Last time you had something dry-cleaned?

[Mary Ann]

I have winter coats and sweaters that are dry-clean only, and window drapes that are dry-clean only. I've hand washed all of them in the wettest water I could find and they're all fine.

Same here. I do a lot of hand washing as I'm a knitter, and I'd much rather take the time to wash items myself than trust them to anyone else (especially my husband, who's a master at shrinking my size 16 hand knits to a size that wouldn't fit the cats). The only item in the house I can think of that truly needs dry cleaning is my husband's suit, which he wears to weddings and funerals. In the past few years we've been to one wedding and one funeral, so the suit is yet to be dry cleaned.

Personally I'd never take shirts in to be dry cleaned. Ironing is compatible with so many other activities (telly, radio, audio books, chatting with my husband/kids) that I can't justify spending money on something I can do myself. I'm fussy about my laundry, so I iron a lot, though it's not something I really enjoy. I'm just anal and can't stand wrinkled or creased clothing.

 

[Sector 7]

Several years ago. I have designer suits that I never wear any more. They are in my closet in the dry cleaner plastic hanging bags from last time. Like others have said, I have not been to any funerals or weddings in years. These days I'm more a polo shirt & dockers/jeans guy.

 

[RoJoHen]

Um...the day after high school Prom, I think? Before I returned my rental tux.

That is the only time I have ever dry-cleaned anything.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Summer suits ? Winter suits ? Blazers ?

I don't understand - when are an Iron Maiden T-shirt and jeans not acceptable ?

Never... if you are 20.

 

[Sector 7]

Summer suits ? Winter suits ? Blazers ?

I don't understand - when are an Iron Maiden T-shirt and jeans not acceptable ?

Never... if you are 20.

+1

 

[scotpens]

Last October I think. I had my summer suits and jackets dry-cleaned before putting them away for the winter. I haven't dry-cleaned my winter suits and blazers yet, the weather is still crazy.

Summer suits ? Winter suits ? Blazers ?

Remember, folks, he's Italian.

 

[RoJoHen]

Last October I think. I had my summer suits and jackets dry-cleaned before putting them away for the winter. I haven't dry-cleaned my winter suits and blazers yet, the weather is still crazy.

Summer suits ? Winter suits ? Blazers ?

Remember, folks, he's Italian.

Indeed.

Suits? If I'm not at a wedding or a funeral, why on earth would I wear a suit?

RoJoHen - wears shorts to work.

 

[bbailey861]

I use the dry cleaners often for Dress Uniforms and Mess Dress.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Suits? If I'm not at a wedding or a funeral, why on earth would I wear a suit?

Because it looks good. What other reason do you need?

 

[lurok]

I sadly spend a frakkin' fortune on dry cleaning. To the extent I'm on first name terms with them, know their entire family history and secrets, and do Xmas gift. But I do get first class service and very generous discount in return

 

[mari]

I had my fiance's sweater drycleaned last week. Of my own clothes... a year ago a pair of capris got badly bloodstained and the cleaners managed to get it mostly back to new. My mom works there, though, so I'm AT the cleaners about once a week just to say hi.

 

[scotpens]

Of my own clothes... a year ago a pair of capris got badly bloodstained . . .

Would it be impertinent to ask how? Or do I not want to know?

 

[mari]

Of my own clothes... a year ago a pair of capris got badly bloodstained . . .

Would it be impertinent to ask how? Or do I not want to know?

Oh, you probably don't want to know. I was hit by a truck while crossing the street and when my head hit the pavement, it bled everywhere. (I'm mostly fine now, and fine telling people about it.)

 

[KimMH]

^I'm so glad you've mended - how freaky and awful!

I usally have my husband's blazers cleaned once a season, he really only wears a three he really likes. Summer is approaching with the end of the school year so it will be time to take his light blazer in soon.

I wash almost everything else. I figure if my stuff cannot withstand my washing machine I don't want them. I do hang just about everything to dry though, it saves on ironing time later, which not everyone loves.

 

[scotpens]

I wash almost everything else. I figure if my stuff cannot withstand my washing machine I don't want them.

Damn right. Garments that can't stand up to machine washing deserve to die. It's Laundry Darwinism!

I also don't believe in segregating my laundry. I just throw the white things and colored things in one big washload and let the clothes sort it out for themselves.

 

[Mary Ann]

^I'm too anal not to separate my laundry. Whites have to be white, not dingy from being washed with dark clothes. I have a good eye for colour, and can immediately tell when a white item has been washed with darker stuff. No one else in my household notices, though. They put it down to another one of my nitpicks.

 

[Kirby]

I also don't believe in segregating my laundry. I just throw the white things and colored things in one big washload and let the clothes sort it out for themselves.

My too, althought I have very few just white things. A couple of shirts and some socks, everything else has color. As far as dry cleaning goes, I dry clean my suits, but since I don't wear suits to work anymore I get my drycleaning done probably once a year.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I wash almost everything else. I figure if my stuff cannot withstand my washing machine I don't want them.

Damn right. Garments that can't stand up to machine washing deserve to die. It's Laundry Darwinism!

I also don't believe in segregating my laundry. I just throw the white things and colored things in one big washload and let the clothes sort it out for themselves.

I very much agree with everything in your post.

My mom never separated out whites and colors either, so maybe I'm just used to the "dingy" white as the other poster put it. Though I hardly own anything white at all, almost all of my clothing is purple.

 

[scotpens]

I don't own any white bath towels, socks or T-shirts. My bed linens are pastel blue. The only white things I launder are my undershorts. I don't care if they look a bit dingy, because who the hell else besides my doctor is going to see them?

 

[RoJoHen]

I only wash my whites separately because, aside from my socks, I don't really own any whites, and I always wash all my socks at the same time...usually because I try to get dressed and realize, "Fuck! I don't have any clean socks!"