Oh no! Did you toss your favorite sweater or pair of jeans into the dryer and it came out a size smaller than it used to be? Is there a way to “unshrink” your clothes? You’re in luck because it’s easy to relax the fabric and reshape your clothes. You can use the same method to unshrink most woven fabrics, but there are some more effective alternatives for wool, cashmere, and denim. By the time you finish reading and stretching your clothes back out, they’ll be back to the perfect fit again. Things You Should Know ->Soak clothes in lukewarm water mixed with 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of baby shampoo or hair conditioner for 30 minutes. This works for woven fabrics like cotton and wool. ->Squeeze the garment and roll it in a large towel to remove the excess water. ->Gently stretch the fabric by hand and weigh it down so it maintains its shape. ->Let your clothes air-dry back into their original shape. Method 1 Unshrinking Woven Fabric 1 Fill your sink with lukewarm water. Add enough lukewarm water to submerge the garments you’re stretching. Make sure the water is at or a little warmer than room temperature so it relaxes the fibers in the fabric. ->Avoid using cold water since it will make the fabric fibers shrink so they’re harder to stretch. Extremely hot water can also shrink and damage clothing so avoid using it as well. ->Knitted clothes, including cotton, wool, and cashmere garments, respond better than other types of fabric to this method. Fabrics with tighter weaves, such as silk, rayon, or polyester, may not reshape as easily. 2 Mix baby shampoo or conditioner into the water. Add around 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of baby shampoo or hair conditioner for every 1⁄4 US gal (950 mL) of water you’re using. Stir the conditioner or shampoo into the water until it’s completely mixed in. ->Soft shampoos and conditioners relax the fibers in the clothes without damaging them. If you wouldn’t use the product on your hair, don’t risk it on a piece of clothing you like. ->Regular shampoo doesn’t have the same softening agents as conditioner or baby shampoo, so it won’t help unshrink your clothes. 3 Soak your clothes in the water for up to 30 minutes. Completely submerge your shrunken garments in the water. Leave your clothes to soak for at least 10 minutes so the fabric has time to soften up. Just take your clothes out of the water after 30 minutes since leaving them for longer could damage your clothes. ->If you’re stretching a shirt, try lightly pulling on the fabric underwater as it soaks to start reshaping it. 4 Squeeze the garment to wring out excess water. Roll your clothing up into a loose ball. Gently squeeze your clothes so the excess water drips off. Just avoid twisting or wringing out your clothes since it could damage the fibers. ->Avoid rinsing out the conditioner or shampoo since it’s still relaxing the fibers in your clothes. Wait until you’re done reshaping it before washing off the shampoo. 5 Roll the garment up inside a large towel to remove moisture. Set out a clean, dry towel and lay the shrunken garment flat on top of it. Then, slowly roll the towel up from one end to the other to squeeze out the rest of the water from your garment without wrinkling or stretching the fibers. -> When you’re finished, it’s okay if the piece of clothing is damp as long as it isn’t dripping wet. -> Leave the clothing inside the towel for up to 10 minutes to help get out as much water as possible. Just don’t leave it for any longer, or else the fabric’s fibers will cool down and become more difficult to stretch out. 6 Stretch the clothing out by hand to reshape it. Move the garment onto a second dry towel to start stretching it. Tug on the edges of your damp clothing where it felt tight. Be gentle as you tug on the fabric to avoid damaging the fabric’s fibers. Try to get the clothing as close as possible to its original shape. ->For a more accurate way to gauge the right size and shape for your garment needs to be, find a similarly-sized garment and trace its outline on parchment paper. Then, place the shrunken garment over the outline while you’re stretching it. ->If you’re having a hard time stretching the clothing, use the steam setting on an iron. Hold the iron over the area you need to stretch and press the steam button. The steam softens the fibers so they’re easier to move. 7 Weigh your clothing down while it air-dries. Once you finish reshaping a part of your garment to the right shape, set a book, paperweight, or heavy mug on the fabric so it stays put. Place weights on your clothing after you stretch each section until your garment is covered with them. Leave your garment to air-dry completely so it stays in the same shape. -> Alternatively, hold the garment in place with clothespins. -> Check on your garment every 30 minutes to check that it has held its shape. Tug on the edges and weigh your clothes down again if you need to make any adjustments. -> Try hanging up your clothes to help them dry instead. When your garment is still a little wet, gravity pulls the weight down and could stretch the fabric slightly. 