How to Wash Delicate Clothes in the Washer

When possible, it’s always recommended delicate items be hand-washed in a clean sink or tub, but the realities of busy lives mean time-consuming washing by hand isn’t always possible. Always consult the care label in your garment for proper care instructions. General rules for washing delicates are:

• Avoid washing in hot water and harsh detergents.
• Always wash in cool or tepid water with a gentle laundry detergent
• Always separate your delicate items from other dirty laundry and wash with like colors. Modern clothes washers also come with a “Delicate” or “Hand Wash” cycle designed to gently wash your delicate items. In normal wash cycles, the agitator or drum can damage, stretch, or snag delicate fabric or embellished items with sequins or fine buttons. Gentler delicate cycles replicate the gentle swishing of hand-washing to gently clean your clothes. Additionally, you can put delicate items inside a mesh laundry bag before washing to further protect them.

Follow the simple steps below to wash delicate clothes in the washer.

• Step 1: Sort your delicate items, making sure to sort by fabric and color type for best results. Don’t mix items like cashmere and lace, knitwear with silk, zippered items with linen, etc., or you run the risk of damaging your garment.
• Step 2: Pre-treat any stains with a gentle stain remover.
• Step 3: Turn items inside out, making sure any zippers, buttons, or closures are secured, then place in a mesh laundry bag.
• Step 4: Add a gentle laundry detergent and select the “Delicate” or “Hand Wash” cycle on your washer. Be sure to use cool or cold water as hot water can shrink or damage delicate fabrics.
• Step 5: Remove items from the washer as soon as the cycle completes, gently reshaping any items that may have been deformed during the wash. Once they’re back to the proper shape and form, lay them flat on a drying rack or clean white towel. Take care that whatever drying solution you use, you are not stretching or deforming the fabric in its wet and weakened state.

• How to Wash Delicate White Clothes

  Whether your delicates are white, intricately dyed, or embellished with buttons or sequins, care should be taken to wash delicate clothing with like fabrics and colors. Your delicate white clothes can be hand washed in a sink or run through the washing machine depending on the instructions printed on their care labels. The important thing is to remember to separate your whites and wash them separately, delicate or not. This is because dyed items of clothing can transfer some of their color into your whites when washed together, dulling their brilliance, and coloring them a lighter shade of whatever colored garments they’re thrown in the wash with.

   

  Do You Wash Baby Clothes on Delicate?

  Few things are softer and more delicate than a newborn baby’s skin. To protect sensitive baby skin from abrasive irritants, parents clothe them in soft, light fabrics and opt to wash dirty laundry in a baby-safe laundry detergent. Dreft’s line of detergents provide gentle, hypoallergenic cleaning solutions that can lift tough stains from baby clothes and other delicate clothing items without all the harmful irritants found in regular detergents. Be sure to check out our article on how to wash baby clothes for a step-by-step guide on getting your little one’s clothes clean without shrinking or damaging delicate fabric.