Your wardrobe is an investment and extension of yourself. Treat it as such by keeping each piece pristine and extending its lifecycle. Your best approach is to hand wash your clothes to protect your delicate garments like bathing suits, knitwear, and underwear, as well as luxe fabrics like silk, wool, lace, chiffon, velvet, and pieces with intricate embellishments.
Bookmark this page to reference in the future and share with a friend who needs these tips to protect and nuture their wardrobe.
What’s the best approach to properly hand wash your clothes?
Check the care label
Before washing, check the care label on the garment to ensure that it can be safely hand-washed.
Fill a sink or basin with cool water
Fill a clean sink or basin with cool water and add a small amount of mild detergent. Swirl the water with your hand to create suds. After the Laundress fiasco, I’ve switched over to using the Delicate Laundry Detergent from Steamery to hand wash my clothes.
- Use cold or tepid water to prevent shrinking and fading.
- Fill the sink or bathtub with water before adding clothes to avoid stretching delicate fibres.
- Add detergent to the water before adding clothes to ensure it is completely dissolved and distributed. Liquid detergents dissolve faster and are less likely to leave clothes looking dull.
Soak the garment
Submerge the garment in the water and gently swirl it around for a few minutes to loosen any dirt or grime.
- Wash similar colours and fabrics together to save time, but avoid overfilling the sink or bathtub to ensure proper washing.
Rinse thoroughly
Drain the soapy water and refill the sink with clean, cool water. Rinse the garment by swirling it around in the water several times until all the soap is removed.
Gently press out excess water
Press the garment against the side of the sink or basin to remove excess water, being careful not to wring or twist it.
Lay flat to dry
Lay the garment flat on a clean towel and roll the towel to absorb more moisture. Then, reshape the garment to its original shape and lay it flat on a drying rack or towel to air dry.
Voila! You’re done.
By following these steps, you can ensure your delicate clothing items are properly cleaned without being damaged.
While hand washing is suitable for most delicate items, items with structured details like pleats may become misshapen or damaged. In this case, opt for dry cleaning.
[…] To use, you add a small amount of Soak to warm water then add your garment, swirl it around and then leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Afterwards, I like to roll my garment in a towel to gently squeeze out the excess water before I lay it flat to dry. If you’re new to hand-washing clothes, I’ve previously shared my full process. […]