8 Wash and dry the clothing again if it is needed. Once your piece of clothing feels dry, try it on to see if it’s stretched out enough. If it fits, you can wear the garment right away without washing out the conditioner or baby shampoo. If your clothes still haven’t stretched enough, try repeating the treatment again. -> If you don’t like how your clothes feel from the conditioner or shampoo, hand-wash your garment like you normally would. Method 2 Stretching Wool and Cashmere 1 Fill a sink with lukewarm water. Pour in at least 1⁄4 US gal (950 mL) of lukewarm water, or enough to submerge your clothing. Try to keep the water at room temperature so it stretches out the fabric’s fibers without damaging them. 2 Mix in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of Borax or white wine vinegar. Scoop in either 1 tablespoon (25.6 g) of Borax or pour in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of your white wine vinegar to the water. Stir the Borax or vinegar into the water until it’s completely dissolved or mixed in. -> Always dilute Borax or vinegar in water before using them as cleaners. If you apply them directly to clothing, you could end up damaging the fabric. -> It’s okay to use distilled white vinegar but white wine vinegar is preferable since it is clearer and gentler on your garments. -> Borax and white wine vinegar help soften the fabric so it’s easier to stretch back into its original shape. Alternatively, use a wool detergent that doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals to soften and stretch your clothes. -> Borax and vinegar work best for animal-based fabrics, like for stretching wool and cashmere. Plant-based fabrics like cotton may stretch with Borax, but it’s not effective on synthetics or tightly-knit natural materials like silk. 3 Soak the shrunken clothing in the solution for 10–30 minutes. Submerge your clothes in the Borax or vinegar mixture. Give your wool or cashmere at least 10 minutes so the fibers can soften and stretch more easily. After 30 minutes, take your clothing out of the water to prevent it from getting damaged. 4 Squeeze as much water out of the garment as possible. Lift your clothing above the water and gently roll it into a ball. Lightly squeeze your garment to drain out all the excess water that’s caught in the fabric. Try to squeeze out enough moisture so the garment is damp but not sopping wet. -> Be careful not to twist or wring your garment out since you could over-stretch or damage the fibers and make them difficult to reshape. -> Avoid rinsing the garment yet since it stops the Borax or vinegar from working. Wait until you finish stretching out the fabric to fully wash your clothes again. 5 Stretch the garment by hand. Lay your sweater or garment flat on a dry towel. Tug on any areas that have shrunken to stretch the fibers back out. Be gentle as you pull on the fibers around the arms, chest, collar, and any other tight areas on the garment so they can stretch back out. Put something heavy on top of your garment to prevent them from shrinking back down. -> Alternatively, roll up towels and slide them into sweater sleeves to help preserve the shape and absorb excess water. 6 Let the clothing air-dry for at least 15 minutes. Leave your garment flat on the towel so it doesn’t lose its shape. If you notice the garment starting to lose its shape, gently pull on the edges of the fabric to stretch it back out. 7 Hang the garment up to finish drying it. Place a hanger inside the garment and hang it up in a well-ventilated area away from direct heat or sunlight. Leave the garment to dry completely before trying it on again. If the clothing doesn’t stretch enough, try soaking your clothes and stretching them out again until they’re the right size. -> Avoid hanging wool and cashmere while they’re still really wet since the water could weigh down the fabric and cause it to over-stretch. -> If the garment doesn’t feel as soft or smooth as it usually does, hand wash it in cold water to remove the vinegar or Borax. Method 3 Fixing Tight Jeans 1 Spray water on your jeans and stretch by hand to make minor adjustments. Put lukewarm water from your tap into