Soaking clothes before washing ...

@kiran8 (15348)
Mangalore, India
June 7, 2012 9:58am CST
I feel that this helps ! I soak the clothes in warm soapy water after rinsing it out once.I normally hand wash my clothes and find that it is easier to wash clothes when they have been soaked for an hour or two...
6 people like this
27 responses
@annavi23 (6522)
• Philippines
9 Jun 12
soaking clothes - do the laundry
Really? Well, I don't remember if I have done that. But I think it can waste time and effort as well as water wastage. I don't know. But maybe I can try this one when I do the handwashing again... I have tried soaking for 30 minutes then I'll continue soaping and rinsing it... I never tried soaking it and rinsing it once then soaping it again and rinsing. it's like waste of water and effort.isn't it?
1 person likes this
• Pamplona, Spain
13 Jun 12
Hiya annavi, It works wonders for clothes that are badly soiled especially if they have grease stains on them too. I don´t use very much soap or water really I find I don´t need to. Very often I use the same liquid soap put it on the stains but I water this down quite a bit first and apply it to all the soiled areas of the clothes let it soak in about two hours soak the clothes in a little more water and soap and then rinse out the filth first which I find can be a lot and really depending on the washing machine you have it might or might not get the stains and the dirt out the first time round. I never use two lots of soap most times only one if I can help it. Always find out if the clothes are colour fast first before putting any kind of stain removal on the clothes as they can leave the dirty patch clean but much lighter than the rest of what you are washing. Again all depends what you have to wash. Personally I would love to be able to throw all the clothes in the Washer and expect them to come out super clean but they don´t all the time. xxx
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
I agree it is definitely not a waste of effort,nor water.In fact it saves you some electricity and you have the pleasure of getting a much cleaner and fresher looking wash..
@Cherish14 (2693)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
i think this is a great way to remove deep seated dirt and stains. i would do the same
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Hi Cherish, thanks a lot for your response. yes it really helps get your laundry clean and fresh smelling, all the best
@Cherish14 (2693)
• Philippines
25 Jun 12
you're welcome Kiran take care
• United States
28 Jul 12
I only soak things if they are really stained. Otherwise the only things I soak on a regular basis is socks my husband is really hard on his socks especially when he's wearing his junky shoes
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
28 Jul 12
Hi SnuggleBunnies, thanks a lot for sharing your views Most of us feel the same regarding socks, they get so dirty after a days use, I too do that with my childrens socks ...Other than that curtains and bed sheets too come out cleaner with a good warm soapy water soak..all the best and enjoy your weekend
@ckyera (17332)
• Philippines
4 Jul 12
Hi Kiran8! I also hand wash our clothes specially my husband's office uniforms, it has delicate fabric that's why. And as part of my washing, I also soak the clothes for 30 minutes before washing them using a powder detergent. After that I ill just do some light scrubbing and then rinse it well. For whites, sometimes I soak it for an hour or sometimes overnight and it really makes my ashing a lot more easier...
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
5 Jul 12
Hi ckyera, thanks a lot for sharing your views ,I too do the same with white clothes, i wash them separately and also soak them for an hour or so before washing - all the best and have a great evening
@kukueye (1759)
• Malaysia
8 Jun 12
Good to remove tough stain. - Remove colour and white clothes to prevent color coming out.
Yes it is common to soak the clothes for sometime , to remove the tough stains . However do not left it for too long more than 1 day because the dirty water will then soak back inside the laundry and become foul smelly stains. Warm water is nice , however normal clean water is good enough.Make sure for safety separate the coloured and white clothing just in case the color leach out.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Yes leaving them on for too long will make the clothes stick as you say.Ideally a couple of hours is good enough or at the most overnight .I do it last thing at night and normally I wash clothes early as soon as I have my tea..it works well..all the best kukueye, and thanks a lot for your response
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Clothes stink ( not stik)
• China
8 Jul 12
Yes, the cloths will be easy to wash if soak for some times. But please do a jugement carefully in advance, don't soak the clothes which the material is silk for too much time, as this kind clothes will be easy to become slack and the printed colour will melt into the water.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
9 Jul 12
Of course, silk should never be soaked for too long , just for a minute or so. I hand wash my silk sarees using toilet soap since it smells fresh after wash - Thanks a lot Amy for sharing your views,have a great
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
20 Jun 12
Sounds like a terrible waste of water and energy to me. Why warm water? If you are soaking for an hour or two it will be cold soon enough...so why not start with cold? Why rinse them first...a good shake should dislodge any loose dirt or skin particles. Where I live, water is scarce and precious and I'm uber careful how I use it and try not to waste it.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Hi Ms Tickle, thanks a lot for your response.I understand your concern about water and agree with you that we have to be careful while using water.You can soak only those that is very dirty in warm water and then wash them.In fact I have felt that, when we hand wash clothes we use much less water than a washing machine does - all the best and happy mylotting
• Pamplona, Spain
8 Jun 12
Hiya kiran, Me too I soak a lot of clothes that are quite delicate or get a lot of dirt in them and then wash them in the Washer after throwing the dirty water away first and the soap that is in the clothes is sufficient. The clothes come up much better and I don´t have to wash them twice and I save a little electricity too not too much but enough as the electric here is almost a luxury now lol. Find working clothes being soaked for a few hours benefit because there is a heck of a lot of dirt in there too.xxx
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Yes I agree that our daily working clothes get really dirty especially if you are doing house work,gardening and cooking wearing the same.It is good to rinse it out once and then soak it in warm soapy water for a couple of hours after which it could be washed...thanks a lot for sharing lovinangel and all the best
@gaiza12 (4884)
• Philippines
24 Jun 12
