How to Hand Wash Laundry

Hand washing laundry is as old as the hills, and best for some types of fiber.

Clothing deemed as "delicate" are in this category for a few reasons. One is the actual fiber will become ruined when it is tumbled around and spun in a washing machine. Some natural wool is a great example. When handled too roughly in water where the temperature fluctuates between hot and clod too quickly, the wool will "shrink". So will loosely woven plant fibers, such as cotton or linen. Sometimes, a silk garment will become permanently misshapen when put through a washing machine. Garments labeled "Permanent Press" (a synthetic fabric blend) last longer and keep their shape better when hand washed. Stockings, nylons or silk stockings will be worn out after 1 or 2 wearings if you put them in a machine wash. 

Whether they are finished garments, or fibers in progress:

1. Fill a sink or wash basin with cool - lukewarm ish water, swishing around the soap to get good suds. 

2. Gently submerge garments, yarn or whatever, making sure there is enough water for the fiber to swish around freely. If the suds get eaten up immediately, your garments are a little dirtier than you thought (wool can be like that) and you may want to add a little more soap. Soak for 30-60 minutes, swishing around 1 or 2 times.

3. Drain and squeeze garments. Avoid twisting garments, especially knits. That will stress and distort the garment's shape. Fill basin again with cool-sh water, submerge garments, swish around. Repeat this 2-5 times to get all of the soap out.

4. Fill basin 1 more time and add some white vinegar - anywhere from 1/4 c to 2 c depending on how much fiber you are washing at one time. Add your rinsed garments, swish around and let soak for 10 minutes. Rinse again. 

5. Squeeze out all excess water. Lay a towel on the floor and lay garments on the towel. Roll it up and gently step on it. This easily squeezes out all of the water. Dry either laying flat or hanging depending on the garment.

Merino wool has a lot of spring and memory, because of its short curly fiber. My special Falklands Island Merino has a 3 inch staple length, which is very long for a Merino. When it's doing its soak washing, it will activate the spring (curl) in the fibers and it will need to be blocked again. Wet wool can also get overstretched from the water weight. It is important, especially for hand knits, to make sure you get all of the water out. I have a front loader washing machine, and will spin my hand knit sweaters before blocking them.

What is blocking? Blocking is shaping your knits to highlight the garment shape and stitches, if there are lace and or cables. Proper blocking will hold whatever shape you form it into, until the next washing. I use an iron on the wool setting to create steam on the wet wool which will aid in getting the shape to hold. When doing this take care to put very little pressure on on the wool. Too much pressure from a hot iron on wet wool will flatten out stitches and can cause the yarn to felt.