a spray bottle and spritz it onto your jeans where they feel tight. Then, hold onto each side of the fabric and gently tug them apart to stretch the fibers out. Try your jeans on to see if you need to keep making adjustments. -> This works best for minor shrinkage, so it may not be effective if you’re unable to fit into your jeans in their current condition. -> If you don’t have a spray bottle, then lightly dampen the fabric under your tap. 2 Fill your bathtub with lukewarm water. Fill the tub at least ⅓ of the way full so there’s enough to cover your legs if you sit down. Make sure the water temperature is lukewarm since cold water prevents stretching and hot water could make your pants stretch too much. -> If you don’t have a bathtub available for use, just fill up a sink or bucket with warm water instead. 3 Soak the jeans in the water for about 15 minutes. If you’re able to, put on your jeans and sit in the water so the denim is completely submerged. If you’re unable to fit in the jeans, just put them in the water on their own. Try to keep the jeans submerged for at least 10 minutes or until the water gets cold. -> The water softens the jeans and makes the fabric’s fibers easier to manipulate. Wearing your jeans while they soak starts stretching them out right away. 4 Wear the jeans for up to an hour or stretch them out by hand. After the jeans soak, put them on if you aren’t already wearing them. Walk around, jog, stretch, or even dance to help stretch out the fibers. If you don’t like the feeling of wearing wet jeans, then lay them flat on a towel and tug on the edges that you want to stretch out. -> Focus on the areas most in need of being stretched. For instance, if the waistband needs to be adjusted, bend and stretch at the waist. 5 Hang your jeans so they can finish drying. Place your wet jeans on a clothesline or a drying rack. Keep them out of direct heat and sunlight but try to find a spot with good air circulation. While your pants dry, gravity will also pull the jeans down to stretch them out further. -> Avoid putting your jeans back in the dryer. Heat will cause your clothing to shrink again and undo all your hard work. Original source wikiHow.com / Kamel Almani
It's frustrating to wash your clothes, dry them, and find that they smell. For clothes that stay fresh smelling even days after you've washed them, make a few simple changes to your laundry routine. Start by removing odors from your clothes and dry them immediately after washing so they don't develop a mildew smell. Improve ventilation in your closet and place odor-absorbing items in your dresser drawers, suitcase, or closet. Method 1 Scenting Your Clothes 1 Tuck scented dryer sheets in your suitcase or dresser draws. Whether you're storing clothes for a few days or for a whole season, adding a new dryer sheet can keep them smelling fresh. Keep the dryer sheet with the clothes until you can no longer smell it and then replace it. -> If you don't want to use dryer sheets, wrap a dry bar of scented soap in tissue paper and place it in your clothes drawer or suitcase. 2 Spray cotton balls with perfume and place them in your closet or drawer. Spritz a few large cotton balls with your favorite perfume or place about 5 drops of an essential oil on each cotton ball. Put them in a bowl and place them in your closet or scatter the cotton balls in your dresser drawers. -> You can also place these in your suitcase if you're packing your clothes. 3 Tuck a potpourri or lavender sachet in your drawers or suitcase. If you're storing your clothes in a dresser drawer or packing them for a trip, place a small linen sachet filled with dried lavender or your favorite potpourri to add a light scent. To add a light fragrance to your closet, hang the sachet from a hanger. -> You could also place cedar shavings or mothballs in the sachet to protect your clothes from moth damage. Purchase scented mothballs to cover their unpleasant odor. Tip: If you have outlets in your closet, plug in automatic air fresheners. These occasionally release bursts of air freshener that keep your clothes smelling great. 