GON Reader Question
Handwashing...is there an easier way?
Hi Maria,
Some of my clothing items call for handwashing. Can I just toss these in the washing machine and call it a day?
-- Lisa Seller
Maria's Response
Hi Lisa,
I agree that hand washing clothing is a bit of an inconvenience. When a label calls for it, there is usually a reason, like garments that may easily get misshapen, snag on another item of clothing, or lose a decorative element. Very often, bras with
wires will have hand wash instructions on the label.
I will tell you a little secret...I rarely (and I mean rarely...like maybe once a year) hand wash
anything.
That being said, my washing machine has a very delicate cycle, which in my mind is very equivalent to hand-washing in almost all cases.
I will encourage you, however, to take some extra care when adding delicates to your delicate wash cycle:
1. Always wash on COLD.
2. Don't use your everyday detergent. Choose one for delicate clothes, such as Woolite.
3. Protect your garments from snags. Place your hand wash clothes in a mesh lingerie bag(s) before putting the bag in the
machine.
4. Never put delicate clothing in the dryer. Either hang it or lay it flat (like for sweaters).
That all being said, I would take extra special care with items that have decorative elements on them, such as sequins or tiny pearls. You might opt to hand wash those types of garments...or, of course, don't buy garments that seem like they're going
to require a bunch of extra work to clean.
Another note...if the label says the article of clothing must be dry-cleaned, I would take it to the dry cleaners and not attempt to hand-wash
those items. That being said, I have freshened up dry-clean only items using Dryel.
I hope I've saved you a bit of time in my response!
