How to Hand Wash Clothing

Not all clothing can be washed in the washing machine because of certain fabrics or embellishments. Specific fabrics such as silk, satin, lace, wool and very thin materials need to be hand washed no matter what, unless you choose to dry clean the garments. Clothing that is not very delicate, such as cotton or linen, can be hand washed to preserve styles, embellishments and color. Even clothes that can be washed in the machine start to show some wear and tear over time.

Things You'll Need

• Detergent
• Liquid bleach
• Laundry baskets
• Liquid fabric softener (if desired)
• Clothes dryer (if desired)
• Clothespins and line

Instructions

1. Use a large sink if possible, or a sink as small as a bathroom sink, depending on how many clothes you are going to wash. Put 1/4 cup detergent for each few pieces of clothing.

2. Fill the sink with water (hot water can make dyes bleed but is very effectively for cleaning, while cold water helps prevent garments from shrinking but isn't as effective on stains), about halfway up the sink basin in order to leave room for clothing articles.

3. If you are washing white clothing that is not delicate, add approximately 1/4 cup of bleach to the water immediately before placing the white clothing into the water. Do not add bleach to delicate, fragile fabrics such as silk or satin, if you need to get stains out and prefer bleach, perhaps you should send the garment to the professional dry cleaners. For clothing with stains, let it soak longer in the water and add stain remover to the garment as well.
   Bleach is also not appropriate for colored fabrics.

4. If you are using the water for multiple items of clothing, always start with the lightest garments and move to the darkest. Between every three to four items of clothing, drain the sink and refill it with the 1/4 cup of detergent again. New garments with bright colors may need to be washed in their own bath and rinsed separately so colors do not bleed.

5. Add clothing to the water once it is soapy and let it thoroughly soak through. Swish, squeeze and massage the clothing around in the water in order to spread the cleaning agents to all threads in the garment. Do this for about three to five minutes, as excessive soaking can cause dyes to bleed or embellishments to loosen.

6. Open the sink's drain to let out the dirty water, but keep the clothing in the sink. Run clear water from the faucet for several minutes until the water runs clear again.

7. Wring out clothing and either hang up on clothesline with clothes pins to dry, or else use the clothes dryer if possible for your garment. Some fabrics need to be shaped while drying, such as silk, knit materials, satin, rayon and wool. Clothesline drying can take a couple of hours up to a couple of days.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you begin, always read the instructions on your delicate clothing's labels for any special instructions.

• Always be careful when using chemicals such as detergents or bleach.