100% Rayon - Handwash or Dry Clean

[CrazyBeautifulU]

I know there was a thread about how people wash their cashmere. I wanted to know how everyone washes their 100% rayon garments. Handwash? Dry clean? Other, if so describe?

Thanks!

[shoulderache]

Hand wash with woolite unless it is a color that will likely bleed like black or red. It really depends on the garment.

[bbarry]

anyone else with suggestions....


i have a dress that is 100% rayon and it says DRY CLEAN ONLY.

has anyone tried otherwise?? like hand washing with woolite??

THANK YOU!

[Charlie]

I handwash rayon and silk. No accidents so far, woolite (just a bit) mix with cold water works for me.

[Charlie]

From Ehow

Quote:

Step 1 Always read the garment's care label. If you attempt to wash a rayon that isn't washable it will shrink, stretch and bleed dyes all over. It will not be wearable again; so be sure to double-check the instructions. Step 2 Wash all rayon by hand. It gets very vulnerable to damage when it's wet so the washing machine's agitation alone could ruin it. Step 3 Wash in cool or tepid water with a detergent made for hand washing. Gently squeeze the soapsuds into the fabric. Rinse thoroughly in cool water. Step 4 Never wring, twist or bunch up rayon. Shake it out gently and smooth out the wrinkles with your hands. Step 5 Hang your garment on a plastic or padded hanger to dry. Wire hangers will leave rust spots on it. If it could lose it's shape, you can dry it flat. It will dry best on a drying rack this way rather than on a towel if you have one. Step 6 Iron all rayon material inside out to prevent it from shining. Use low heat and press it while it is slightly damp to ease the wrinkling. If you must touch up the right side of the garment, cover it with a cloth first.

From another site

Quote:

Rayon. Can it be machine washed? That is the question! The answer is yes, but... Rayon is not as sturdy a fabric as cotton and will not stand up to the same level of abuse that we put cotton T-shirts and jeans through. If you put a rayon dress through a washer/dryer in a load with say, jeans, then in the tumbling, the jeans will rub and pull on the dress's seams. If the dress has ties or straps, they will get tangled in the jeans and other items and pull and tear the seams. If you machine wash rayon items alone or better yet in a net bag, then the rayon item will hold up just fine. Best of all is hand washing and line drying, which avoids the issue entirely, and is what we recommend. Also, rayon is weaker when it is wet than when it is dry. We used full strength bleach on some black rayon to discharge it and rinsed it immediately after it discharged for a minute or two - both the discharged areas and the untouched black areas ripped very easily in one direction while wet. After the fabric was dry, it did not rip, even where bleached. Conclusion: You have to treat WET rayon very carefully, and it is not the discharging (if done properly) that is making the fabric weak. You have to support the whole garment if you are going to lift it out of a dyebath wet. You can't just grab part of it with a stick or some other object. We recommend hand washing & line drying Rayon clothing, and handling wet rayon with extra care.

Quote:

Tips & Warnings: • Be sure to iron rayon while it's still damp. It will make the job much easier. • Never iron rayon right side out without a pressing cloth to protect it. Rayon will gain a shine to it if you iron it directly. Either iron the inside of the garment or use a pressing cloth on the outside.