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How to Hand Wash Your Delicate Clothes, Lingerie and Bras.
More than ever before, plus size apparel is available in
styles and fabrics that look gorgeous and make women feel
truly attractive. But if you're going to have a beautiful
wardrobe, you absolutely have to know how to hand wash your
delicate clothes. Too many clothes go to piece if you put them
into the washing machine: others need hand washing to retain
their shape. Your wardrobe will look lovely longer and last
for years if you take care of your fragile items by washing
them gently by hand. |
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What clothing should be hand washed
Most hand washables include lingerie such as bras and
undergarments made of silk, satin and lace. Silk is very thin
and sometimes not colorfast, so if you wash it with other
clothes, its color may run. Satin may retain its color, but it
gets pilly if washed in a regular machine. Lace can catch on
other clothing and tear; handmade lace must be handwashed to
protect it; as expensive as handmade lace is, you'll want to
take really good care of it! |
Washing Your Delicates By Hand: The Process
Always wash by hand in cool water: many handwashables,
particularly wool and some rayons, will shrink if they are
placed in warm or hot water. Cool water also helps keep stains
from becoming set in. You can purchase special soaps for
handwashing. Woolite is the handwash brand that's been around
the longest, but the truth is that you can wash your
handwashables in any mild detergent. Even shampoo can do the
job, since the point of handwashing is to get the garment clean
without subjecting it to the rigors of washing machines or
dryers. But before you start, read the labels in your delicate
clothes to make sure there aren't any unusual manufacturers'
instructions.
Read the clothing care labels carefully and follow the
instructions
Assuming you're starting with instructions that say something
like, "hand wash only in cool water", it's a pretty
straightforward process. Gather your handwashables, and sort
them by color. Any bright or strong colors should be washed
separately. Starting with your whites or lights, place them in a
sink filled with cool water into which you've squeezed about a
teaspoon of a gentle detergent. Suds the clothes with your
hands, adding a little drop of detergent to any particularly
stained areas and rubbing the spots gently with your fingers.
Never twist or wring your delicates!
Rinse the clothes in cool water and gently squeeze out the
water. Hang bras and other lightweight garments on hangers to
dry: for heavier items such as cashmere sweaters, shape with
your hands and lay flat, drying on thick towels. You may have to
change the towels for dry ones once or twice. Once the garments
are mostly dry, you may want to hang them somewhere airy to get
the rest of the dampness out.
How to Get Out a Stubborn Stain from Your Clothing
For serious stains, you may have to do some triage. At this
writing, there is new information on getting out blood stains
from a favorite silk shirt whose wearer was inundated with
mosquitoes at a barbecue. The shirt laid around in the dirty
clothes hamper for a couple of days while the householders tried
to figure out the best course of action to take. Finally, the
bolder one sprayed the bloodstains (about two inches long by one
inch wide) on the silk Hawaiian style shirt with a miraculous
substance used for cleaning bathtubs. Called Scrub Free Oxy
Complete, this liquid is never billed as a laundry detergent. In
fact, there was a chance that the stuff that makes bathtubs
shine would eat right through a delicate shirt. Immediately
after spraying, the shirt was immersed in cold water and left to
soak for 24 hours. When the shirt was removed from the water and
rinsed, there was no trace of blood stain left. Amazing! |
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| Our Top 5 Plus Size Clothing Stores |
Catherines Clothing
Classic, comfortable women's styles with petites and tall length available in plus sizes.
www.Catherines.com
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Plus Sizes at Romans
Stylish plus size clothes for work and leisure in sizes 12W to 44W at great value pricing.
www.Roamans.com
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Jessica London Fashions
For the fashion forward plus size woman who want figure flattering clothing with classic style.
www.JessicaLondon.com
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Ulla Popken Comfort
Comfortable European inspired designs for a fuller womens figure in sizes 12 and up.
www.UllaPopken.com
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