Did I just ruin a "dry clean only" coat?

calico2222

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Last night hubby was going through boxes in our basement. Most of them are from my parents' house so it was kind of like Christmas. We found one box that had an Army camo jacket, a full insulated snow suit and an Air Force parka (which fits me perfectly and is SO warm). They smelled like mildew from being in the basement so, without thinking, I threw them in the washer and hung them up to dry in front of the pellet stove in the living room. The Army jacket and the snowsuit are fine but the parka still smells funny. It almost smells like bleach but I didn't use any bleach when I washed it. After looking at the tag, it's 40% cotton and 60% wool and it says "dry clean only". It still fits the same so I don't think I shrunk it. Should I run it through again on a gentle cycle with something else like vinegar? (I don't have Woolite and can't afford to get any right now). 

This coat is probably from the Korea war or WWII. If I remember correctly, it was given to my father by a friend who was a Colonel in the Air Force. He was probably 20 years older than my dad so that would have put him in the WWII era. I remember meeting him once when I was little but he passed away when I was 6 or 7(in the early 1970's). I just think it's cool that this coat has lasted for 70 or 80 years! 
 

ruthyb

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I think it is perhaps because you used a regular detergent,try running it through on a low temp or have you got a wool setting and just use some softener if you have any. I have washed a few dry clean only things and they've been fine and i would imagine because of the age it would be a lot better made than any of the clothing that we buy today.x
 

Willowy

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Wool smells like a wet sheep when it's damp, LOL. Is it fully dry now? The biggest thing with washing wool is not to dry it with heat, and not to use hot water in the wash (I think warm water is OK, but it depends how warm your water runs). If it still smells like that when it's dry, maybe a little Febreze will help.
 
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calico2222

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I think it is perhaps because you used a regular detergent,try running it through on a low temp or have you got a wool setting and just use some softener if you have any. I have washed a few dry clean only things and they've been fine and i would imagine because of the age it would be a lot better made than any of the clothing that we buy today.x
Oh, believe me, it is SO much better made than what we can get now!  The only places it is fraying is at the very bottom, and it's the fabric itself, not the stitching. Even the fur around the hood is still good. There's a reason I don't buy dry clean only clothes.  
 
Wool smells like a wet sheep when it's damp, LOL. Is it fully dry now? The biggest thing with washing wool is not to dry it with heat, and not to use hot water in the wash (I think warm water is OK, but it depends how warm your water runs). If it still smells like that when it's dry, maybe a little Febreze will help.
I'll try Fabreeze. Now that you mention it, I think it is the wool. I don't wear much wool because I'm allergic to it if it's right against my skin, but I once "borrowed" a wool sports coat of my dad's and got rained on and that's what it smells like (don't have any experience with wet sheep to make a comparison though 
 ). It is fully dry but still has that musty odor so I'll try that.
 
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