How to wash clothes by hand-7 different fabrics

Overview
Washing clothes by hand is not at all a thing of the past! In fact, there can be several reasons why you would choose to hand wash your clothes- from care label specifications to the type of fabric or it may simply be because you want to give your precious clothes some extra love! Whatever be the reason, you must admit that it feels nice to be able to control everything about how you want your clothes to be washed once in a while.
Nowadays we are so used to tossing that dirty laundry in the washer, that we often forget that it is absolutely possible to wash your clothes even when you don’t have access to a washing machine. But, what’s the right way to go about it? Today, we give you the complete touchdown on how to wash clothes by hand effectively.
First, let’s start with some basics
1)Read the clothing care label carefully to determine the type of fabric. You should choose your laundry detergent accordingly. While you can use most detergents on any type of fabrics, delicate fabrics like wool and silks might need something gentler.
2) If your clothes are stained, you can use a stain remover or your detergent on the stain and gently work on it( no rubbing though!) Gently squeeze the sudsy water through the garment frequently as your clothes remain soaked.
3) Rinse your clothes thoroughly. Handle gentle fabrics carefully and squeeze out as much water as needed.
4) Layout your items to dry. For extra care, lay your clothes to dry on top of a dry towel and then let it air dry.
Here’s how to wash your clothes by hand
Each fabric is different and so are their washing requirements. In general, fabrics like cashmere and wool need very generous handling. But you can perfectly hand wash cotton and linen fabrics also. If you have a mixed load, we suggest you segregate the clothes fabric wise. Also, separate coloured clothes from your whites.
Check the wash care symbols carefully and then decide on the washing method. For example, if the care label says “Dry clean only” then do not hand wash. On the other hand, if the care label says, “Dry clean”, then you can handwash it on a sink.
Cotton/Linen
To figure out the temperature, look at the label first.
Take a small amount of mild detergent and add it to the water in the sink. It’s time to mix well until the detergent dissolves completely in the water, and then you can use it.
Add all of the clothes to the sink one at a time now.
If there are any clothes that have been stained, keep them in the water for at least 30 minutes.
Now, you can gently wash them by rubbing the fabric against itself to get rid of the dirt. Do this for a while until you are sure that all the dirt is gone.
Now, you can add in a fabric softener to help get rid of any lint that might be on your clothes. Fill a separate tub with water and then soak your clothes in it.
For about 20 minutes, soak in the bath water, and then rinse off.
Drain the sudsy water out of your basin and fill it with clean water.
Clean them well, then dry them with a towel.
Sweaters
A tub or sink should be filled with lukewarm water. Add a few drops of detergent to the water and stir.
Turn the woollens inside out and put them in the water. Then, swish them around a few times. It will change the shape of the clothing if you stretch it.
Take a good 10 minutes to soak in this.
Once the cold water is running, gently run your fingers across the fabric to get rid of the deodorant residues.
Don’t wring your clothes too much, because this can make you hate your clothes. Then, gently press the cloth against the tub or basin. Lay your clothes out on a white towel so they are flat. Choose whites because the sweater won’t get dirty.
A burrito is now made by rolling the sweater and towel together like a burrito. This will help get rid of any extra water.
Make sure to lay the clothes out flat on a mesh drying rack and let them air dry. This lets moisture move freely. Keep them out of the heat and sun. In this way, you can keep the clothes’ original shape.
Jeans
As you usually do, fill your tub or basin with lukewarm water like you usually do. Then, add a few drops of detergent and mix it all together very well now.
Turn your jeans inside out now. They should then be fully submerged into a bucket of ice-cold water.
Swish them around for 30 minutes, then let them soak for another 30 minutes.
Take off your jeans and then empty your tub or sink.
Now, put your jeans back in the tub or basin, and then fill it with cold water.
Let the jeans soak for about 5 to 10 minutes in the water before you wear them again.
Drain the water and let the jeans dry.
Now, put them on a clothes hanger and put them in a place where they can dry quickly.
Woolens
Cold water should be used for this one. Then, add in a teaspoon of detergent and mix it all together well. Now, soak the woollens for about 30 seconds, and then leave them on for about 15 minutes to let the water soak into them. This is the last step. Gently rinse the item to get rid of any extra water. Hang the woollen items to dry on a drying rack or on top of a towel now.
Silk
Silk is a soft material that needs to be handled with care. Soak your clothes in cold water and detergent, then rinse them. For 5 minutes, move the silk. By agitating, we mean moving it around in the water or rubbing the fabric together. If there are still a lot of suds in the basin, fill it up with cold water and then rinse well until they are gone. Now, squeeze the water out of the sink by putting your hand on it. Because twisting silk items can completely ruin them, don’t do it at all! Use a white towel that doesn’t have any lint to dry the items. Then hang them to dry.
Bras and other undergarments
Now, it’s not a surprise that delicate clothes need to be cared for in a delicate way. If you want to keep your lingerie and underwear in shape, don’t use a machine to wash them. Make sure to soak both of them for a good few minutes before running cold water over their clothes. When all the suds have been cleaned up, keep going.
Conclusion
By now, we are sure you have a pretty good idea about how to wash clothes by hand effectively. Not all types of fabrics can handle machine washing therefore you need to hand wash these clothes. Have a happy laundry day!
FAQs
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Is it okay to hand wash clothes that need dry cleaning?
Check the label very carefully. If the care label says “Dry clean only” then you cannot machine wash or hand wash. However, if the label says “Dry clean” then you can hand wash in a sink/tub.
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Is a fabric softener necessary during hand wash?
Most linens, cottons and woolens are wide attractors of lint which damage the appearance of any clothing. A fabric softener helps minimize lints and give you squeaky clean clothes.
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Can I wash coloured and white clothes together?
It is always a good idea to wash your whites/neutrals and coloured clothes separately to prevent unwarranted staining or lint problems.