How to Wash and Care for Rayon Clothing

Prevent shrinking and maintain your favorite pieces long-term.

A white blouse on a brown hanger

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 20 - 30 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hrs - 1 day
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $0 to $20

The popularity of rayon fabric can't be beat. Rayon fabrics are soft, have an excellent drape, and can be easily dyed for brilliant color. It is a very tight-knit fabric that feels especially smooth against the skin. It makes for a very good, affordable substitute for silk and has absorbent, moisture-wicking properties that make it a comfortable fabric for summer wear.

Rayon is best described as a hybrid natural/synthetic fabric. Like cotton textiles, rayon fabric consists of natural plant fibers, including pulp from beech trees, bamboo, and other plants. But, like nylon and polyester, rayon is manufactured using many synthetic chemicals. Depending on what plant fibers and chemicals are used, many forms of rayon carry labels such as viscose, lyocell, or modal rayon. You'll need to consider these complexities when you wash and care for rayon fabric, but the best way to wash rayon is by hand-washing.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Sink or large bucket
  • Thick cotton towel

Materials

  • Gentle laundry detergent
  • Oxygen bleach (if needed)

Instructions

A white towel, a bottle of detergent, and a bowl

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

How to Wash Rayon Fabric
Detergent Mild 
Water Temperature Cold
Cycle Type Delicate, if at all
Drying Cycle Type Do not machine-dry
Special Treatments Hand-washing recommended
Iron Settings Medium heat
How Often to Wash As needed

How to Wash Rayon Clothing

  1. Pretreat Stains

    Remove stains by following stain removal tips for the specific type of stain. Rayon fibers can be weakened by chlorine bleach, even if it's diluted. A better option for stain removal, whitening, and brightening is to use an oxygen bleach (such as OxiClean, Nellie's All-Natural Oxygen Brightener, or OXO Brite).

    Someone pretreating a stain on a rayon garment

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  2. Double-Check the Care Label

    Read and heed the care tag labels for your specific garment or accessory. Rayon is a unique fabric and needs gentle care.

    Tip

    If you must machine-wash a rayon item, turn it inside out and put it in a mesh washing bag. Wash it in cold water on the delicate cycle with a low spin cycle. Rayon can shrink and become misshapen if you use hot water.

    The care tag on a white rayon top

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  3. Mix a Washing Solution

    Fill a sink or large bucket with cold water, and add gentle detergent, mixing well. Submerge the rayon item.

    A rayon garment submerged in water with detergent

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  4. Gently Agitate

    Agitate the item in the sudsy water with your hands to completely saturate and loosen the soil. Allow it to soak for at least 15 minutes.

    Someone agitating a rayon garment

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  5. Rinse in Cool Water

    Rinse in cool water until the soap is gone and the water runs clear.

    Someone rinsing a garment in cool water

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  6. Gently Remove Excess Water

    Place the wet garment on a thick cotton towel and roll it up to absorb most of the water. A lightweight fabric, rayon is prized for its breathability and moisture absorbency, but when rayon fibers are wet, they lose nearly half of their strength and can easily tear or become misshapen—which is why you should skip the washer and tumble dryer.

    Gently pull and shape the garment back to its original shape and size as it begins drying. Don't leave crumpled as set-in wrinkles can be difficult to remove later.

    Someone rolling a damp garment in a thick towel

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  7. Allow to Air-Dry

    Allow the garment to air-dry flat, or hang to drip-dry, ideally using a padded hanger so the shoulders won't stretch or crease. 

    Warning

    Never put rayon clothing in a machine dryer because the heat can destroy the fabric. If you absolutely can't avoid the dryer, keep the item in the mesh bag, and dry it on the lowest heat possible.

    A white rayon top hanging from a hanger

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

How Often to Wash Rayon Clothing

Even if you wash a rayon garment after every wearing, it'll hold up well over time if you hand-wash the item. Hand-washing is gentle enough to prevent damage but never wring or twist the wet fabric. Unstructured rayon garments like unlined dresses, tops, and scarves can be hand-washed using cool water and a gentle detergent.

Treating Stains on Rayon Clothing

Stains can be quite visible on rayon but often come out when washed. Remove a stubborn stain on rayon by applying a solution containing equal parts white vinegar and water to the area. Let sit for 10 minutes. Gently blot the stain with a clean wet towel, and then finish blotting with a dry towel. Repeat if necessary.

