Club Obi Wan

I love the pants and the tag says dry clean only but can they be washed ie washing machine? I don't want to mess them up but I need to get them hemmed and the last pare of pants I bought shrank after I washed so now they are a tad to short Should I wash befor I hem?

Cheers,
Jeff

You should probably get it hemmed first.

And I've never threw my pants in the washing machine, but there are alternatives to a drycleaner. I believe a company made a product that simulates drycleaning by placing your clothes in a bag and then in your machine. I never tried it, but I think there are a few people here that have.

It's called Dryel.

You can find it in the supermarket. Easy stuff. Basically, you skip the washer machine, and just toss your stuff in the dryer w/ these sheets, kind of like fabric sheets. You get a cheap almost-like-the-real-thing dry cleaning effect.

My wife does this on stuff twice before she send them to the cleaners, so we save about 2/3 of our dry cleaning bills.

Check it out in your local grocery store...you are in LA, too, so try Ralph's, Albertson's, etc.

J

P.S. Read the directions. I don't use it myself, so I could have gotten entire steps wrong there.

Thanks you two.

Cheers,
Jeff

DO NOT WASH! DRY CLEAN ONLY! The care label is in there for a reason.

And go ahead an get them hemmed. Wool trousers shouldn't shrink if they're dry cleaned by a professional. I haven't tried the Dryel thing myself so I can't comment on the product.

Cheers!

I love the pants and the tag says dry clean only

the last pair of pants I bought shrank after I washed

Sounds like you shouldn't wash at all. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?

You are supposed to wash these pants?....

Dry clean only!

I got home last night to find all my clothes neatly folded on the bed...my wife had decided to be efficient and wash/tumble dry them all after our move Upon closer inspection my Wested pants are now probably 2/3rds the size they once were - any munchkins out there watch the Classifieds section - as soon as I work out what size they now are I'll post them!!

On another point, although my wife doesn't realise this, both my washing machine and dryer have "Woolmark-accredited" wool cycles - would I be able to use these in the future?

Nic

As for my experience (and Indiana Tom's) you can wash it into the washing machine but it's not a wise choice. The seams tend to get loose... and then you will need a taylor to fix the belt loops.
Use only dry cleaners

IndianaBlues wrote:On another point, although my wife doesn't realise this, both my washing machine and dryer have "Woolmark-accredited" wool cycles - would I be able to use these in the future?
Nic

You might as well test it on your munchkin pants. Mesure them as the are now and see if the wool cycle shrinks them any more. I guess will wool continue to shrink after it's shrunk like that the first time. (at least a little bit)

Washing wool can be done if you know the reasons that it shrinks. The agitation caused by normal washing machines and the tumble dryer cause the fibers to bunch up and weaken. You can hand wash or wash on gentle with little or no agitation. Do NOT tumble dry! Line dry or lay them out flat to air dry.

I've tried this with cheap surplus wool pants that I did not mind messing up and they come out fine, but they will no longer have that "brand new" look. Since Indy gear is naturally or artificially distressed, I see no reason to wear clothes that look like you just walked out of the store!

For all you with significant others: tell them the hazards of throwing every thing into the wash, or better yet, tell them you will wash your own gear.

I tried Dryel today on my Wested pants, and it didn't really do all that much good. I am currently washing my pants and shirt in cold water on the delicate cycle, so I'll let you know how that turns out.

Ok, I washed them on the delicate cycle, and let them air dry with no problems.