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Learning how to hand wash clothes is an important, if somewhat unexpected, part of modern life.
Gemma Ward photographed by Steven Meisel forVogueDecember, 2005
)lingerie,swimwear, and sweaters to the washing machines spin cycle.
That said, knowing how to hand wash clothes isnt exactly intuitive.
As anyone who has entertained the notion can attest, there are a surprising number of questions to consider.
Lily Donaldson photographed by Steven Meisel forVogueDecember, 2005
Like, what is the ideal water temperature to use when hand washing?
Should darks and lights be separated?
And, how the heck am I supposed to dry all this stuff when Im done?
For answers to all of these questions, we called uponThe LaundresssGwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd.
As co-founders of a brand dedicated to all things laundry, the two are experts at hand washing.
Read on for all the easy, actionable steps.
Lily Donaldson photographed by Steven Meisel forVogueDecember, 2005
To dry clean or hand wash?
Fur with skin cannot be washed as the skin can shrink or dry out with wet washing.
Another tricky fabric is Viscose.
For larger loads, the bathtub is your best option.
Once youve cleaned the tub, see to it the drain is closed to keep the water afloat.
Next, add the appropriate amount offabric-specific detergent, depending on the size of the loadusually 2-4 capfuls.
Place the garments in the clean warm water.
Swirl to thoroughly rinse away the suds and drain once more.
If any garments still have suds, run them under the faucet until rinse water is clear.
Never wring the garments as that will cause damage to the fibers.
Instead, press garments against the edge of the tub to get rid of excess water.
We only iron items when we want a crisp finish on dress shirts or sheets.