Rayon Clothing Care and Repairs

Rayon may easily rip when wet. Use polyester thread and a sharp needle when mending tears. Some rayon blends may snag. Fix a snag by coaxing it from the front of the fabric to the wrong side with a needle. A stubborn snag requires a needle and thread. Take the needle up from the back of the fabric through the snag. Stab the snag with the needle; thread and pull it back to the wrong side of the fabric.

Though rayon tends to stretch out, it also can shrink if not carefully dried. Repairing shrunken rayon clothing is almost the same process as unshrinking wool. Fill a large sink or tub with lukewarm water, add a capful of hair conditioner, mix, submerge the garment, and massage it to saturate the fibers. Rinse in cold water, press out the excess water, and then put the rayon on a clean dry towel. Gently stretch the fabric, continuing to do so as it dries.

Ironing

Many rayon fabrics wrinkle excessively when washed and will require ironing. It's best to iron rayon when the fabric is slightly damp. Use a medium-hot iron, and always iron on the wrong (opposite) side of the fabric. For extra protection, use a pressing cloth between the iron and the rayon fabric. Ironing could cause shiny spots on the rayon if the iron directly touches it. If possible, steam out wrinkles rather than pressing the fabric directly with an iron. Ironing at a high temperature can scorch cellulosic fibers. The scorching or yellowing occurs as the fibers begin to burn. Light scorching can often be removed, but burned rayon fibers cannot be revived.

Storing Rayon Clothing

Store rayon items by hanging or folding them and placing them flat on a shelf. However, don't use metal hangers for your rayon clothes because the garments can quickly develop rust spots.

Additional Tips for Washing Rayon

Washing and caring for rayon can be tricky. Here are some important tips:

  • Treat rayon gently when handling because aggressive agitation breaks fibers and causes the fabric to pill or take on a fuzzy appearance.
  • If the garment's label states "dry clean only," follow that advice. Even hand-washing "dry clean only" rayon clothing risks destroying the garment because it may not have a protective finish and could shrink, fade, or bleed.
  • Know the different types of rayon:
  • Viscose rayon is the most common form of rayon fabric, made entirely from treated wood pulp and manufactured to have a silk-like texture and look. It is the least sturdy of the rayon fabrics and the one most likely to shrink. If a garment is described simply as "rayon" or "regular rayon," it is made of viscose rayon.
  • Modal rayon uses a blend of beech-tree cellulose fibers with cotton or spandex to make a very strong and durable fabric. It is more expensive than viscose rayon.
  • Lyocell rayon is also a blend of beech tree cellulose and other fibers (such as cotton or spandex) but uses fewer synthetic chemicals than modal rayon, and is thus more natural. It is the most absorbent form of rayon, so is often used in sweat-wicking undergarments or towels.
FAQ
  • What is the difference between rayon, nylon, and polyester?

    Nylon and polyester fabrics use fibers that are entirely synthetic, based largely on polymers of petroleum derivatives. Rayon is considered a half-natural fabric, in which cellulose plant fibers are altered with artificial chemicals to create transformed fiber that can be spun into yarns for textile manufacturing.

  • How many times will rayon shrink?

    Rayon may shrink at various rates every time it's washed in a machine, even if you take great care by washing it in cold water. It will especially shrink if you put it in the dryer. The best way to wash 100 percent rayon without shrinking it too much is to gently hand-wash a garment in cold water and air-dry only. Another way to avoid shrinkage is to follow the cleaning instructions on the garment's label.

  • Will rayon stretch back out?

    Rayon isn't known for its elastic recovery. But you can stretch it back out by softening and relaxing the fabric. Use a clothes steamer or steam from an iron to soften the damp fabric, then lay it flat on a towel or hang it while stretching it back into shape. Keep an eye on the item so you can frequently stretch it back into shape as the garment air-dries. Or, you can take another less comfortable route: Soak the item in water and wear it back into shape.

  • Is rayon better than cotton?

    Because they are both made from natural plant fibers, rayon and cotton are sometimes confused with one another. But they have different properties that give each fabric advantages in certain circumstances. Cotton has better insulating properties that make it a good choice for clothing in cold weather conditions. Rayon has good moisture-absorbing properties that make it a good choice for summer clothing.