Can I use hand soap to hand wash clothes?

Can you use laundry detergent to wash clothes by hand?

Before you wash those hand-wash-only items with regular laundry detergent, stop yourself. Enzymes in laundry detergent can slowly break down fibers in delicate fabrics like wool and silk. Using a gentle soap designed for hand-wash-only items is the best way to get them clean with the least damage.

You can get the same effect with pretty much any soap or dishwashing liquid. However most powder laundry detergents also have some whitener in it that make your clothes “appear” white and clean, and this is something you don’t have in hand soap.

It may sound like a cliché, but adding 1/2 cup baking soda to your usual amount of liquid laundry detergent really will give you “whiter whites” and brighter colors. The baking soda also softens the water, so you can actually use less detergent.

You can get the same effect with pretty much any soap or dishwashing liquid. However most powder laundry detergents also have some whitener in it that make your clothes “appear” white and clean, and this is something you don’t have in hand soap. Nothing happens when you wash your clothes with bathing bar.

Dish soap can cost much less than laundry detergent and can clean your clothes just as well. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will use a lot less dish liquid than laundry detergent. Adding too much dish soap will cause your washing machine to overflow with bubbles.

In an emergency, when you must do a wash and you don’t have any laundry detergent (or baking soda), use shampoo…that is, if you have shampoo. About one-third cup will do a full load. In case you were wondering, dishwashing liquid is not a good substitute for laundry detergent.

Washing clothes without the soap may strike you as nuts, but give it a try, at least with lightly soiled laundry. If you’ve ever washed clothes in plain water while camping you know you can get by without detergent. The agitation of washing machines often does the job on its own.

Pack a universal sink plug such as this one and a travel laundry line such as this one so you can easily wash your clothing anywhere. It’s not only classic laundry detergent that can be used for hand washing – you can also utilize your shampoo or even a bar of soap.

Of course, if the clothing doesn’t say “hand wash only” specifically, but is delicate, you can safely wash it in the gentle cycle, as Woolite says: Use the gentle cycle when washing better garments. It’s often as gentle and effective as hand washing while the agitation of a regular washing cycle may be damaging.

How to Wash Clothes by Hand

Step 1: Read the Label. Read the garment label for specific product recommendations.

Step 2: Fill Tub with Water. Fill a small tub or sink with water at the temperature recommended on the care label.

Step 3: Submerge and Soak.

Step 4: Rinse and Repeat.

Step 1: Squeeze Out Water.

Step 2: Lay in Towel.

Step 3: Let Air Dry.

Not all your delicates need to be hand washed. Most things labeled as “delicate,” “dry clean,” or “hand wash” (as opposed to “dry clean ONLY” or “hand wash ONLY”) can be safely put in a washing machine — as long as you’re careful. Using the “delicate” setting on the machine is another obvious aid to gentle washing.

After scrubbing, allow the clothes to soak. If the water looks dirty already, you can drain it and refill the sink with clean, soapy water. Five minutes of soaking should be enough for most clothes. For dirtier “loads,” let clothes soak for up to thirty minutes.

Most hand soap you buy from a store or market is actually a type of detergent. Detergent hand soap will foam better in the dishwater, but soap will be gentler on the skin. Both are milder than dish soap but can work well when used in hot dishwater.

There are towels for drying dishes, drying bodies, drying hands and more. Some towels are made from a cotton blend, while others are made from more delicate fabrics, requiring hand washing. You can also hand-wash your towels if your washing machine is broken and your towels need to be washed immediately.

Zote Laundry Soap Bar is a Mexican-made soap for hand washing delicate garments and pretreating oily stains. Available in the United States, it can also be used as a base ingredient to create your own homemade laundry detergent.

A step-by-step guide:

Fill a basin with cool water. Add mild soap, preferably an eco-friendly variety.

Place sweater in water and swirl gently.

Rinse.

Spread sweater on a thick, dry towel.

Unroll.

Once completely dry, your sweater should be ready to wear.

Follow These Steps

Prepare your washbasin. Fill a basin with slightly warm water—85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal—and then add a small amount of gentle fine-washables detergent.

Wash garments, starting with light colors.

Rinse to remove soap.

Remove excess water.

Blot with a towel.

Dry.

Steps

Sort your clothes based on color into light and dark categories.

Use water that is lukewarm or cool.

Use a detergent intended for use with delicate items.

Soak delicate clothing in water and detergent.

Swirl your clothes to wash them.

Rinse your delicate items in clean water or a different basin or bowl.

Wash your jeans in the sink or a tub.

Fill a tub with a few inches of cold or lukewarm water. Mix in a gentle, color preserving detergent.

Turn the jeans inside out, then lay flat in the tub. Don’t bunch them or wrinkle them. Let them soak for about 45 minutes.

Run them under the water to rinse. Hang up to dry.

6 ALTERNATIVE USES FOR SHAMPOO

Washing up liquid. Shampoo is twice as effective on dirt than regular dish soap and much gentler on skin.

Make up brush and hairbrush cleaner.

Clean delicates.

At-home manicure.

Stop mirrors from fogging.

Body wash.

Fabric softener.

Shaving cream.

Polyester can be safely dry-cleaned or machine-washed. Turn polyester-knit garments inside out before washing to prevent snags. Machine-wash polyester in warm water, using an all-purpose detergent. Use a chlorine bleach if necessary.