Warmer weather often brings warmer fabrics–think cotton and silk–which means you may be spending a bit more time hand washing instead of machine washing. Here are 4 things you should always avoid when hand washing your clothes:
Don’t Oversoak
Great tip from RealSimple.com: ”The longer you soak clothes, the greater chance you’ll cause bleeding or fading or alter sizings, which give a garment its drape.” The majority of the dirt will come out in the first five minutes of hand washing–even less if you are just trying to freshen up your delicates.
Don’t Scrub
When your clothing is submerged in the water, swish from side to side, but don’t scrub. “Avoid scrubbing or twisting actions that can stretch or damage the fabric,” says bhg.com. ”Gently swish the garment through the sudsy water until the items is clean.”
Don’t Wring Out the Water
It may be tempting to take your clean clothing out of the water and wring it dry. Instead, lay it flat on a clean towel, roll up the towel and press on the rolled-up towel to absorb the water. Repeat with another dry towel if necessary. For additional drying tips, click here.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Delicate Cycle
If your clothing doesn’t say “hand wash only” toss it in the washer on the delicate cycle. This cycle uses a lesser degree of agitation and spin which means it is less abrasive to your clothing. This is a great option for fabrics such as nylon, spandex or acrylic.
Talk to us: What is your best hand washing clothing trick?
