I recently ordered a 60% cotton/40% acrylic sweater that ended up being a bit too big. I'd like to machine wash it to see if it will shrink a bit, but the label states that it's dry clean only. Will it damage the Fabric if I wash it?
You certainly could. So whether or not you risk it should probably be based on what you spent. Will you lose a lot of money if the sweater is ruined? If not, then give it a try and make sure you wash it on gentle and dry it on low.
I have done this several times and it didn't really damage my clothing. However, I have always made sure that I set my machine to handwash mode. I think that really helps in taking care of the fabric. Also, I don't use any other fancy chemicals. I just use a plain detergent and that's about it. The fabric stays the same as well as the form of the clothing. Dry clean is just really so expensive.
You can do it and not worry about worrying if you do it right. See what temperature you need to machine wash it at. Usually it is warm or cold. Do not use bleach, but a regular detergent. I do not wash "Dry Clean Only" with anything else but other delicate clothes. Do not dry in the dryer. Hang it up to dry. If it is heavy and you are worried about stretching lay it down on a table and wait for one side to dry and then flip over. It should say if you can iron or now. Iron it on a low setting if you can.