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Actual Handwashing 101
You need hand wasing detergent* (don't know any US brands), a clean sink or big enough bowl, running water. Washboard is optional.
Step 1: Fill the sink with water as warm as your hands, enough water to drown the garment completely. Pour some detergent into the water first (about a teaspoon or three should do it) and splash around a bit so the detergent is diluted.
Now get the garment into the water and soak and knead and rub and scrub. A lot. Obviously, if it's one of those fluffy delicate things you should take it a bit easier.
Empty the sink, wring out the garment and then repeat step 1 once or twice depending on how dirty the garment is. The colour of the water should give you a clue. There might be some dye bleeding from the garment too, so don't kill your cardigan because the water turns pink all the time.
Step 2 is flushing out the detergent. Empty the sink, wring out the garment and fill up with pure water this time. It can be a bit cooler now. Splash the garment around a bit so the water flows through every part of it. Repeat a couple of times until the water don't feal soapy any more. Test by rubbing your wet fingers together, if it feels very slippery flush again. It can take up to five or seven rounds.
Step 3 is drying. Some garments, loosely knitted wooly ones in particular, tend to lose their shape when wet. (You can actually reshape wet wooly items a bit, if that favourite cardigan is getting a bit "small" you can stretch it.) So don't stick them on a plain coat hanger or fold them over a line. Flat drying on a rack is usually the best bet, you can put a sturdy clean towel under the garment for extra support. (Watch out for dye bleeding though.) Do NOT use a tumble dryer or anything like that, gentle air drying is the best.
Step 4, wash your pruny hands a last time and rub in lots of lotion.
*Because it works better with lukewarm water than a regular detergent.
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