I always use the Washing machine instead if doing it by hand
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Just don’t get undressed next time you have a shower
Why would you want to wash them by hand?
There’s not much to it. Washing machines just do what ancient people did except it uses a motor to operate the agitator. I wash my clothes in the tub and use a plunger as a posser. You just plunge till your arm falls off.
If you really wanted to do it by hand, then basically perform the same actions as the washing machine: submerge the clothes in soapy water and agitate them for awhile, then submerge them in fresh water and agitate them for awhile, then wring out the water as much as possible, then hang to dry.
You can accomplish this process with a bucket, a stick, and a rope (plus soap and water). Also a lot of manual labor.
If you have lingerie marked “hand wash only” you can use a clean sink and a little liquid hand soap if you don’t have liquid laundry detergent. Do just a few at a time. Plug the sink, wet the clothes but don’t fill the sink. Put a little dab of soap on the crotch and/or pits of the items and rub between your hands, lathering and working the lather into the whole item. Then swish them all in the sink water for a few minutes. Drain the sink and refill it halfway. (A full sink will splash all over the floor when you swish.) Give the clothes some squeezes and swishes to get most of the soap out. Drain and rinse one more time. Remove each item and squeeze out the water, but don’t wring them hard like you would a rag. Hang them up where they can drip dry.
Or get a mesh bag and put them in the washing machine in cold water, gentle cycle. Hang to dry.
If you don’t own delicate garments that require hand washing or a suit that requires dry cleaning, you’re probably alright. Other than that, in my experience it pays off long term to separate colors from whites.
Is your washing machine using hot/warm water? If no, it might start stinking after a while of only running cold cycles. You can probably buy washing machine cleaner liquid that you run on an empty cycle. You do that once a year or when it stinks to prevent your clothes picking up the same moldy scent.
Don’t throw wool into the dryer. Don’t hang up heavy sweaters on hangers when they’re still wet. The extra weight will over time create hanger bulges on your shoulders. Fabric softeners are a waste of money if you ask me.
This is by no means complete. If you have any more specific questions that relate to your situation, maybe just put those in here.
separate colors from whites
This is especially necessary when washing warm/hot, as many dyes dissolve at higher temps.
You can probably buy washing machine cleaner liquid that you run on an empty cycle.
Unnecessary. Leave the door open to air dry between washes. If it ever smells (otherwise twice a year) use 1 Cup vinegar OR 2 Tbsp citric acid (dissolved) in an EMPTY machine on baby/sanitize/hottest cycle to clean any molds or limescale. Can also use 1 C of bleach (dissolved).
Fabric softeners are a waste of money if you ask me
They offer no meaningful benefit. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the softener dispenser every wash. It’s a natural softener that inhibits mold and neutralizes odors (both clothes and machine).
ALSO, hang/dry clothes within a couple of hours. If they aren’t dry within 24 hours (36-48 max), they will start to grow mold and smell no matter what.
Unnecessary. Leave the door open to air dry between washes.
I live in a place where humidity maxes out over summer and I assure you just airing it out doesn’t do the trick.
Also, there are washing machines on this planet that don’t run on hot water. I have one of those. I can run hot water from the tap but it technically isn’t built for that. These machines require treatment.
What do you think is more likely? That a laundry noob is gonna throw self measured amounts of vinegar and citric acid in their washing machine? Or that they get a readymade product from the drugstore?
I live on the equator and my washing machine only has cold water. I’ve never experienced anything that you guys are talking about in regards to the machine smelling like anything except laundry detergent. Do you leave your machines full of wet clothes or something?
Every time I’ve heard people make similar claims of “bare minimum / basic solutions don’t work for me”, their problems always end up being user error.
misc tips:
Make sure to turn your graphic T-shirts/hoodies/whatever inside out; zip up all the zippers; button all buttons.
If you have a dryer, don’t forget to empty the lint tray.
Ok bro totally valid topic but not in this community. Try !asklemmy@lemmy.world or !casualconversation@lemmy.world
To be honest, the majority of shower thoughts here are just thoughts, especially in the last few months. On the other hand, it is not precisely defined in the community description either ¯\(ツ)/¯
Or dadjokes.
