Washing clothes by hand, Do you still do that?

@Bebs08 (10681)
United States
May 30, 2010 11:47am CST
I do wash by hand sometimes but the delicate ones only and mostly the white socks. Washing machine can not take out the dirt from white socks. I usually use my bare hands to scratch the dirt out. Also the delicate fabric, I wash it by hand to preserve the garment. What about you? do you still wash by hand?
6 people like this
43 responses
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
30 May 10
Yes Bebs, I wash almost all of my clothes by hands because of the sensitive fabric. Washing machine distorts the shape of the clothes withe soft fabric and removes the buttons too. Maong pants and house clothes are for washing machine but not those clothes I use in the church and in the office. Undies are also washed manually otherwise the garter will all loosen up easily.
1 person likes this
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
31 May 10
Oh really? you are so diligent my friend. But you are right, machine destroys the buttons and some delicate fabrics. I hand wash the white socks and undies and also church wear but the sheets? washing machine. Though I know it can not clean very well and it damage the clothes but I find it easy because I can multi task while washing with the machine. While washing, I can do other things too.
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
31 May 10
I wash our clothes by hand because we want to save electricity. The clothes are not easily damage and it is much cleaner compare if you wash it in washing machine. When our washing machine broke we decided not to buy one because electricity here goes up.
• China
31 May 10
no way !it is a waste of time ,l prefer to do another things rather than do washing by hands ,one more ,fingers will hurt,pinching the wet clothe .washing machine is a great choice .
• Malaysia
30 May 10
i wash all of my delicates by hand. for a man, delicates usually means the more expensive t-shirts and sports attire. the expensive shirts & slacks go straight to the professional cleaners
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
31 May 10
Oh the kind of expensive to bring clothes to the cleaners. I can't afford to do that.
1 person likes this
• Malaysia
31 May 10
i can't help it...my ex-lady friends thought that i was their 'dress-up' doll or something and insisted on me wearing some nice clothes once in a while.. how was i to refuse? just kidding...actually it was because of my work that i had to get some of the pricey outfits...
@karen1969 (1779)
31 May 10
We can't afford dry cleaning either. We just avoid buying those kinds of clothes!!
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
31 May 10
i actually do not do the washing cause it's my wife who takes care of the laundry. but there are times that i have to help her or the kids will do, when there are lots of clothes to wash. and when we wash our clothes, we only do it by hand. i do not plan to get a machine cause it will only add up to our electric bill that is constantly getting higher, just like the fuel prices.
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@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
31 May 10
it's true that it lessens the burden of doing the laundry if you have a machine. but it makes a lot of more sense to do the laundry in a regular basis, say daily, not weekly.
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
31 May 10
Oh that is interesting to know that you are willing to help your wife doing the laundry. You are right!! It can add up to the bills if you have a machine but it can lessen your work doing the laundry.
• Philippines
31 May 10
Yep, I still wash all my clothes by hand, they are not that many, cause I always do laundry every weekend, though sometimes, I do wish that we have a washing machine. But we live in a condo unit, and there is just really no place to put the washing machine, unless we want to take a bath beside it. LOL. Anyway, I have gotten used to it cause I've been handwashing my clothes since I started college, until now so that's almost 9 years already! OMG. hehehehe.
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Well, someday when you have a bigger place you can use the machine for some heavy laundry that you have. It is cleaner though when you wash by hand than using the machine.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
2 Jun 10
yeah, I sure hope that we could have a bigger place, or maybe I could find a machine that would fit in the small space that we have.
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
30 May 10
yes,i do. I do wash delicate fabric clothes by hands,esp with colored ones. I use to wash under wear with my hands too. Also with white clothes,before i put it on the washing machine,i wash it with hands and for the second phase,put into the washing machine for a cleaner result.
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
30 May 10
Oh that;s a good idea. Yup I wish I can do that all the time. Sometimes when I have lots of things to do, I will just dump my white clothes in the washing and put bleach on it.
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
30 May 10
before i use to use bleach with white clothes,but i have observe that,it makes the fabric thin or damage the fabric tissue easily.
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
31 May 10
Oh really? I will stop using bleach often. Thanks.
• United States
31 May 10
I grew up in Chile, South America. Many families do not have a washing machine, so they wash all their clothes by hand. The women amaze me as they can do it so quickly and efficiently. I have had to do it a few times (IE. when our washing machine wasn't working), and it definitely made me appreciate having a washing machine. I still wash some clothes by hand, but I don't really have to scrub them.
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Oh really? most people in South America are not using washing machine? I presumed most ladies from there are hard workers. I know of a lady friend from Chile who really work hard like a man. Even if she is a nurse but she is doing heavy jobs that only men will do. As to washing? maybe she can do more than that.
• United States
1 Jun 10
Washing machines are more accessible now than ten years ago, but the low income people still wash by hand. Chilean ladies are very hard working. I've always admired them as if I were in their situation, I'm not sure if I could do all they do.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
31 May 10
Hi, Bebs08. I only will wash by hand if it says on the garment instruction to. And I also will wash by hand if I need something quick to wear that I can't wash in the washing machine right then and there.
1 person likes this
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I understand what you mean. Like you, I did it too.
