How to Wash Delicates in the Laundry

Co-authored by Safir Ali

Last Updated: August 22, 2024 References

Properly washing and caring for delicates can help your clothes last longer and save you the time of having to hand wash your laundry. By following a few simple tips and tricks, you can safely wash delicates using a washing machine. With just a little pre-sorting and the use of mesh bags, washing will be a breeze and you’ll never hesitate to wear and enjoy your delicates again!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing Your Delicates

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Before you get started, go through your delicates and read the care instructions. Most delicates will have tags that say "hand wash" or "hand wash only," which means strategic machine washing will still work, but "dry clean only" tags mean the washing machine for those delicates is a definite no-go.
2
Sort delicates by type. Delicates are fragile and can easily snag, stretch, or lose their shape during washing. ^{[1]
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Research source} To minimize this risk, sort your delicates by type. For example, lace should be washed with lace, cashmere with cashmere, silk with silk, and thin knits with thin knits.
- Never combine a lace article with a sequined article, for instance, because the sequins might snag the lace.
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Just as you do with regular laundry, it is important to also separate delicates by color; wash whites with whites, darks with darks, and colors with colors to prevent bleeding.
If your delicates have any clips, clasps, zippers, or buttons, be sure to do those up to reduce a chance of snagging or stretching.
5
Pre-treat stains. Use a pre-wash stain spray or treatment to fight stains before you put your delicates in the washing machine. This will help reduce the amount of work your machine has to do, which reduces the amount of washing stress on your delicates. ^{[2]
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Research source} ^{[3]
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Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner

Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
- Grass, dirt, oil-based, and most beverage stains can be pre-treated with dish soap, if you don't have stain spray. ^{[4]
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  Research source}
- For stains on whites, you can use a bleach pen.
- For blood or body-fluid stains, use cold tap water and light scrubbing as a pre-treatment, followed by a common hand sanitizer to disinfect the garment.
6
Add small piles of sorted delicates in mesh bags. It’s important not to crowd your delicates. By putting only a few delicates (sorted by type and color) into each mesh bag, you decrease their chances of getting stretched, snagged, or losing their shape. ^{[5]
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Research source}
- It’s fine to put mesh bags with different types of delicates into the same washing load (the bags will keep them safe from each other), but make sure not to mix colors.
- For a standard-sized washer, you can wash two to three mesh bags (filled with a few delicates each) at once.
- If the load is unbalanced, add a few lightly soiled permanent press items, like T-shirts. ^{[6]
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  Research source}
- Also be sure to turn your garments inside out. ^{[7]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Safir Ali
  Professional Dry Cleaner
  
  Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Washing Your Delicates

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Although mild detergents – like Woolite – or cold-water detergent are designed for washing delicates, they are more expensive. Most regular detergents work just as well, so use what you have on hand. Just be mindful to use the correct detergent based on the colors you are washing.
Soaking your delicates before the actual wash is especially important for heavy stains.
To wash delicates, you want your washer to be on the shortest, most gentle wash and spin cycles. Most modern washers have a “hand wash” option, which is best for washing delicates. Be sure to use mild or cold water, as this will prevent bleeding and shrinking. ^{[8]
X
Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner

Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} ^{[9]
X
Research source}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Drying Your Delicates

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Dryer heat can ruin your delicates because it can cause shrinkage, so it's best to air dry them. However, if your dryer has a “no heat” and/or “air fluff only” setting, you can toss the mesh bags in the dryer to dry halfway. ^{[10]
X
Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner

Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
This is especially important for knits, cashmere, or other snuggly-fitting garments that have a specific shape to them. Water and detergent can temporarily warp these materials and cause them to dry in the shape they are in when taken from the wash if they aren't re-shaped by hand.
Delicates dry best when they are hung over a line or laid flat to air-dry. This helps them keep their original shape intact. Once they are completely dry, it's safe to fold and store your delicates for future wear.

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Can you put hand wash clothes in the washing machine on delicate?

Safir Ali
Laundry Specialist
Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map.

Safir Ali

Laundry Specialist

Expert Answer

You can. However, be sure to turn the garments inside out and use cold water. Afterwards, either air-dry your clothes or put them in the dryer on a no-heat or low-heat setting.

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How do I wash a woman's shirt with tassels?

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I would recommend putting the shirt in a garment bag and washing it on the gentle or hand wash cycle. If you have neither, you might be able to use the permanent press cycle on light. Probably best to hang or flat dry the shirt as well.

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What are delicate clothes?

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Delicate clothes are any clothes you would be worried about getting ruined in a washer, where they are tumbling around and could possibly get ripped. They are usually more expensive and some say hand wash only or wash on delicate cycle.

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Tips

Use the detergent sparingly since your delicates are being washed on a short, gentle cycle and suds will be harder to wash away.

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Acrylic, cotton, lycra, microfibers, nylon, polyester, polyolefin, spandex, and triacetate (except for pleated types) are all 100% washable, but if you are ever in doubt, wash by hand or run a test article in the wash first, just to be safe.

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Warnings

Not all washing machines have a delicate cycle.

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Be prepared to deal with stains, ripping or shrinkage.

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Things You'll Need

mesh laundry bags
laundry stain spray or remover
laundry detergent

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Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner

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How to Wash Delicates in the Laundry

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Preparing Your Delicates

Washing Your Delicates

Drying Your Delicates

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

Things You'll Need

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