How to Wash a Tallit

A tallit is a traditional Jewish prayer shawl. As with any garments, a tallit can get soiled due to simple, everyday use or while in storage. Due to the knots in the fabric and the fact that a tallit is a significant garment, you will want to be especially careful when washing the piece. Since a tallit is worn when saying prayers, you shouldn't get too many significant stains on it.

Things You'll Need

• Mild laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Fill your sink with cool to cold water.

2. Add about a cup of mild laundry detergent. You can add more or less depending on how soiled the tallit is.

3. Place the tallit in the sink and let it soak for several hours. You can also let it soak overnight.

4. Use your hands to rub out any visible stains. You'll want to avoid using a brush or scrubber as you could damage the garment.

5. Remove the tallit from the sink and examine it. If it is still stained, you can repeat the process a second time.

6. Dry the tallit by hanging it outside or in your shower. Avoid the dryer so you don't damage the tallit.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add an oxygen bleaching product (such as Oxiclean) to the water if the tallit has a significant stain. Put 1 tbsp. of the product into the water before you soak the tallit.

• Only take a tallit to a professional cleaner if the cleaner is used to caring for such garments. Otherwise, the tallit could be accidentally damaged.