4 Spritz linen spray over clothes to refresh them. To make your own linen spray, fill a clean spray bottle with 1 1⁄2 cups (350 ml) of water, 1⁄4 cup (59 ml) of rubbing alcohol, and 3⁄4 teaspoon (3.7 ml) of an essential oil. Screw the lid on and shake the mixture before spraying it lightly over your clothes. For a fresh scent, use any of these essential oils: -> Lavender -> Lemon -> Geranium -> Rose -> Fir or cypress 5 Place 5 drops of essential oil on a cloth and add it to your dryer. Take a clean cloth or rag and add about 5 drops of essential oil to it. Then, place the cloth in your dryer along with a load of clean, wet clothes and run a drying cycle. The essential oil adds a very light scent to the clothes. -> Try your favorite essential oil, such as lavender, orange, rosemary, or geranium. Method 2 Absorbing Musty Smells 1 Spray vinegar or vodka on your clothes to neutralize odors. Remove odors by filling a spray bottle with white vinegar or cheap vodka. Then, spritz clothes that need deodorizing. As the vinegar or vodka dries, it will remove smells and will dry odorless. Tip: It's always a good idea to test a spot on the clothes before spraying the entire garment, since some older fabrics may be damaged by vinegar or vodka. Turn the clothes inside out and spray a small spot to ensure that the vodka or vinegar doesn't change the fabric's color. 2 Place a bowl of dried coffee grounds in your closet to absorb smells. Coffee is well known for its ability to neutralize odors and strong scents. Take a batch of brewed coffee grounds and spread them on a baking sheet. Let them dry completely and then place them in a bowl. Put the bowl somewhere in your closet so it can absorb lingering smells. -> You could also place whole or freshly ground coffee beans in the closet to absorb odor. -> If you'd like to use coffee grounds in your dresser drawers, fill a linen sachet with the dried grounds. Then, place the sachet in your dresser. 3 Use cedar throughout the closet to absorb moisture and odors. Buy cedar hangars, cedar clothes hampers, or sachets filled with cedar shavings and place them in your closet. Cedar naturally repels moths and absorbs moisture from humid spaces. -> You could also place a bowl full of cedar chips in your closet. 4 Place an open box of baking soda in the closet to absorb smells. Baking soda is a natural odor absorber so open a fresh box of baking soda and put it on the top shelf or floor of your closet. If the carpet in your closet is smelly, sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for up to 24 hours before vacuuming it up. -> Replace the box of baking soda every 1 to 2 months. Method 3 Destroying and Preventing Odors 1 Wash musty or mildewy clothes with vinegar to remove odors. Run a standard washing cycle using 1 cup (240 ml) of white vinegar instead of laundry detergent. Use the hottest water that you can with your specific clothes. Then, run another cycle using laundry detergent and 1 cup (180 g) of baking soda. -> The vinegar and baking soda kill different strains of mold, which is why it's important to use both. 2 Transfer wet clothes to the dryer immediately to prevent mildew smell. If you leave wet clothes in your machine for even a few hours, mold could begin to grow. This makes your clothes and machine begin to smell like mildew. Instead, put the wet clothes into the dryer as soon as the machine stops. -> If you forget your clothes in the machine and they sat for more than 4 hours, wash them again with vinegar and hot water to remove the smell. Tip: If you remove stinky clothes from the machine, you may need to clean the machine by running vinegar and baking soda in the empty machine. 3 Hang dry your clothes for a natural fresh scent. One of the easiest ways to make your clothes fresh smelling is also one of the cheapest. Instead of tossing the clothes in the dryer with fabric sheets, hang the clothes outside on a clothesline. The fresh air will dry the clothes and the sunlight can even disinfect them. -> Although it may take longer for the clothes to dry, you can hang dry the clothes in winter or on cloudy days. 4 Open your closet door to get air circulating between your clothes. If your closet is in a room that has high humidity, keeping the door closed can trap moisture and create an unpleasant smell. Try to keep your closet door open during the day or overnight to encourage air circulation. -> If you're packing clothes in a suitcase or have clothes stored in dresser drawers, place a few silica packets in with the clothes to absorb moisture. You can buy silica packets online. Original source wikiHow.com / Susan Stocker
