fur), or highly embellished fabric though (seems pretty obvious those would need special care!).  
> **username_2**: I posted the comment before I posted my answer, so I was thinking more about the two examples given there. Velvet, specifically. Though, velvet isn't particularly popular as a clothing fabric right now anyway. Regardless, clarity in a question is always appropriate and appreciated.  
> **username_0**: Just to add another example, I was in a chain craft store yesterday and they had a "fashion" knit (nothing fancy in the fiber content and not particularly high quality either) which was marked dry clean only! TBH I probably wouldn't have thought to check on something like that, except for the responses to this question :)  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-14. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

I think it really depends on the fabric.

If the manufacturer of the fabric states that it should be dry cleaned, that's probably a signal that they're serious about it. Silk and wool can often be hand-washed in very gentle shampoo as a way of pre-shrinking the fabric... but some fabrics simply don't tolerate washing well. They lose their look or shape when soaked in water, so even pre-washing won't do much for you. Another consideration is colorfastness... apparently some brightly-colored silks can lose their color when washed.

From a [dry cleaner's website](http://drycleanersatlanta.com/2013/10/what-fabrics-can-and-cant-be-dry-cleaned/):

> The first determination is whether or not the fabric can be submersed in water. Fabrics such as cashmere and wool are susceptible to losing shape in full submersion and will likely shrink, so typical washing should be avoided. Another gentle fabric is silk. An extremely delicate material, silk can be hand washed; however, it should never be complete submerged nor agitated in a washing machine. [. . . ]
>
> While some fabrics may be washed, like certain chiffon, satin, and lace articles, additional care must be taken when ironing. A dry cleaning process offers a safer alternative to typical ironing, making it more effective for a wider variety of products.

If you're making a structured jacket and you want to retain the crisp lines and smooth drape, you probably don't want to machine wash your jacket as it may destroy the cut and the work you put into it. Now, if it's a casual jacket that doesn't need to look "neat" or "sharp", your washing regimen likely won't matter but keep that in mind.

I found [another quote](https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/01/how-to-wash-fabric-before-sewing/) that sort of peeved me - it's tangentially related and I thought it might be valuable here...

> **Q: I was wondering, does it mean all the Big Designer Labels pre-launder all their fabric before production?**
>
> Graceful Sewing  
> June 1st, 2015  
> No, they do not. That is often the only reason that garments purchased from them have to be dry cleaned. If they had preshrunk the fabric, we could toss it in the washer and it would do fine. But because they skip this step, we are left with huge dry cleaning bills so they could save a few dollars and make us think we are. Also, on clothing that is washable, you will often find the the seams are a just little gathered coming out of the dryer, or that the garment is not quite on grain like it was (that why our garments tend to look old quickly). The best way to handle these is to gently tug on each end of the seams (particularly in knit fabrics) and straighten it out while warm. The lay the garment out flat or neatly fold it without wrinkles and let it set until it cools completely. If the garment is twisted off grain, gently tug on the two shorter corners to pull it back into alignment and then proceed as above. Your clothing won’t have the advantage of custom-made (and preshrunk) does, but it will look better and last longer.

So, my interpretation here is that, yes, to a degree, if the fabric is pre-washed, it may affect the final outcome's washability... so it's not *only* the fabric type that determines the washing method on store-bought clothing.

Another interesting source is on [The Laundress](https://www.thelaundress.com/clean-talk-blog/which-dry-clean-only-items-actually-need-to-be-dry-cleaned.html) where they go through various fabric types and garment styles to hash out what can and can't be washed at home. The ones that relate to fabrics specifically include

* Don't wash viscose (it shrinks, often unevenly)
* Don't wash polyamide blends (they grow)
* Don't wash "structured" items - ties, blazers with shoulder pads
* Don't wash suede & leather - if marked "not washable" or "Dryclean only"
* Don't wash fur with skin

There's actually not too much on this list, amusingly... so it seems that, provided you do some research on **how** to wash anything else properly (**that does not mean you can toss everything in your washer, though**), you should be able to avoid dry clean only clothes to a large extent.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: +1 for your last three paragraphs. This echoes what I have always heard--a great many clothing items that are labeled "dry clean only" are labeled as such because they need special treatment if "wet-washed" and clothing manufacturers are concerned that people will blame them if a poorly executed wash ruins the garments (or if they know that they are cutting corners during manufacturing as mentioned above).  
> **username_2**: @abbie good to know. The site I was on specifically said "baby shampoo" so maybe I should have been more clear.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-12-31. Score: 2

Before you cut out pattern pieces for a garment, you should pre-launder the entire length of fabric using the same method you will use to launder the finished garment. This is so you don't get any nasty (and especially unfixable) surprises when you wash it after the garment is made, including shrinkage, off-grain fabric, fabric with so much sizing that the washed fabric characteristics don't match the prewashed fabric characteristics, fabric that wrinkles to an unacceptable level after being washed, etc.

It can be a pain to pre-launder fabric, especially dry-clean-only fabric, but it's better to find out how it handles being cleaned regularly before you spend the time and energy making the garment and find out that it didn't come through its first "regular" washing/laundering intact. I didn't check the straight grain of fabric before I made a garment out of it ONE time, and I ended up donating the garment after a few wearings because it would NOT sit nicely on the straight grain no matter how much I tried to iron and starch it into conformity.

Please don't wash wool in the washing machine unless it's labeled as washable wool. One of my children did a great job of turning a wool jacket into a felted doll jacket by throwing it in their wash. :)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-06-14. Score: 0

As well as shrinkage, you'd have to consider the fabric itself. Would velvet or suede be as aesthetically pleasing, or would the essence of the fibre be lost?


---

