Rules and tips on how to wash pants in a washing machine and by hand
Trousers are a popular item of clothing that men and women have in their wardrobe. These versatile pants look appropriate for a business meeting or a friendly party.
In order for them to be a source of pride for their owner, they need to be properly looked after.
Read about whether and how to properly wash trousers (made of wool, cotton and other materials) in an automatic washing machine and by hand, how to dry and iron them, read the article.
Content
- Is it possible?
- How to properly wash in a typewriter, at what temperature?
- Manual processing
- How do I clean items that cannot be washed?
- How to get rid of stains?
- Features for different fabrics
- What to do with the arrows?
- What if the pants shrunk after washing (in length or width), how to stretch?
- How to hang, how to dry quickly?
- How to pet?
- When should you go to dry cleaning?
- Important recommendations
- Conclusion
Is it possible?
Machine wash saves time, but not all trousers can handle it. To understand whether they can be automatically cleaned, you need to study the manufacturer's information, which is indicated on the tag. It is encrypted in the form of signs. The prohibition is indicated by the crossed out image of the washing machine.
There is no need to take risks in the following cases:
- Trousers are sewn of delicate fabrics: velvet, suede, satin, wool, leather.
- They have a large number of jewelry in the form of rhinestones, sequins, beads, etc.
- Trousers of questionable quality, for example with seams that may come apart.
Compared to machine washing, manual processing is more laborious, but it allows you to gently clean the thing from dirt, pay special attention to problem areas.
Machine wash will have to be abandoned if the label on the trousers has the entry “dry clean only”.
How to properly wash in a typewriter, at what temperature?
Trousers must be properly prepared before proceeding with the machine wash.
Procedure:
- clean trousers from dust, threads, pellets;
- remove all things from pockets, shake them out;
- fasten zippers and buttons;
- turn the trousers to the wrong side.
The next step is to choose a detergent. Thick, durable trousers can be washed with powder.
The more delicate the fabric, the lower the temperature at which it is washed.
The main wash consists of 3 stages:
- Place the item in the drum of the machine. Pants can be washed with other clothes, but they should be in the same color scheme.
- Select a suitable washing mode. A guide is the type of fabric and the information on the label. The only recommendation is not to exceed the temperature of 60 degrees. The hotter the water, the higher the chance of shrinkage.
- The spin speed is set to minimum or turned off altogether.
- Start a wash cycle. After its completion, the pants are removed from the drum and sent to dry.
To prevent the trousers from being subjected to friction and the centrifuge once again, you can use a special mesh for washing.
Manual processing
Hand washing can be carried out with or without soaking. It all depends on how dirty the fabric is.
Procedure:
- pour warm water into the basin, dissolve the detergent in it;
- soak pants for 30-60 minutes;
- gently rub the spots, work out the belt, pockets and bottom of the legs;
- rinse trousers - change the water several times until it stops foaming;
- gently wring out the thing, if this does not contradict the rules of care;
- wait until excess liquid drains, hang up the pants to dry.
To make the soap dissolve faster, it is ground into shavings and dissolved in hot water (it is cooled to the required temperature before washing).
How do I clean items that cannot be washed?
If the pants cannot be washed, they are dry cleaned. At home, you can resort to the following methods:
- Soda. Sprinkle it with a stain, press it with your fingers. After 12 hours, it is removed with a soft brush.
- Starch. The trousers are put in a bag, starch is poured into it and shaken thoroughly. After 3 hours, the pants are taken out of the bag and cleaned with a soft brush. You can moisten it slightly.
- Cold. It will be possible to refresh the fabric if you put the item in the freezer for a day. The trousers are placed in a cloth bag without any pretreatment. Under the influence of cold, microbes die, aromatic molecules, which are the source of an unpleasant odor, are destroyed.
- Scotch tape or sticky roller... Using the sticky surface, you can clean the pants from dust, hair, threads.
If it was not possible to clean the thing with improvised means, it is better to entrust it to professionals.
How to get rid of stains?
To remove stains from trousers, you need to know the nature of their origin. The methods of dealing with them differ depending on the type of pollution.
Fat
The main fat neutralizer is salt... Sprinkle it with a fresh stain, rubbing it into the fabric with your fingertips. You need to change the salt several times. You can use talcum powder or starch instead.
Wine, tea or coffee
To lighten tea, coffee or wine stains, use vinegar... It is used in its pure form, but they do not take the essence, but the usual preservative with a concentration of 9%.
Vinegar is applied to a cotton pad and wipe the dirt with it until it disappears completely... You can enhance the effect with soda.
Sprinkle with it a stain, which is also wiped with a cotton pad dipped in acetic acid. Due to the violent reaction, the coloring pigment is quickly removed from the fabric fibers.
Paint
You can easily and safely remove paint from fabrics with refined gasoline or white spirit.
