Here’s a doozy. Have you seen this on a clothing care label? “Do not dry clean. Do not hand wash. Professional spot clean only.” Gary Casassa, owner of Marin Cleaners, Inc., a Diamond Certified company, usually sees these types of labels on high-end items such as evening dresses with beads and sequins. Customers don’t like hearing that even a professional dry cleaner can’t do a thorough cleaning on these items. Some garments become unwearable as a result.

The problem with professional spot cleaning is that it requires water in order to rinse out the spot remover. Also, spot cleaning can leave a small circle and/or a watermark. Mr. Casassa suggests that you look closely at those care labels before you spend a lot of money on a garment. Avoid those with an “X” through BOTH the dry cleaning and washing symbols.

Chris Bjorklund  (117 Posts)

Widely known as the Savvy Consumer, Chris Bjorklund has worked as a consumer advocate for more than 35 years. Her unique perspective on consumer issues and trends comes from her work in both the private and public sectors, as well as in the media and nonprofit world.