How to Hand Wash Garments

All clothing and garment materials were not made equally. Some require special care that often calls for hand-washing items instead of placing them in a washing machine. Washing your garments by hand can be an upsetting process if it is one you are totally unfamiliar with. With some coaching and persistence, though, you will learn how to hand-wash garments until they come out cleaner than if you had used your laundry machine.

Instructions

1. Review the type of garment you have. Most clothing material comes with care instructions that include the temperature of water to be used when washing, as well as drying instructions. Pay attention to these instructions, as not following them can lead to excessive fading or staining of your garments.

2. Gather the proper items. A bucket or deep sink is usually the best vessel to wash your clothes in. If none of these is available, your bathtub will suffice in a pinch. Get soap that conforms to the care of your garments; pay extra attention to bleach additives that are often mixed in with detergents.

3. Pretreat stains on your garments. You can do this simply by applying a small amount of cold, soapy water to heavily stained areas, or using stain treatments like Spray 'n Wash. This will help begin to lift stains before the hand-washing begins, and will also make your job easier in the long run.

4. Prepare the water before you place your garments in it. Focus on the temperature of the water and wash garments of the same color or care method together. Adjust the water temperature by adding hot and cold water as necessary. Fill your tub, bucket or deep sink with just enough water to cover the garments comfortably.

5. Soak your garments before you begin washing. If you cannot soak a garment for a long period of time, pre-treating stains should suffice. The longer you soak your garments, however, the cooler the water will become; so if hot water is necessary for washing, you may want to drain and refill the water to maintain its temperature.

6. Agitate your garments by simply rubbing them against each other, taking care to focus on extremely stained areas. Do not rub so hard that you damage the integrity of the garment. Old washing boards can also be used, as they are made with grooves to rub clothing back and forth. When agitating, intermittently dip the garment back into the soapy water to help remove broken-up dirt and stains. Some garments, such as silks, are more susceptible to damage and should be handled gently during agitation.

7. After you have successfully agitated your garments, dump out or drain all the soapy water. Then refill the vessel with water of the same temperature, but refrain from adding the soap. Soak, agitate and dunk your garment (much as you did when washing) to remove the remaining dirt and soap. You may need to repeat this process to fully remove all soap from some material.

8. Wring out the garment and hang it to dry. You can remove excess water from your hand-washed garment after draining by squeezing it out until drops of water fail to flow easily from it. Twisting the garment usually works best during this process. After you have done this, you can either place your garment on a clothesline in the sun or hang it in a well-ventilated area so the moving air will help dry it.

Tips & Warnings

• Using a fan to dry your garment will help prevent it from fading in the sun.

• Use gloves to help protect your hands, especially if you are using bleach for white clothing.

Resources

• More on washing garments by hand