Hand washing delicates - do I need special detergent?

Liz_M

Hi everyone! Apologies if there's already a topic for this, I did a search and couldn't find one - but I'm sure it will be merged if there is one that I missed!

I've had several delicate items sat in the bottom of the laundry basket for AGES and have decided to wash them! I was googling 'hand wash items in washing machine' and then started wondering.... why don't I just hand wash them? The answer was because I've never done it before and didn't know how.... so I googled 'how to hand wash' instead and there's nothing complex about it, and it doesn't look like it will take long.... so I'm going to just do that instead of worrying about whether things will be wrecked in the machine!

A lot of the sites I've found say that for delicate items you should use special/mild laundry detergent (some suggest woolite but I assume this is specifically for wool?). I could buy some if it will help, but it would be cheaper and easier to just use what I have. So my question is, will this affect the clothes? I was going to use regular stuff if I attempted machine washing them, so thinking of just doing that, but then there's no point in going to the trouble of washing them by hand if I use detergent which then wrecks them anyway! I usually buy Surf small and mighty liquid when it's on offer (most of the time!) so that's what I have at the moment.

Thanks in advance for any help!

theoretica

It depends on why your delicates are delicate - if they are silk I would only use proper stuff or very pure soaps, otherwise I have used laundry gloop, stardrops, cheap nasty shampoo my hair didn't like or plain soap.

Liz_M

No nothing silk or even real wool. A couple of tops have metallic gol on so I assume this might come off or fade in the machine. One is a jumper but it's something like 90% acrylic and 10% cotton so I assume it's just 'hand wash only' because it has diamant! type things on it. There's a couple of dresses but they have jewels too so I assume that's the same reason. There is a men's jumper too, not checked what that's made of so could be wool I suppose. I'll try a couple of tops with normal stuff and see how it goes. Thanks!

building_with_lego

I'd put each jewelled item into a pillowcase before washing, and run them on a gentle or handwash cycle.
I only use silk and wool detergent for silk and wool

imho

Wool stuff i always wash by hand and rinse in nearly the same cool temperature as i have washed them in as otherwise i find wool shrinks and goes thick.
Cant see any reason you cant use washing up liquid as i have before and i used shampoo as i only had Bio soap powder and didn't want to use that

pollypenny

Woolite was on offer in a local discount shop (Littlewoods catalogue).

If I haven't got that I use hand wash.

meritaten

I figure if shampoo is gentle enough for my hair then its gentle enough for handwash! so that is what I use when I have been daft enough to buy a 'handwash' only garment.

MrsAtobe

The glue used to fix the diamantes in place will probably dissolve in the washing machine, so I'd be tempted to wash that by hand at a very low temperature. Wilkinson's still do soap flakes.

[Deleted User]

I have a box of Dreft which I have had for years for the odd occasion when I have had any hand wash stuff.You can see how much handwashing I've done :):) .but if you really are that concerned then I would use ordinary washing up liquid a little squirt of it in warm water and few swishes around to get it bubbly and away you go.I'd try it before you go out and buy a box of Lux or Dreft though it might save you some cash :):)

carefullycautious

I buy a cheap bottle of bath cream/bubble bath which is ideal for washing delicates.

Liz_M

Thanks everyone for helping me to realise that delicates are usually silk and wool... my items are just things that will fade/bits will come off, the fabric itself isn't delicate! I read the label on my surf liquid and it does mention how much to use for handwashing so I've just used that for now! Will have a look for the special stuff if I ever need to wash real silk or wool!