Jewish Weddings

dry cleaning Tallit?

Sorry but I have no idea if it is "okay" to dry clean Tallit. I am thinking of using my grandfathers for my chuppah cover but it has a yellowish tint. Do you think I should bring it to the dry cleaner or buy a new one? Thanks.

Re: dry cleaning Tallit?

  • edited December 2011
    I know this one. The dry cleaning process will kill the tzitzit, which means you will have to get them re-tied. A Chabad organization rabbi or another Orthodox rabbi can retie them, but make sure the tying is done according to what was already there (there are different ways of tying tzitzit). Some dry cleaners will wash or dry clean a tallit for free - but all commercial cleaners will destroy the tzitzit, which means whatever you do commercially, you'll have to re-tie them. There is also a way around this, though, and it doesn't involve dry cleaning. You can do it at home. You should gently wash the tallit (delicate) in cold water with Woolite. Make sure you tightly wrap the tzitzit in aluminum foil, wrapping the tzitzit in foil as far up the tzitzit as you can, without impinging on the wool fabric. After the washing is done, unwrap the tzitzit and let them hang dry. As far as yellow color goes, this is the natural effect of age on the wool, caused by UV light. If you have body oils on the tallis, it can get even yellower. Em Don't tumble the tallit dry, but hang indoors on a line or two, like a how you dry a delicate sweater. You can iron the tallit later with a iron set on Wool temperature.
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