Handwash

[sunbonnetsusy]

How do I handwash handwash only garments? I only ever tried it once and shrank a cashmere jumper

My washing machine has a hand wash cycle. Failing that depending if clothing dirty or needs a fresh up I use the kitchen sink and warm water, using only comfort for a fresh up and a small trickle of detergent for a full hand wash. Or take it to the cleaners!

Handwashing setting on the machine and a liquid designed for delicates

The key to not shrinking is barely warm water and very gentle handling so you don't damage the fibres.

Fill your sink with lukewarm water (must not be hot) and add a cap full of liquid detergent, preferably one made for handwashing. Agitate the garment very gently in the water, don't rub or scrub. Drain sink, fill with fresh lukewarm water. Squeeze garment gently to remove soap suds. Repeat until water runs clear with no soap suds left. Final rinse in cold water. Gently squeeze excess water out of garment then roll in a towel and squeeze some more. Dry garment flat.

Alternatively, take it to the dry cleaners.

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately my washing machine does not have a hand wash function, so it's just me, a bowl of warm water and a bottle of Woolite. Do I just keep agitating until all the soap has gone? And does that constitute rinsing? I'm sorry to sound like a complete idiot, but I'm of the " round them up and throw them in" school of laundry

Yes to the agitating, and keep changing the water. That's your rinsing. Keep changing the water until no more soap suds are appearing. Then don't forget your final, cold rinse. You'll only need a tiny bit of Woolite, don't get it too soapy or rinsing will take forever.

You're not an idiot at all, we just don't do much handwashing these days and unless you are taught how to do it you won't know. My grandmother taught me, she didn't have a washing machine or any other mod cons and had all the old skills.

It was probably the temperature of your water that caused the shrinkage of your cashmere (too hot) rather than anything else you did.