PFT #57 - Personal Finance Tip of the Week: Skipping the Dry Cleaner Saves Money and the Environment

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s topic is on the cost of dry cleaning and is it safe to wash the clothes at home?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dry cleaning is one of the most overlooked items in the budget and oftentimes it is not accounted for. The first question is how much does it cost each year. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The unfortunate thing is that this is not a tracked statistic; however, busy professionals, especially</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">in dual households, can easily spend $100 per month. Ouch!<br /></span><span style= "font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Okay . . . so let’s get question number two. Can your clothes be washed at home?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The answer in many cases is yes; however it is important to understand a few factors. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One is that many manufactures just slap the “dry clean” label on the clothes to be safe from customers providing negative feedback if a garment is damaged. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And for Number two to determine the fabric that you are cleaning. Typically,</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Wool, silk, cotton, linen, and durable polyester fabrics can be washed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Others that are trickier to handle are suede, leather, velvet, taffeta, rayon, and anything with fur or down. In addition, Suits, pleated skirts or garments that have oil-based stains are more difficult.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now when it comes to cleaning items, always perform a small water test where it can’t be seen on the garment. If fabric bleeds, shrinks or warps, then take it to the cleaners. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bottom line is that it’s your choice on how to handle your clothing</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So do your research first. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With more wor