Clothing comes in standard sizes, but these sizes vary from company to company. While you can always try the shirt on in a brick-and-mortar store, this is not possible when ordering online. Knowing how to measure your shirt size is important, and it can help ensure that you order your shirt in the size. It can also help you if you ever choose to order a custom-sized shirt or ask a tailor to alter one for you. Method 1 Taking Basic Measurements 1 Keep your body relaxed while taking your measurements. Do not puff out your chest, suck in your belly, or flex your muscles. If you do any of these, the measurements will not be accurate and the shirt will not fit. The measuring tape needs to be loose enough to slide around easily. -> Consider having someone take your measurements for you. This will ensure that your body is straight while you are taking them. 2 Measure around the widest part of your chest. Wrap a measuring tape around the widest part of your chest. Keep your body relaxed and do not puff your chest out. 3 Measure the narrowest part of your waist. Once again, keep your body relaxed and do not suck your gut in. Wrap the measuring tape around your waist; keep it loose enough so that you can still breathe. 4 Measure the largest part of your hips. This is required for most women's shirts, although some men's shirts may also require this measurement. Simply wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of your waist, including the buttocks. 5 Take additional measurements for the collar and sleeve, if needed. If you are buying a man's dress shirt, you may need to take additional measurements for the collar and sleeve. This all depends on the store that you are buying from, as some brands have custom neck sizes and sleeve lengths. -> Collar: Wrap the measuring tape around the base of your neck. Keep it loose enough so that you can slide 2 fingers under it. -> Sleeve (casual): Measure from your shoulder down to your wrist, or wherever you want the cuff to be. -> Sleeve (dress or formal); Measure from the back-center of your neck, over your shoulder, and down to wherever you want the cuff to end. 6 Bring your measurements with you when you buy your shirt. Find the measuring chart provided by the company you are shopping at, and compare your measurements to theirs. Read the size that your measurements correlate to, then buy a shirt in that size. Keep in mind that different companies use different sizing charts, so your size may change depending on where you go. You could be a size "medium" at one company, and a size "large" at another. Method 2 Measuring a Dress Shirt 1 Find a dress shirt that fits you well. One of the best ways to measure for a dress shirt is to use one that you already own and that fits you the way you want the new shirt to fit you. Go through your closet, find a dress shirt, and try it on to ensure that it still fits you well. Take it off once you are done. -> This method assumes that you will be measuring a button up men's dress shirt. It may work for other styles of shirts too. 2 Close all of the buttons spread the shirt out on a flat surface. Find a flat surface, such as a table or hardwood floor. Spread the shirt out on that surface, then smooth out any wrinkles. Make sure that all of the buttons on the shirt are closed, including the collar and cuffs. 3 Measure just below the armpits for the chest size. Find the seams where the sleeves attach to the shirt. Place a measuring tape across the shirt just below these seams. Make sure that the end is aligned with the left side seam, then measure across to the right side seam. Write your measurement down. 4 Take the waist measurement across the narrowest part of the torso. Even men's shirts taper towards the middle of the torso. Find the spot on your shirt where your waist would be, then measure across it, from the left side seam to the right side seam. -> This can be a little hard to find on men's shirts; it is more evident on women's shirts and fitted shirts. 5 Pull the tape across the bottom hem for the hips. Find the bottom-left corner of the shirt, and measure across to the bottom-right corner. Make sure that you measure from seam-to-seam. Do not measure around the curved hem; measure straight across it. -> Some places refer to this as the "seat" measurement instead. 6 Take the length measurement in the back, from collar to hem. Flip the shirt over and smooth out any wrinkles. Place the measuring tape at the bottom edge of the collar, right where it connects to the shirt. Pull the measuring tape straight down towards the bottom edge of the hem, and record your measurement. -> If your shirt has a curved bottom hem, pull the tape down to the curved hem. -> Keep the measuring tape as straight as possible. If your shirt has a striped or checkered pattern, use the lines as a guide. 7 Take the shoulder width measurement in the back, right across the yoke. Keep the shirt spread out with the back facing you. Place the measuring tape at the left shoulder seam. Pull the tape across the yoke towards the right shoulder seam, and record your measurement. -> The shoulder seam is the area where the sleeve connects to the body of the shirt. -> Some places refer to this as the "yoke" measurement instead. 