If the item is made from wool, silk, or cotton, you may gently wash it by hand.


Avoid washing suede, leather, fur, feathers, and other extremely fragile fabrics by hand. These should be taken to the dry cleaner for a professional cleaning.;
, Use soap flakes or a mild detergent, and agitate the water a bit so that it produces some foam.


Never use hot water on items that are meant to be dry cleaned. It will damage the fibers and cause the fabric to shrink.
Woolite is an acceptable detergent to use when hand washing wool.
 Submerge it completely, then lift it from the water and dip it again.


Rub any areas that are soiled, such as the armpits and collars, using your finger tips.
Don't use an abrasive scrubber on the clothing, since this may damage the fibers.
 Drain the basin of soapy water and fill it with fresh cold water. Dip the garment in and out of the clean water until it is no longer covered in soap.
 Roll the towel up with the item inside, squeezing gently to remove water.


Unroll the towel, move the garment to a dry spot, then roll the towel again. Repeat the process three to five times until the garment is no longer dripping.
Do not wring the garment out, since you could damage the fragile fibers.
 If it is made from a stiffer fabric that won't get misshapen by hanging, place it on a hanger and hang it up to dry.
Read the garment's label.
Mix soap with cold water in a basin or bucket.
Dip the garment in and out of the soapy water.
Rinse the garment.
Lay the garment out on a clean absorbent towel.
Reshape the garment and lay it flat to dry.
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