Most of the master weavers we spoke to said that Chanderi sarees (unlike, say Kanchipuram weaves which tolerate hand-washing) need to be dry cleaned. The reason given is that water may oxidize the silver zari and make it go black.
Most folks described the Chanderi saree as an occasional wear saree, not a daily all-day wear saree. Alka Raghuvanshi, for example, said that she simply folds her Chanderi saree after wearing them.
