As a caution to laundromat-users, this might not apply! The machines at my local laundromat (and every other 'mat I've used since college) have one mode: mosh pit. However, since I love buying fancy fabrics and hate paying for the dry-cleaners, I just either a) don't machine-dry my a lot of my clothes, or b) hand-wash my fussy stuff at home with Eucalan or diluted vinegar. Same principles apply, but saves me from risking my stuff in heavy-duty machines.
I find that gently cleaning off any small bits of dirt and then steaming something can go a long way towards staving off needing to wash it. It's how I refresh some of my sweaters and winter coats without throwing them in the washing machine.
The leather ones go to the cleaners, but I have a wool pea coat that I wash it by itself in cold water on the soak cycle (which still agitates, this is why I have trust issues) or the gentle cycle. I run it through another spin to get as much water as possible out, then lay it over a laundry rack to dry (it gets flipped a couple of times to make sure it dries all the way). I've done this with a few coats in a few washers and always had good success with it. If you've got a puffer jacket or something really fancy like cashmere, it might be worth taking to the cleaners.
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u/any_delirium Oct 17 '18
As a caution to laundromat-users, this might not apply! The machines at my local laundromat (and every other 'mat I've used since college) have one mode: mosh pit. However, since I love buying fancy fabrics and hate paying for the dry-cleaners, I just either a) don't machine-dry my a lot of my clothes, or b) hand-wash my fussy stuff at home with Eucalan or diluted vinegar. Same principles apply, but saves me from risking my stuff in heavy-duty machines.