8 Measure from shoulder seam to cuff for the sleeve measurement. Place the end of the measuring tape at the shoulder seam where the sleeve starts. Pull the tape towards the bottom edge of the cuff and take your measurement. -> Some places will require you to start the measurement at the back-center of the collar instead. 9 Spread the collar and cuff flat before taking their circumference. Open up the collar, and spread it flat. Place the measuring tape against the stitch holding the button to the fabric. Pull the tape across the collar towards the buttonhole. Record the measurement at the center of the button hole. Repeat this step for the cuff. -> Some places will require you to measure to the outside edge of the cuff buttonhole instead. -> If you are measuring a short sleeve shirt, simply measure across the hem, from seam to folded edge. 10 Record anything else that the tailor or seamstress requests. The above measurements are the most common and basic measurements. Some tailors and seamstresses may require additional measurements, such as the bicep, elbow, and forearm. Listen or read their instructions, then measure your shirt accordingly. 11 Take your measurements with you when you go shopping. Most places will have a sizing chart. Compare your measurements to the ones on the chart to find out what size you are, then buy a shirt in that size. Keep in mind that different companies may use different sizing charts; you could be a "medium" at one store, and a "large" at another. Original source wikiHow.com / Korri Burton-Universe
Things You Should Know -> Sort your clothes by color and fabric type before washing them. Read the care label for more specific instructions. -> Choose the water temperature, wash cycle, and load size settings that best suit your clothes. -> Pick the best detergent for your wash load. Add bleach to treat stains or brighten your white clothes. -> Hand-wash your clothes in a bucket of water mixed with mild detergent. Air-dry the garments afterward. Method 1 Using a Washing Machine and Dryer 1 Sort your clothes into piles. When washing clothes, there are two main things to keep in mind: what the color of the clothes are, and what material they are made out of. Not all fabrics can handle the same amount of water pressure or level of tumbling. -> Separate light and dark-colored clothes. When you wash your clothes, especially new clothes, some of the dye used on the fabric will run out of the clothes (that's why older clothes have a more faded color than bright, new clothes.) Any clothes that are white, cream, or a light, pale pastel color, should go in the ‘whites’ pile, while all other colored clothes should go in the ‘dark’ pile. If you don’t separate, your new bright blue shirt might dye all of your white clothes blue. -> Separate your clothes based on the fabrics they are made out of. Some fabrics, like denim or thick cloth (like a towel) need to be washed on a heavier wash cycle than your silky lingerie (which gets washed on a delicate setting). You should separate your clothes by the sort of wash cycle their fabrics are meant to be washed in. 2 Read the ‘care tag’ on your clothes. The cloth tags are not just sewn into clothes to make your neck itchy when they rub against your skin--they’re actually there to help guide you through the washing process. When in doubt about how to wash an item, check the tag. The care tags tell you what fabric the item is made of, how it should be washed, and how it should be dried. -> Some clothes need to be dry cleaned or washed by hand (see Method Two for how to do this.) The care tag will tell you if either of these things are necessary. 3 Know what water temperature to select. Washing machines have different temperature settings because some fabrics and colors require different levels of heat to be washed thoroughly. The settings also vary between semi-automatic and automatic machines. -> Use hot water for light colors, particularly light colors that are especially dirty. The heat will scald the stains right out of those white items. -> Use cold water for dark colors, as cold water reduces the amount of dye that runs from these clothes (so your clothes won’t fade as fast when you use cold water.) Cotton items should also be washed in cold water as they are less likely to shrink in cold water. 