My bf does that and taught me to do it one time. I agree, dirt on the close are easily removed when we soak our clothes with soap and water as I too hand wash my clothes. I can only do this when I have a lot of time to do the laundry, but if not, I really wash it right away without soaking it.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Hi gaiza,I agree that we need to plan and then soak clothes accordingly.In my own case I normally soak them last thing at night before sleeping and I wash them soon after tea in the morning which is working out fine..all the best and thanks a lot for your response
• Philippines
12 Jun 12
I also do this. I find that it's easier to wash clothes after they've soaked for an hour. It loosens the dirt, and I can scrub out those stains easier.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Yes thats very true ! It works best when there are children around and one has to keep washing their uniforms and socks on a daily basis...all the best and thanks a lot for your response
@narnia007 (1050)
• India
24 Jun 12
Yes,that is always been the way that my mom and had told me to do and as far as I remember all people in my community or even country does like that.It is always easier to take the dirt off the clothes if they are soaked in warm soap water.After that just two or three smacks,all the dirt goes off.It is whole lot easier than to scrub it over the dirt pleading to go off.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
25 Jun 12
Hi narnia, Yes I agree ! soaking clothes has always been the practice when clothes were being washed with hands before washing machines were invented....thanks a lot for sharing your views , all the best and happy mylotting
@khare_1005 (1310)
• India
10 Jun 12
hello kiran, well i agree with you. i do believe that it gets easier to clean them after soaking. i mostly wash my clothes in washing machine but still i soak them with detergent for a while before washing them. and with hand wash it gets lot more easier.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
11 Jun 12
Yes khare, even when we wash clothes in the washing machine it is good to soak clothes , and see them come out clean and fresh smelling !When we wash with hands it is definitely needed to soak the clothes before washing.thanks a lot for sharing your views and all the best
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
8 Jun 12
Soaking is a good practice and I am also doing this thing especially with the school uniform of my children. And yes its true hand washing is better so I usually hand wash the clothes intended for going out and machine wash only those clothes used inside the house, the pants and the linens.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
I too used to scrub the collars and socks of my children and most of the time hand wash them ..Soaking in warm soapy water really used to help me clean them, that habit has persisted and now I do it all the time..thanks a lot ARIES for sharing your views
@JenAC1984 (233)
• United States
8 Jun 12
kiran8 I think this is a great idea! My grandmother use to soak her clothing before she put it into wash. It helps to remove the stains more effectively. Kids are always getting messy. I have thrown away a lot of clothing because of stains from grass, paint and dirt. Thanks for the idea! It would be a lot cheaper if I took this route. My grandmother also hand washed all of her socks. Since they are smaller items, she would soak them over night and then put them in fresh water during the day. She says they last longer than being beaten up in the washer, plus, they come out cleaner. Great idea, my friend! Thank you!
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jun 12
Hi Jen, thanks a lot for sharing your views and you are most welcome dear friend I too used to hand wash collars and socks of my children when they were at school and it was done quickly instead of waiting for the washing machine..all the best and happy mylotting
@lampar (7584)
• United States
7 Jun 12
By soaking the clothes in warm soapy water for hour before you hand wash them provide sufficient time for your detergent chemical content to react with your dirty laundry microscopically to reduce the stain resistance on your cloths; it make your job easier later, it is an expected outcome from scientific point of view.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
12 Jun 12
Hi lampar, thanks a lot for your response That is very well explained from the scientific point of view and also practical point of view ! all the best and happy mylotting
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
8 Jun 12
I think that it really does help to soak clothes before washing them. It helps to lift the stains out of clothing. /stains can set so fast and so deep if left untreated. Soak and pretreating can do wonders to save the life of clothing.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
12 Jun 12
Hi sender,I agree that soaking does help in removing stains even the ones that have been there for sometime due to neglect.I find that washing towels and bed linen becomes much easier when they are soaked in warm soapy water for a couple of hours - thanks a lot , enjoy your evening
@anil02 (24688)
• India
7 Jun 12
Hello Kiran ji, you are right if we soak clothes for some it make easy to wash it. We must be soak heavy clothes like blanket, bedsheets before washing. I think it is routine to soak clothes in detergent powder.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
11 Jun 12
Hi anil,Yes bedsheets and bed linen need to be soaked before washing to get them clean.Even our daily clothes come out clean when they are soaked for sometime before washing ..
@cloud31 (5809)
7 Jun 12
Hello kiran, Though most of my clothes are machine wash,I still request them to be soaked for a while in washing detergent prior to proper washing. When my clothes has to be hand wash those delicate one I make sure it has to be soak in a warm water with detergent too easier for them to manage hand washing. I agree with you it helps when it has been soaked before washing. Happy mylotting!
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
12 Jun 12
Hi cloud, thanks a lot for sharing your views In the good old days soaking clothes for an hour or two was the done thing since there were no washing machines,soaking made it easier for people to hand wash them..
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
7 Jun 12
My mother used to do it. She will soak the clothes into water for about one or two cause as she said, the dirt easily take away when she wash it with soap.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
12 Jun 12
Hi ardoy,what your mother says is absolutely right ! I too feel the same way about it ..
@squallming (1775)
• Malaysia
7 Jun 12
Hi Kiran8, I am now living in a rented house near my campus and I have to hand wash all my clothes of course as I have no washing machine available in the rented house. I have not tried soaking clothes in warm soapy water before washing, I would normally soak the light colored clothes in soapy water but not warm for half an hour before washing it. So far it helps a little when I wash the clothes. I wonder would warm water helps to make it easier to wash away the stain on our clothes compared to the water out of pipe?
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
12 Jun 12
Hi squallming, soaking clothes in warm soapy water with a dash of vinegar added to it helps in removing most stains and the clothes come out fresh and clean smelling.It also makes washing easier since most of the dirt gets loosened and all that is required is a little bit of scrubbing ..