Yes, You Can Actually Dry Clean Certain Clothes At Home — Here's How

Well, believe it or not, certain dry-clean-only items can be cleaned at home—and doing so will save you some time, money, and environmental impact. Here's how to do it, from healthy home expert and founder and CEO of EntirelyEco Loni Brown.

More eco-friendly dry cleaners are opening up these days, and they prioritize solvents that are gentler on clothing and better for the health of employees. But if you, too, would rather take matters into your own hands, here's what Brown recommends.

Before you get washing, you need to check your garment's label and take note of the material.

With these fabrics, you still need to be careful about color bleeding. Test a discreet area of the clothing by dampening it with water then dabbing it with a white cloth. (If it bleeds, you'll want to give it to the professionals.)

Brown recommends taking the following extra-finicky materials to a cleaner to avoid any accidental laundry mishaps:

In a clean sink or bucket, add cold water with your mild, unscented liquid soap. Stir your soap and water around several times with your hands to ensure everything is mixed evenly.

If necessary, you can spot clean by adding a drop of your soap directly to the stain. Use your fingers to gently rub the soap into the stain.

Add your garment to the water-and-soap solution, and gently swish it around. Then, let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes.

Give your piece of clothing a good rinse in cold water a couple of times to get all of the soap out. Then, gentle press it against the side of the sink or bucket to drain any excess water. Do not twist, squeeze, or wring it out! "If it's still quite wet, you can place the garment in a large body towel and fold the towel around the garment and press down on the towel to help it absorb the excess water," Brown adds.

Either let your clothing hang dry or leave it on a clean dry towel.

If you wish, you can use a light steamer to remove any remaining wrinkles, Brown notes. And if you don't have a steamer, you can simply hang it in the bathroom while showering to help loosen up wrinkles.

If you'd prefer to wash in a machine, here's how Brown says to do it:

And in case you were wondering, no, you don't need a dry cleaning kit! Of course, you could use one if you wanted to, but Brown says she actually gets better results without them

Pretreat any stains with mild and unscented soap or shampoo by putting a drop of soap directly on the garment and rubbing it into the stain. Turn your garment inside out to protect it and place it in a mesh laundry bag.

Put some mild, unscented laundry soap in the washing machine. (Brown notes you could even use pure Castile soap here.) Run the machine on the delicate or express wash setting.

For a fresh scent, you can add a few drops of essential oils to the wool balls—but read this note on safety first.

Dry cleaning doesn't necessarily need to involve a professional cleaner and a pretty penny. Depending on the material you're working with, this elusive process can be done at home using relatively simple methods. The best part? The better we take care of our clothes, the longer they'll last, making our wardrobes more sustainable.