4 Know what size load to select. Most washing machines have a knob that you must turn to select the right size load for the amount of clothing you have (generally either small, medium or large.) If your clothes fill up one-third of the machine, you should select small. Two-thirds of the machine means you should select medium, and if you fill up the whole machine, you should select large. -> Never squish clothes down so that you can fit more in. You should just run another load with your extra clothes or else you could risk jamming the machine or damaging it in some other way. 5 Know what washing cycle to select. As with temperature, washing machines also have different types of cycles, as different kinds of clothing require a different level of washing. -> Regular/Normal cycle: Select this when washing white clothes. It will leave your white items crisp and fresh. -> Permanent press: Use this for your colored clothes. This cycle washes with warm water and ends with cooler water, which keeps your colors looking bright. -> Delicate: As you might guess, anything that is relatively delicate (bras, dry-fit wear, cotton sweaters, dress shirts, etc.) Always make sure that your delicates do not require you to dry-clean or hand wash them (check the tag to make sure.) 6 Add the right kind of washing fluid and close the door. Washing fluid includes detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. You can either add your clothes and pour the right washing fluid on them, or keep your clothes out of the washer, fill the washer ⅓ of the way with water, add the washing fluid, and then add the clothes. -> Detergent: The amount of detergent you put in your washing machine is determined by how large your load is. Generally, detergent lids act as cups that have marked off amounts. Generally, ⅓ of the cup should be filled with detergent for a small load, ⅔ for a medium load, and a full cup for a large load. However, read your specific detergent bottle for instructions on how to use that detergent--some detergents are more concentrated than others, meaning you don’t need to use as much. -> Bleach: Bleach is used when you want to get tough stains out of clothes, or you want your whites to be really, really white. There are two kinds of bleach. Chlorine bleach is good for really making your whites white but should never be used on any colored fabric. All-fabric bleach can be used on colored fabrics. -> Fabric softener: Fabric softener can be added during the rinse cycle. Some machines have a dispenser where you can pour the softener when you begin the wash cycle, and it will add it to the rinse cycle at the right time. 7 Move your clothes to the dryer and select the right cycle. Keep in mind that there are some clothes that should be air dried. Check the tag--if it says not to dry it, hang these items somewhere they can dry. Like the washing machine, the dryer also has settings that you have to wade through to dry your clothes. Add a dryer sheet and close the door. -> Regular/heavy: White clothes are best dried on the regular/heavy setting. White clothes are generally pre-shrunk and can handle the more intense and higher heat drying system (unlike colors which fade under high heat.) -> Permanent press: This is better for regular colored clothes. The medium heat and pressure makes sure that your clothes don’t fade. -> Delicate: Any clothes that you washed on the delicate setting should be dried on the delicate setting. This setting uses close to room temperature air and slow cycle so that no damage comes to your delicates. Method 2 Hand Washing Clothes 1 Fill a bucket with water. Generally you want a large bucket (roughly five gallons) filled with one to two gallons of water. -> If you do not have a bucket, you can use a plugged sink. Make sure the sink is fully plugged and then fill the sink with warm water. 2 Add a mild detergent. This is not the same kind of detergent you would use in a washer machine. Regular detergent is too concentrated and will make your hand-wash only clothes feel grimy. You can purchase delicate detergent in the same isle as regular detergent in your grocery store--just make sure it says mild or delicate on the bottle. 3 Dip your clothes in the water. Swish them through the water so that they are fully saturated. You can even let them sit for several moments so that they fully absorb the detergent. 4 Rinse your clothes. You should rinse your clothes with warm, clean water. You can run your clothes one at a time under the faucet you used to fill up the bucket (or the sink.) Rinse the clothes until they are no longer sudsy and the water that runs off them is clean and without bubbles. 5 Let your clothes air dry. You should not hang these clothes to dry, as hanging them could cause them to stretch. Instead, lay these delicate clothes flat to dry. This will ensure that they do not stretch, and will minimize the amount of wrinkles formed in the drying process. Original source wikiHow.com / Susan Stocker