What happens if you wash a Dry Clean Only Aquascutum / Burberry Raincoat?

Question

I want to buy a rain coat from Aquascutum or Burberry in cream. However I know it will get dirty quickly being a pale colour and am apprehensive to pay so much for one to have to get it dry cleaned over and over. If you hand wash it do they shrink or run or is it just it ruins the 'waterproofing' effect on the jacket...........?? Please send me your advice, no silly answers thanks!

Answer 1

It could could actually be the lining that is causing the problem, not the outside of the coat...as many linings contain acetate...which shrinks to hell when wet with water! its used as a lining cos it is soft.....and yes hand washing will damage the treatment, not only because most washing powders contain enzymes but also the way in which people wash garments by hand, it tends to crack the coating..... and before you go and use a non bio washing powder, also note the Ph of the soap you are about to use will damage the coating too...do what the label say and dry clean....if you can afford aquascutum I am sre a dry cleaning bill aint gonna hurt the purse! Otherwise try Primark....or Primarni as many now refer to it as!

Answer 2

My experience is that dry cleaning destroys the water repellency on a Burberry, even with water repellency applied in the same cleaning application. When new, the Burberry is wonderful, but the water repellency is not intended for longevity. I thought I would try a real rubberized Mackintosh, but that got dirty as well. And despite being a genuine Mackintosh (Scotland), the cement that holds the pockets on gave out after a few years of Northeastern US winter weather (Sahara-dry apartments). That can be repaired, but you will have to do it yourself, and carefully. Go to a bicycle shop and get the cement that is used to hold patches to a punctured inner tube. Scrape away all the disintegrated cement that you can find, This is important so you can exposed the original mating surfaces as much as possible without damaging them, If it was an off-day at the factory, you may even do a better job than they did. Clean the mating surfaces liberally with alcohol and a liberal scrubbing with an old nail fail or tooth brush (that's the sort of thing you save them for) or whatever you can get in the to get rid of the old cement.. Let everything dry, rough up the mating surfaces with a nail file or whatever small thing you can use to rough up the mating surfaces, apply the inner-tube cement, press everything together (a useful function of heavy books), leave it alone for several hours or days, and see what happens. I haven't done it myself, but I plan to.

I hope that works for you, For me too. I would like to keep my Macintosh forever, Hell, I'm only 75 years old. My Burberry too. I think my Burberry has less of a chance, though.

Answer 3

Aquascutum Raincoat

Answer 4

I frequently wash Dry Clean only clothes by using the washing machine on the delicates wash.
It is often the interlinings that keep the garment in shape that suffer from washing as if the water is hot it will soften the linings and then you will lose the shape. It is really a question of giving it a try as after all it will get wet out in the rain anyway.

Answer 5

If you are going to pay good money for a raincoat,perhaps you will look after it a bit more than say a a cheaper brand.
IF it says dry clean,dry clean it ,otherwise you are going to take the waterproofing coating out of the material and you will spoil it.To hand wash it makes no difference, it still is not dry cleaned.I'd go for the dry clean.

Answer 6

It depends what its made of. If its purely cotton (including the lining) then you would be fine to handwash it in very gentle detergent and to hang it properly so that it will not loose its shape while its drying. If its made of anything else, don't mess with it, as water will ruin your expensive coat!

Answer 7

This could ruin the water repelliency of the coat, I would do as the label suggest. Good Luck !