Is there a definition of “delicate” clothes? Yes, they are those items that you don’t want to ruin by applying a regular washing cycle. Bras, silk accessories, ties, scarves, and padded bike shorts are only a few of the clothing items you may label as delicate without being wrong about it. These things are usually expensive, so there’s no wonder you want to protect them.

Read The Label

Some of these delicates come with detailed washing instructions, so all you need to do is check the label to see what water temperature and what kind of detergent to use. If you do find such instructions, follow them step by step so that you can clean your items without damaging them in the process.

If there’s no label, you should always use either mild laundry detergent or dishwashing soap. Wash these items by hand in lukewarm water and don’t tumble dry them.

Bonus Tip: Vividly colored items may bleed, so you should always wash them separately. In addition, try not to rub them too much, in order to prevent the colors from fading too quickly.

Hand-Wash Delicate Items

Plug your sink and fill it up with water. Add a teaspoon of detergent and mix it well until it dissolves completely. Put the clothes in this water and swirl them around for several minutes.

Regardless of what you may have seen in movies, never scrub or twist your clothes, as your actions may wreak havoc on the fabric.

Rinse And Start Over

If you don’t have a second sink, fill up a bucket with clean water. If you don’t have a bucket, either, empty the first sink and refill it with clean water. Put the clothes inside and swirl them for a couple of minutes to rinse them.

Get Ready To Dry Your Clothes By Hand

Remove clothes from the sink and gently squeeze them to remove the water. Take care not to twist garments made from silk, as you risk to destroy them.

Place your clothing items on a dry, clean towel and gently press them down to make the towel absorb as much water as possible.

Dry Those Delicates!

There are delicate items that need reshaping before you start drying them. Padded bike shorts and bras are only two examples. You need to reshape them to make sure they will look like new for a very long time.

Once you’re done, you have to methods to hand-dry your clothes. The first one is to lay them flat on a dry and clean towel. Flip them over every now and then to make sure they dry evenly. If the towel becomes too damp, you may need to replace it with a dry one.

The second method is to drape these clothes over a drying rack. If some of these garments are prone to bleeding dyes, place them on the lower part of the rack. In addition, place a towel or a cloth under the rack to avoid getting your floors stained.

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