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
12 Aug 10
Hi, I do handwash for certain clothes,especially those made from soft materials and also my inner wears. Apart from that, all my clothes will be washed by washing machine,it is much more convenience and save my time. I just need to put all the dirty clothes into the washing machine, and it will make the works for me. I just need to hung them dry when it is DONE.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (110766)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Mar 21
Sometimes I will hand wash but not very often.
31 May 10
Hi there bebs! Surely yes for your question. I find myself doing laundry by hand or machine, and I do it in a weekly basis. The stuffs I wash by hand are those soft fabric stuffs which are expensive. I would never load such things in the machine because otherwise it will be defective and I would end up regretting afterwards. The other stuffs which are stronger in fabric and cheaper can go to the machine.I wouldn't bother wether it be defective as long as it gets cleaned.
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
exactly right!! I never load the expensive garments in the machine. i usually wash it by hand.
@khalida (1126)
• India
31 May 10
well i think in my house they wash my dad's shirts by hand only. for one, he is a cleanliness freak lol :) and of course washing machine doesn't remove dirt from the collars and hand cuffs! i wash my light colour clothes with hand too so that they lok bright and clean! :)
1 person likes this
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
that is another point why we need to hand wash the polo shirt because of the collar. What I do sometimes is just scratch the collar part and then put it in the machine for the rest of the cleaning.
@ET28LV (1890)
• Latvia
31 May 10
Hello! Ah If I ask to my Mom this. She certainly weird look to me, and say wash clothes by hands? She certainly say, I do not want to remember it. My mom wash clothes very long time. We're never had much money, and my Mom always wash clothes with hands. Until, I have six years old. My mom buy washing machine with credit to 12 months. And my mom was very happy, when do it. Always when my mom wash clothes with hands it was very hard, because after washing my mother hands was red and scared. The first machine was crushed before one year, and now we have new. Nowadays my parents earn bigger money, than in the past. I know some people still wash clothes with hands, and it is sad.
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
well, washing machine can not clean everything, you still have to scratch it but it helps lessen our burden washing the heavy clothes.
@emdyey09 (264)
• Philippines
31 May 10
Of course! I wash my undergarments by hand because they are really small items and I believe its more efficient to do it manually than using the washing machine. You know, manual won't ever go obsolete no matter how advance our technology gets.
1 person likes this
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I agree with that. But using the machine would lessen the burden of doing the heacy laundry.
@fixnet93 (20)
• Poland
31 May 10
I sometimes wash clothes by hand, particularly socks and delicate clothes.
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I also do that for the socks specially the white ones.
@asliah (11137)
• Philippines
7 Dec 12
hi, yes i still do that but very seldom only, and those clothes that i usually wash are those underwear and all my white clothes to make it sure that no stain will left,and for my other clothes and pants i usually wash them with the using of washing machines.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (110766)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Mar 21
It has been a very long time since I hand washed anything
@srganesh (6340)
• India
31 May 10
Only for some materials we have to use our hands as you have told.Some dresses have embroidery works and some have ornamental works.they can't put together with all other clothes in a washing machine.Only for those things we use hand washing like before.
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I agree!! delicate ones should be washed by hand.
@ckyera (17332)
• Philippines
31 May 10
hi bebs! oh yes! i am still doing it even if i already bought a machine. i am hand washing my husband's clothes that he uses for his work, it has a delicate fabric and washing them on the machine might ruin them... what i just wash on the machine are pants and other heavy fabric materials, as well as some clothes that we just use in the house. its really tiring o wash by hands but its better than getting bad results in our laundry. and its more satisfying...
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I do the same but not to all the clothes just some that are delicate.
@ada8may21 (2405)
• Philippines
31 May 10
Even if we have washing machine, we are still washing our clothes by hand. I dont know but my mom would really spend time to washed it by her hand. I also washed my undies using my hands. When it come to pants and bedsheet, we are really using our hands. That is why when it comes to laundry time I would always asked for help from someone.
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Oh what? the sheets? well, if they are lighter one, you can do it by hand but the heavy sheets? I can't, I will let the machine do it.
@werty009 (404)
• Philippines
31 May 10
well my mom do wash some clothes by hand but mostly she use our washing machine to lessen the work it is very helpful and also washing machines are easy to use
1 person likes this
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
That's right!! washing machine can lessen the burden of everyday washing.
@zaiaku (19)
• Philippines
31 May 10
we only use washing machine when we wash our curtains and bed sheets everything else falls by hand, and i tell you its not that easy :)
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@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I know it!! I have been hand washing when I was teen ager up to college and it is not easy washing everything by hand but now, I only hand wash the delicate ones and the rest will be machine washed.
31 May 10
I also wash by hand all the clothes of mine and my child's daily, although we have a washing machine at home, I have found that mud stains are very difficult to remove, they require a lot of scrubbing, and I also soak all the clothes for 15 ms before washing, that helps to remove the grime and dirt more easily. Although frequent washing clothes by hand does make the palms very rough. It is an additional exercise also, however it also gives me back ache at times. I also beat the clotes to the stone after soaping and scrubbing which also helps to remove the dirt well.
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Oh!! I hate to do that specially the denim pants and the sheets? I can't wash it by hand this time. Only the light ones.