Delicate fabrics aren't fragile in an unpredictable way — each one fails for a specific reason, and once you know the reason the care becomes obvious. Wool felts when it's hot, wet and agitated at the same time. Silk and viscose lose strength while they're wet. Lace and loose knits snag and stretch. Everything below follows from those three facts.
The symbols to look for are the tub with a hand in it (hand wash), the tub with two bars (very mild cycle), the square with a horizontal line (dry flat), and the crossed-out circle in a square (don't tumble dry). A crossed-out tub means the garment shouldn't go in water at all — dry cleaning only. All of them are in the laundry symbol guide.
Ordinary detergents usually contain enzymes that break down protein — that's how they remove blood and food stains. Wool and silk are protein fibers, so those enzymes slowly digest the garment. Use a detergent made for wool and silk; they're enzyme-free and gentler on the fiber. A small amount is enough.
A wool or hand-wash program exists precisely to keep the drum's movement to a minimum. Use it with cold water and the lowest spin, put the garment in a mesh bag, and wash a small load — a full drum means more rubbing. Some manufacturers' wool programs carry Woolmark approval, which is a reasonable sign the program is genuinely gentle. The ordinary delicate cycle is not a wool cycle on most machines: it's cooler and slower, but it still agitates.
Wet knitwear is heavy, and hanging it stretches the shoulders and the length. Dry flat on a towel or a mesh rack, patted into shape, away from radiators and direct sun. Turn it once. It takes a day or two, and there's no faster method that doesn't risk the garment.
Silk water-spots, so wash the whole garment rather than dabbing at one area, and dry it out of the sun — sunlight fades and weakens silk. Iron on the reverse side while slightly damp, at the coolest setting, and don't spray it with water while ironing. Many silks are labeled dry clean only because the dye, not the fiber, isn't stable in water; take that seriously for anything colorful.
A mesh bag on the delicate cycle protects them from hooks, zippers and the drum. Fasten bra hooks first. Dry flat or hang by a sturdy point, never by a strap.
Pilling is loose fiber ends rubbing into little balls; it's normal on softer wools and comes off with a comb or a fabric shaver. Moths and their larvae go for soiled wool, so wash or clean knitwear before storing it for the season, and keep it in a breathable bag rather than plastic.
Structured pieces, anything lined, anything with beading or fragile trim, and any silk or viscose in a color you can't afford to see run. Our guide to dry clean only labels covers how to judge it.
LaundryMax flags the hand-wash and dry-flat symbols on every garment it scans and keeps delicates in their own load, so a wool sweater never ends up in the cotton cycle by accident. See how it works.