Do you really need to hand wash 'hand wash' clothing?
 

When the label for something, like that woolly, whispy material you get on cardigans, do you really need to hand wash it?
And if so, what's the best way to do it?

I don't think you need to actually 'hand wash' it...

I usually just use a cap full of woolite, the delicate cycle, and hang dry afterwards.

Wool, linen, silk, bra's (wife's bras smarty pants ;-) ) all go through the delicate cycle with woolite....and never see the inside of a tumble drier.

-bear

unless it's really really delicate... like a spiderwebby kind of lace (has a sweater that's really delicate) stuff can go into the washer on delicate cycle (if your washer has a delicate cycle)

Dont wash it with your jeans... and use cold water and don't put it in the dryer...

It's generally the agitation of the washer that does the most damage - -long as you are on delicate... you are good....

/me would pay money to see j8ear in a cute silk bra :)

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.

If you have a front loading washer it is even easier on your clothes... THere is no agitator...

Speaking as somebody who shrunk five (expensive) wool jumpers in one cycle, I'd strongly recommend handwashing handwash-only clothing.

In fact, since I discovered the joy of handwash I've been handwashing all kinds of things.

For example, on Saturday I was going out on the drink and had to wash one pair of jeans. This would have taken a couple of hours in the washing machine. It took about ten minutes or less to do them by hand.

jwoody... yes. When washing wool... hand wash or dry clean. No expections.

thanks for the 101.
Another question, what it is that makes clothes shrink or enlarge?

I had a wool dress for mideval live RPGs that could be washed in the washing machine in 40 °C, it was a very dense weave though. Wonderful garment, it could be caked in mud and it washed right out. Wool rules.

I'm going to disagree.

I wash all my sweaters, especially the wool ones, at least twice a year and do so with cold water, the delicate cycle of a top loader, and woolite. After washing I smooth them out and gently stretch them out to normal shape and let them hang dry.

I have never had a problem and I've got at least 200 hundred under my belt.

We did distort a batch once but that was the result of a HEAVY cycle.

This is why I am now responsible for laundry chez nous.

-bear

the reason wool shrinks... coarse wool, that is, is because when you rub the fibres together (like the agitator does in an upright washer) if causes the fibres that have previously been relaxed and stretched out in the yarn, to catch on themselves and bunch up.

At least that's how it was explained to me.