Cotton and Cotton Blends
Following manufacturers instructions:
Hand wash or machine wash on gentle/delicate in cool water, separating colours when possible.
Dry flat, or tumble dry on low/gentle/delicate.
DO NOT:
Dry clean, iron or use bleach.
Acrylic, Polyester, and all other synthetic fibers
Following manufacturers instructions:
Hand wash or machine wash on gentle/delicate in cool water, separating colours when possible.
Dry flat, or tumble dry on low/gentle/delicate.
DO NOT:
Dry clean, iron or use bleach.
Smaller Items
Small items, such as scrunchies or bag charms should be spot-cleaned when possible. Avoid saturating the entire item in water, or any other liquid.
Use mild detergents and cool water.
Dry flat.
If item is filled with stuffing it may need additional dry time.
DO NOT:
Dry clean, iron or use bleach.
In my Experience
I have used all of the manufacturers recommendations, handwashing and machine washing. Hand washing is gentler, but can take longer. Machine washing is automated and yields very similar results, though risk of damage is higher.
However, on the gentle/delicate cycles on a tumble dryer most garments will still need additional time to dry flat. This will depend garment to garment but is usually not longer than overnight, unless it's a larger item like a long hexagon cardigan.
I would not personally and do not recommend washing small items, like a scrunchie or a bag charm, in the washing machine regardless of the yarn manufacturer's care instructions.