Dry Cleaning At Home Review. Dryel VS Woolite

I have to be honest, sometimes I don't check the cleaning instructions tag on clothing before I purchase it. But really, who has time to do that anyway? I will always wash clothing before I wear it. I don't care if I just purchased it from the store with the tag on, I still will wash it. More often than not, I end up frustrated because the tag says, "Dry Clean Only". I end up having to wait until I have enough for a trip to the dry cleaners, or they never get worn. Sometimes I actually don't read the tag and I throw them in the washing machine, but I have learned my lesson to always read the instructions first. I've gotten pretty good at eye balling what kind of material needs to be dry cleaned, and which ones won't. But I'm not perfect. 

I recently purchased a wool coat in preparation of the upcoming seasons; when it arrived, I realized that it was dry clean only. I didn't want to make another trip to the cleaners, not to mention the money being spent. But one day, I was browsing Target and ran across a product called Dryel. 

Dryel claims that it is a "dry clean at home" product, so I was pretty intrigued. I quickly threw it in my bag and brought it home with me. 

When I had gotten home, I opened the box. The contents of the box included a spot treatment spray, dry cleaning towelettes, and a bag. The instructions were pretty clear, you would pre-treat any stains, throw the clothing into the bag, and pop a dry cleaning towelette into the bag. You would then throw the bag into the dryer for 15 minutes, to refresh the clothing, or 30 minutes, for a deeper clean. It seemed easy enough, but there was one problem. Dryel didn't work on rayon or silk. Considering the fact that most of my clothing was made out of silk and rayon, this was going to be a problem. 

I didn't give up there, though. I had also discovered Woolite's "dry cleaner's secret", which was also a dry clean at home treatment. 

This product was a little bit more difficult to find. I was able to get it on Amazon for $8.88. Dryel was $6.99 at Target. There were some differences between the two. Woolite didn't require a bag to put your clothing in, it only took 20 minutes, and there was no pre-treatment spray. I'm not too concerned with stains since I could simply use Shout! I also didn't really care for a bag, either. The thing that attracted me to this product was the fact that I could use it on rayon and silk. Score!

Here's where I put the two to the test. For Dryel, I put couple of Madewell sweaters, my new Express coat, a pair of Joe's jeans, and a Ralph Lauren top made out of rayon that I didn't care too much for just to see how it would do. I tossed that into the dryer and ran its cycle.

For Woolite, I put in all of my rayon and silk clothes along with an Abercrombie cashmere cardigan. I threw those in the dryer and ran its cycle. 

Overall, I was pretty pleased with both products. Everything in the Dryel bag came out fine, even the rayon top. I feel like the clothes were cleaned and fresh. I got the same results with Woolite, but I felt that the Woolite batch smelled MUCH more fragrant than Dryel. To be honest, it was a little overbearing. I'm not sure what to do to fix it, but I'll probably use it less often. 

I don't think that I'll one over the other since they both had their differences. From now on though, I'll always dry clean my jeans at home with Dryel since it helps extend their lives a little longer. 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you think. 

Back To School Shopping 2015

So....I honestly go shopping all year round. But right before the start of the school year, I like to load up on a few specific types of clothing. For a lot of people, college means the ability to wear sweats or your pajamas to class. But for me, I like to look put together. Sure, there might be minimal makeup on my face, but my outfit tells it all. 
I'm going for a law degree, so it is important for me to at least start to dress the part. I have a feminine, classic, preppy style. I enjoy floral prints, neutral tones, and stripes. But I have to say that not everyday is perfect. I do have my more casual days, but I try not to stray far from being put together. I'll probably have a look book coming up soon. So, let's get started.

Cardigans

                                                      (that is not me in the picture!)

I love cardigans. I also hopped on the cardigan a little late, but I've collected so many throughout the years. I love them because they are so simple that you can throw them on with a shirt and a pair of pants. I also like them because they are a lot less high maintenance than a blazer. While a blazer can really tie an outfit together, they will definitely get wrinkled if you throw them in your school bag for later in the day. Most of my cardigans are grey. I try to get out of my comfort zone by wearing my red and blue cardigans, but the grey ones are my favorite. My all time go to cardigan has studs at the front which gives it an edgy, but classic look. I like shopping for cardigans of all sorts of colors at H&M and Banana Republic for cardigans that I like to invest in. 

Dressy Tank Tops

These go hand in hand with cardigans. I like to wear a fun color or pattern with a grey cardigan or tuck them into a skirt. I go for more flowy tops because they hide food babies, and they also hide funny bumps that your pants may create. If there was a trendy pattern, I always try to find it in a tank top form just to mix it into my outfit without having it scream its existence. Dressy tank tops are also good for any occasion. Sometimes when I have to go from class to work, they make for a great two in one transition piece. My favorite places to shop for these pieces are in the basics section of H&M for those solid colored pieces and at Nordstroms for more fun pieces. 

Yoga Pants

Okay, this is where I get to cheat a little. I'm not going to lie, I sometimes do like wearing yoga pants to class when I really don't have time to put my outfit together. I also enjoy wearing them to the library when I study. They are much more stretchy than jeans so they're more comfy during long periods of times. I don't wear them often, but I do stock up on yoga pants around this time of year. 

Jeans

(Also not me in the picture)

Jeans are the most versatile piece of clothing that anyone could ever have. I know that for me, dark wash jeans go with every outfit. Every school year, I buy multiple pairs in different cuts. Personally, boot cut jeans are my favorite because they go with my chucks and flats. I like to wear skinnies with my boots and my straight legged jeans when I have more casual outfits. I always have to get my jeans tailored because I am so short, and most inseams will run above 25 inches. My favorite place to get jeans are at Nordstroms. I can't say enough good things about Citizens of Humanity jeans, they will be my all time favorite. 

Flats

Now, I don't wear sneakers very often because I feel like flats are more dressy and they are more comfortable. I tend to go for brighter colored flats because they stand out better against my dark washed jeans. I have multiple pairs of the same pair of flats because I love them so much! They're great for wearing to any occasion, and they don't give you as much pain as wearing heels everyday! My favorite flats are from Clarks. I especially like cap toed flats. 

There you have it. Where did you do back to school shopping this year? Or have you even gotten around to that, yet?