Wednesday 17 November 2010

Handwashing Clothes Tips


I have been asked how I wash my clothes, especially those from Moda Shoppe because it says "hand wash" on the website. I know it can be quite tiring having to bend over a pail. And after that, there might not be enough space to hang or drip dry.
I have to confess, I am not that discipline about handwashing. :) If some clothes look sturdy or hardy enough to go through the machine cycles, I'll just machine wash with them in laundry bags.

For the more fragile looking ones, especially chiffon, satin and viscose, I usually hand wash them every other day with my lingerie. This is how I do it.  
  1. Fill a shallow pail with slightly warmed water.
  2. Pour in a little laundry detergent. You do not need to pour in a full cup or even half cup. Just pour in an amount that is soapy enough but doesn't cause you to rinse 10 times to rid the soapiness after that.
  3. Rinse through your clothes - starting with the lightest colour. I usually go with white first.
  4. If there is a stain, use a stain remover (I use Kiwi Stain Remover Spray) and leave it on for a few minutes. Then rinse through and gently rub the stain area.
  5. Separate dark colours after the rinse.
  6. Pour away the foamy water and rinse the pail. Fill it up with water again and repeat the rinsing process 3 and 5, two times.
  7. Take the lighter colour and place them in laundry bags.
  8. Spin dry in machine.
  9. Hang them on the poles. Viola! You are done with the light colours.
  10. Repeat step 7-9 with the dark colours clothes.

Hope this helps! It sounds like a long process, but it's actually not!
I have requested for a standing laundry basin at the service yard in my new home. This would be so useful. I used this when I was in Australia and I loved it. Have been dreaming of having one. So, can't wait for it to come true! Hopefully my new home has the space to accommodate.