Could I wash this nylon? ruched chiffon wiggle dress

Pinkcoke

Pinkcoke

Alumni
I have refrained from having this dry cleaned as a) it doesn't fit me and it will have to be folded again for posting which leaves big creases in the skirt which has pellon layered between two layers of satin lining and the ruched chiffon, and b) I don't think dry cleaning will probably solve anything (though it might preserve the pellon?) but I keep wondering whether I could just hand wash it in the tub. It has severe underarm tide marks, though they don't show much on the outside (it's more apparant against this black background than in the flesh), but more obviously a mustiness that just needs washing out. Thoughts?
P.S. it is unlabelled though likely comercially made the materials are my guesses.
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Hi Melanie,

Yes, it looks like a fine nylon to me - I'm not sure if that's beading or sequins down the centre front but I would soak in warm water and an oxygen bleach. The lining looks like acetate so the marks should come out. Pellon seems to cope okay with washing and soaking as long as it's not already damaged. Once it starts to fall apart - watch out - but until then it's good.

Dry cleaners hate pellon, it can break off and contaminate their machines. More than one has asked me to remove it before cleaning. Now I generally wash wherever possible (pellon lined dresses are very limp without it and seem sad).
 
I've washed items like this that didn't have pellon.
Big fluffy 50s dresses, even used CLR on one.

I did them on gentle in the machine and monitored the wash time and the spin (just enough to take the bulk of the water out).
Hung them on a plastic hanger to dry, then pressed the lining while still damp (with steam), which made them nice and crisp again.
 
Thanks both.
Nicole you reminded me I have a linen wiggle dress with a pellon collar my dry cleaner said she wouldn't dry clean - I didn't know it was because the method ruins the pellon - I'm grateful she recognised that without being able to see the pellon inside! I will have a go washing that too now.

The only difficultly is I will be unable to see if the pellon is breaking down in this dress - it feels nice and strong/stable (it's like a thin card weight this one) but the dress fabrics were sewn together with the pellon inside before being constructed, so it's totally contained.

The decoration on the front is a/b transparant pink sequins. Do you think oxy cleaner is likely to effect the a/b coating?

Lynn while I'll remember that for future I don't think I'll be machine washing this one! that would crush the pellon too much I think, given that I can't iron it inside this dress I need to keep it as smooth as possible.
 
Melanie I won't generally soak garments with beads or sequins but they might be okay - I recommend hand washing with oxygen bleach and if it's coping okay give it a little soak, smooth a paste of the cleaner on the stains and let it rest a bit before washing it out.
 
I just had a thought right out of the blue.....

My washing machine is a top loader.... you probably have a front loader? (I think they are more common there....?)

I always fill the machine right up and use a gentle cycle, so with all the water it only gets a very slight agitation.
The spin is also gentle (I only do it long enough to take out the bulk of the water) and overall it's less handling
and wear/tear on a wet item than doing it by hand.

A front loader would be different all together I would think.... as they don't use much water do they?...
and they move the clothes around in a completely different manner.
 
Yes for the most part top loaders don't exist here any more - I didn't know they were still used in the USA - I should though my grandmother always had a toploader in Romania.
I think it's because we need the surface space in our smaller kitchens here - most washing machines are under the worksurface.
 
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