Is it safe to wash these yakata in the machine (gentle cycle)?
EDIT: I am planning to learn Japanese but haven't gotten started yet, so didn't realize I'd confused the words "yakata" and "yukata"! Sorry! Edited to fix that in the body of this post....
I recently returned from an amazing trip to Japan. While I was there, I found these three yukata in a second-hand shop in Honmachi Shopping Street, Osaka. I was surprised to find ones so small, and very glad, because my three nieces love Japan and Japanese culture and wanted me to bring them yukata or kimonos back home.
I think they're made of cotton. They feel light and soft, very unlike the silk/silk blends I've felt on adult kimono.
I've read online that cotton yukata can be hand or machine washed, but some websites say they shouldn't be, so I just wanted to be sure I don't destroy my nieces' gift:
If they are cotton, is it possible for me to wash them in the machine, on a delicate cycle? I'd also add some color catcher sheets in case the dyes run.
Or is there a better way to care for them?
Any advice would be appreciated!
