How to Wash and Care for Delicate Clothing

Instructions

1. Clean the Sink

   It's easy to forget that the sink you're using for hand-washing clothes needs to be spotlessly clean. Kitchen sinks can have traces of grease that will transfer to clothes. Bathroom sinks may have traces of skincare products that will bleach fabrics.

2. Fill the Sink With Water

   Fill the sink or tub with water before adding items. The force of running water can actually stretch some fibers. If you need to add more water, deflect the force of the water with your hand or a cup. When hand-washing clothes, the water should always be cold or tepid—never more than 85 degrees. Hot water can cause color bleeding or shrinkage.

3. Add the Detergent

   When hand-washing, use 1 teaspoon of gentle liquid detergent. You don't need lots of bubbles to get a clean garment, and too much detergent means lots of rinsing or a garment with detergent residue left in the fibers. Always add detergent to the water before adding the clothes, and give the water a quick stir to be sure the detergent is dissolved and distributed well.

4. Soak and Swish the Garment

   Leaving plenty of room in the sink (never overload it), submerge the fabric in the water. Be sure the garment is completely saturated. Allow the garment to soak for at least five minutes, and then gently swish it through the water. Never twist or scrub the fabric as it could stretch and warp.

5. Drain the Sink and Rinse the Garment

   Lift the garment from the sink, and drain the soapy water. Don't wring out the garment. Fill the sink with clean tepid water, and put the garment back in the sink to rinse. Swish it through the water. Repeat this step until no suds are seen.

6. Absorb Excess Water

   If the garment is lightweight and delicate, such as lingerie, it can be hung to drip-dry immediately after rinsing. Always use a padded hanger that won't rust and stain the garment. For heavier items, such as sweaters, place the freshly rinsed garment flat on a thick white towel, and roll up to absorb the water. You may want to repeat this step with a second dry towel.

7. Air-Dry the Garment

   Place the garment on a flat surface to dry in a well-ventilated room. Don't place in a hot clothes dryer or dry by direct heat. For knitted items, reshape the garment before drying. If heavy items are hung, they'll stretch or get marks on the shoulders from the hanger due to the weight. When drying items on a flat surface, flip the garment a couple of times to speed drying time.

What Is Delicate Clothing?

Delicate clothing is typically made from fragile fabric that may be easily damaged by normal wear and tear or machine-washing and drying. Some fabrics considered delicate include silk; satin; lace; and any sheer fabric, like chiffon. If the manufacturer deems the fabric to fall into this category, the care labels will suggest "hand-wash only" or some similar language.

Lingerie is often considered delicate. Clothing embellished with beading, sequins, embroidery, or pleats are considered delicate, too. Delicate fabrics made from synthetic fibers should be given gentle treatment. However, heavier knitted items, such as various types of wool, including cashmere, are also considered delicate because they can shrink or become damaged if washed and dried by machine.

Treating Stains on Delicate Clothing

To treat stains on delicate clothing, such as lingerie, gently work a stain remover or mild liquid detergent into the stain with your fingers. Don't scrub it, or the delicate fabric can be damaged. Wait 10 minutes so the stain remover or detergent can soak into the fibers. Then, gently squeeze water throughout the item or the stained area multiple times until the stain is removed.

To remove stains and odors from the delicate linings of a suit or coat, you'll need to spot-clean the affected area. Turn the item inside out. Mix equal parts white vinegar and mild dish detergent. Dip a clean cloth into the mix, dab the stain until clean, rinse with another clean cloth, and let the item air-dry.

Care and Repairs

Eventually, fibers can become weak and thin and embellishments can loosen even if you've hand-washed your delicate items all along. Most repairs, such as reattaching lace or beading, simply require a needle, matching thread, and a steady hand. If you have a favorite item with a jagged tear or a thinned area of fabric, consider fixing it using fusible interfacing as a patch on the underside of the rip. Use either only steam or a pressing cloth when using fusible interfacing.

Ironing

For most items labeled as delicate or hand-wash only, it's not a good idea to use a clothes iron to remove wrinkles. Instead, wrinkles can usually be removed by steaming. Steaming does not stretch the fabric the way that hand ironing does, and the moist steam will soften the fabric just enough to straighten out wrinkles.

Storing Delicate Clothing

Creasing is a concern when storing delicate clothing. When folding delicate clothing for storage, roll or fold them around white acid-free paper to minimize creases. Delicate fabrics made of natural fibers need to be stored in ventilated containers and placed in a dark, dry, dust-free, ventilated area. Don't crush stored delicate fabrics by piling heavier items on top of them because the fibers or embellishments may become damaged.

How Often to Wash Delicate Clothing

A general rule of thumb is to clean a delicate item, such as a blouse, after every three wearings. If you need to clean a delicate garment worn close to the skin, such as lingerie, consider washing it after every one or two wearings.

Tips for Washing Delicate Clothing

• Always sort clothes by color and fabric type before hand-washing. Never hand-wash dark and light colors together or you'll risk the color of the darker clothes bleeding and staining the lighter clothes.
• Don't overcrowd the sink or tub with too many garments. You'll have greater success when washing only one or two items at a time.
• Do not oversoak. Leaving clothes to soak for an extended period can cause fading and harm embellishments like beads, sequins, or embroidery.
• The gentle cycle on your washer is not the same thing as hand-washing. The cycle lasts longer and has more agitation, even in a front-load washer, which can harm the fabric. For the most delicate items, always hand-wash.
• Never place delicate items in a dryer to speed the drying.