If you're just hand-washing delicate pieces, including lingerie, or washing machine-safe items on the delicate cycle, a regular detergent will probably work fine—especially if you wash said items in a mesh garment bag, which offers an extra layer of protection.
Woolite is a detergent made specifically for delicate fabrics like silk and wool. You can also use a mild detergent like Dreft, designed for baby clothes. These detergents are low-suds and won't damage your clothes the way regular laundry detergent can.
The delicate detergent contains many of the same ingredients, but the enzymes have been restrained a little. The blend of enzymes in the delicate brew are not going to chow down animal fibre along with your toughest stains. They are still powerful, but slightly less versatile.
The right way: Fill a clean sink with lukewarm or cold water and a small amount of delicates-friendly liquid detergent, like Tide Free & Gentle Liquid. Lightly agitate for three to five minutes, rinse well, and dry flat. Get more tips on How to Wash Silk here.
If you're just hand-washing delicate pieces, including lingerie, or washing machine-safe items on the delicate cycle, a regular detergent will probably work fine—especially if you wash said items in a mesh garment bag, which offers an extra layer of protection.
A delicate wash cycle (or “delicates”) is the washing machine equivalent to handwashing.
The best laundry detergent comes down to your specific needs and preferences. Look for something that will work with both your clothing type and lifestyle. A reliable washing machine, like the Maytag® Front Load Washer with Extra Power, can also make a difference in getting your clothes clean and fresh with every wash.
Answer: A delicate detergent should clean the clothes effectively without affecting the quality of the clothes. It should have the ability to remove all kinds of stains without causing any harm to the clothes.
In many cases, when hand-washing, you don't need to use a detergent specified for delicates. Baby shampoo or a mild dish detergent will work fine.
*For best results, use a little less than two teaspoons (9.5 mL) of Dawn® Platinum in a top-loading washing machine—be sure not to use too much, and don't use on delicate fabrics like silk. Spot test with a small drop in a less visible area to make sure the material will not be damaged.
Turn your delicates inside out and make sure any zippers and other closures are securely fastened. Put your delicates in a mesh washing bag, add your detergent and use the “Delicate” or “Gentle” wash setting with cold water. Choose your washing machine's lowest spin cycle to avoid damage.
No. Regular detergent shouldn't be used in HE washers because it produces too many suds in low water levels. This can potentially lengthen the wash cycle, affect the cleaning performance or overflow the machine. High-efficiency washers work at peak performance with HE detergent.
Dreft Laundry Detergent is formulated specifically to be gentle for a baby's delicate skin.
Woolite Delicates is a gentle washing liquid detergent, formulated to care for your delicate garments in the wash. The unique formula won't cause shape loss or fiber damage to keep the clothes you love looking like new, for longer!
Detergent matters
The answer is no. This is because hand wash products can actually harm your fully automatic washing machine. Hand wash detergent produces a lot of suds, which in an automatic washing machine prevents your clothes from getting a proper clean, especially in low water usage washing machines.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is a versatile and eco-friendly option. It can help to soften water, remove odors, and act as a gentle cleanser. Washing Soda: Also known as sodium carbonate, washing soda is a mineral-based compound that can be used as a laundry booster. It helps to remove stains and soften water.
As discussed previously, the detergent's job is to help pull away the dirt and grime from the clothing and rinse it out with water. The actual "wearing" out of clothes is more likely due to the rubbing of clothes in the washing machine (i.e. the agitation), not from the detergents themselves.
Delicate detergents are formulated either without enzymes entirely, or by omitting specific ones.
Select the Gentle Cycle:
If your machine doesn't have a dedicated delicate cycle, opt for a short and cold water cycle to protect your clothes.
Who doesn't love taking home those little bottles? I use them to hand-wash delicates (shampoo won't work well on heavily soiled clothes). If you're washing lingerie or sweaters in a large kitchen sink, pour in a whole bottle; use only half if you're cleaning a couple of items in a smaller bathroom sink.
Use Dawn dishwashing liquid to pre-treat greasy laundry stains, to clean greasy tools and car wheels, and to remove grease and grime from around the house. Dawn is tough on grease, yet gentle. Made with biodegradable surfactants.
The Delicates Cycle
A delicate wash or “hand wash” cycle is the machine equivalent to handwashing! This cycle uses warm or cold water with low or no spin. It's typically the shortest and most gentle cleaning cycle, and the low or no-spin allows for minimal fabric agitation.
The ONLY detergent that gets out tough stains better than this stuff is Persil. And the difference is very very very small. So small I miight even be just imagining there is a difference when there is none really. I have seen a study that said Persil is 2% better so, I might be influenced by that study.