Soaking clothes before washing ...

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

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..

Hi Cherish, thanks a lot for your response. yes it really helps get your laundry clean and fresh smelling, all the best

you're welcome Kiran take care

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

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

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

Clothes stink ( not stik)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 ..

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..

Hi ardoy,what your mother says is absolutely right ! I too feel the same way about it ..

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 ..