What happens when Rayon is washed?

As I explained in another thread all my clothes have the elastic worn out.

I looked through my closet and found two skirts that fit me.  I got these when my mil passed away.

I have never worn them.

I bought something that was rayon when I was young and did not like the way it washed so I never brought any clothing that was rayon because I don't use dry cleaners.

I started to wear one today and saw the `rayon` so I put it back.  Both say `rayon`.

If I hand wash in cold water will it be ruined or have to be ironed?  I don't do ironing either and don't own an ironing board.

So my question is what happens when rayon is washed?

Rayon is an interesting fabric.  Lab-made from organic matter (usually cellulose), my grandmother loved when this easy to care for 'silk' came available.  

And for the longest time, "wash as per silk" was the common instructions.  Hand wash cold, iron on low (or better yet not at all).  

Personally, I haven't had much luck with that.  If I have to wash rayon, I use the washing machine on "hand wash" or "gentle" cycle - or as I like to think of it,  bra cycle since it's usually the same care needs.  Hang to dry.  Avoid the iron at all costs - Every time I've ironed rayon, I've had to replace the iron.  

And most of all, wash as seldom as possible to extend the life of the clothing.  This could include a layer of cotton or linen between the skin and the rayon so that the skin can breath.

But I do want to stress there are hundreds of different kinds of rayon in the world.  They all behave slightly differently.  



For me, the question is: are you going to wear these if you aren't certain how to wash them?  If the answer is no, then go ahead and wash them and find out.  It's good to wash new clothes before wearing anyway to get rid of leftover dye etc.  

This may be more trouble than you want to try but another idea would be to wash and
then use a wrinkle release spray.

Found a DIY one.
DIY Wribkle Release

Possibly if you used the right ingredients to wash the fabric in the first place, it would come
out wrinkle free enough. Many wrinkle removers say not to use on rayon, I think due to water
stains. If you use it evenly all over, maybe it will be a different color but still okay.

I don't know, just brainstorming.
I have stayed away from rayon as much as possible due to this very issue.

r ranson wrote:Every time I've ironed rayon, I've had to replace the iron.

Does this mean it melted and gummed the plate in a way you couldn't fix, or something more exotic?

Melted, and somehow got inside the holes of the iron.  Spent hours and loads of money on stuff to fix it.  Nothing worked.  

That said, the few rayon items I do own don't need ironing if I hang to dry (or dry flat).  The ironing accidents are all sewing related (ironing open seams, etc).  

I've got a couple fairly cheap rayon day dresses (What can I say, they have pockets!)

I wash them in cool or cold water, try to be fairly gentle. Hang dry. No ironing. If I'm doing repairs, I enclose the edges.

I've had similar experiences with rayon- one pair of pants was never the same after washing, another dress got "nicer" (like soft silk) every time, another turned to a board after washing but as soon as it got kneaded a bit went back to normal. Hopefully you try it and they turn out just fine.

Thanks, everyone.

I have no idea whether they are old or new since I found them in my mil closet.  

Pretty flowered skirts will go well with my T-shirts.

I feel more confident now so I will wear the skirts and gently wash the skirts when needed.  

It sounds like no ironing may be needed and I am not afraid of wrinkles as the wind might eliminate those when line dried.

Anne, we have a rule in my house: no ironing, ever. If something needs to be ironed, I don't wear or buy it! Most stuff can be worked around easily enough-- if there is a dress shirt and a wedding, it can be hung in the bathroom while someone showers to steam out, or on the line to blow in the wind, like you mention. I literally only own an iron so I can make quilts. :-D

If the label says" dry clean only", the skirt will probably shrink after washing in water. Since other materials such as zipper, interfacing or lining won't shrink, the garment will be distorted and ruined. I have seen many of such clothes in the thrift store, not just rayon but rayon blend linen too, with linings hanging 1" longer than the hem or the fly front zipper bulging out.

Otherwise, wash in cold water gently, it will feel stiff when wet but soften up when it's dried.

I haven't had any problem washing rayon with my regular colored wash (hot/cold, fast spin). And though I don't usually iron my clothes, I do iron for sewing, and I have never melted rayon fabric ironing it, even when at a slightly higher temperature than recommended. If I shake it hard before hanging to dry, wrinkles are not usually a problem. Some rayon clothes I've made have lasted longer than 10 years under these conditions. I also like to use rayon clothes from the thrift store to make new ones for myself, and these have lasted for years too without any special treatment.

And I really like to wear rayon because it's so cool and soft.

That being said, if you're buying it new, there are issues with deforestation, and also the chemicals used to make rayon can be poisonous depending on the process. Here's a pretty good article going into the details of how it's made sustainably and safely or the opposite:

https://impactful.ninja/how-sustainable-are-rayon-fabrics/

There are some kinds of old rayon that stain easily and probably fall apart easily too, but what I've encountered in recent decades doesn't have these problems. So my feelings are, rebuilt or refashion from second-hand rayon and fling caution to the wind!