Rules for their use:
- apply the composition to a cotton pad;
- wipe the stain with it from the edge to the center;
- leave the disc on the fabric in the form of a compress if the paint has time to dry;
- after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure using clean cotton wool.
Finish cleaning by washing the trousers as usual.
For more information on removing paint from pants, read in this article.
Blood
The main condition for removing blood stains is washing in cool water.... Under the influence of boiling water, the protein will coagulate and it will be difficult to remove it.
Peroxide can lighten fabrics, so it is not used to clean dark clothes. For more information on how to remove blood stains from fabric, read here.
Cosmetics
Lipstick, foundation or mascara can be removed with a 3-ingredient blend:
- Glycerin - 1 tsp
- Ammonium - 1 tsp
- Water - 100 ml.
Apply the solution with a sponge to the stain. After 15 minutes, all that remains is to wash the thing.
Features for different fabrics
Depending on the type of fabric from which the trousers are sewn, the peculiarities of their washing will differ. The main recommendations are presented in the table:
Fabric type | Water temperature | Detergent | Spinning |
Cotton and linen | Up to 70 degrees | Any | Up to 800 rpm |
Leather | Dry clean only. Use a soapy solution and a sponge to remove stubborn stains. | ||
Leatherette (artificial leather) | Up to 30 degrees | Gel | Disconnect |
Woolen, tweed | Up to 30 degrees | Gel | Up to 400 rpm, or disabled |
Atlas | Up to 30 degrees | Liquid concentrate | Disabled |
Corduroy, velvet and suede | Hand wash only, minimal contact with water. Use a soapy solution to remove stains. Do not rub the fabric. | ||
Polyester | Up to 40 degrees | Powder or gel | Up to 800 rpm |
What to do with the arrows?
Wash your trousers with arrows by hand. They should not be soaked in a basin, it is better to use the bath... This will allow them to spread out to their full length and prevent the appearance of creases.
Machine wash not recommended but not excluded. You need to lay your trousers in such a way that the arrows coincide with each other. Be sure to use a laundry net.
The video will tell you how to wash trousers with arrows in the washing machine:
The rules for ironing trousers with arrows are displayed in this article.
What if the pants shrunk after washing (in length or width), how to stretch?
If your pants shrink after washing, you can restore their size. To begin with, wash them in one of the following solutions:
- in vinegar - for 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. l .;
- in a hair conditioner - 1 liter. water 1 tbsp. l .;
- in hydrogen peroxide - for 1 liter of water - 1 / h. L (only for light fabric).
After processing, the fabric will become more elastic. Pants are hung and pulled wide. To make them longer, you can attach additional weights to the bottom of the leg.
Another way to increase the size of your pants is to wear them on yourself before they dry out. A series of exercises is performed in wet trousers: squatting, jumping, swinging legs. You can iron the belt with a hot iron and then pull it wide.
How to hang, how to dry quickly?
Dry your trousers naturally. Basic Rules:
- Do not hang them in the sun.
- Do not use a hot hair dryer.
- Do not dry on a battery.
You can speed up the process with towels. Trousers are rolled up in them, left for 15 minutes. Then the wet towels are changed. When the pants stop giving off water, you can hang them up for final drying.
Trousers must be turned inside out. If special ribbons are sewn inside, then they are cling to the shoulders... When there are no such holders, the pants are fixed to the belt with clothespins. Another option is to hang your trousers from the bottom of the legs.
How to pet?
The trousers are ironed from the wrong side. If there are arrows on them, then you need to make sure that they lie flat. It is not recommended to wait until the fabric is completely dry. The garment is easier to iron if it is slightly damp.
Read more about trouser ironing here.
When should you go to dry cleaning?
They turn to dry cleaning in the case when it was not possible to get rid of contamination on their own... Professionals are trusted to take care of expensive items that cannot be washed.
The cost of services depends on the complexity of the work. The minimum price is 360 rubles. Before handing over the item to the laundry, you need to check with the workers whether they can clean the pants and not harm them. Payment is made only upon the provision of the service.
Important recommendations
Before you start washing, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of professional laundresses:
- Washing in cool water using powder requires activating the extra rinse function. Detergent particles remaining in the fabric will show themselves as white streaks.
- Sorting things before washing is a must. It is important to separate them only by color, but also by type of fabric.
- The temperature difference for wet trousers is harmful. They can stretch or shrink.
- Thin and fragile dyed fabric should not be rubbed excessively. They refuse to use the brush altogether. Otherwise, whitish scuffs or even holes will appear on the trousers.
- If trousers are colored and prone to shedding, they are soaked in vinegar solution (1 tbsp. L. Per 1 l of water) before processing. The exposure time is 15 minutes. The vinegar will help fix the pigment in the fabric.
Conclusion
You can wash your trousers either in a typewriter or by hand. Before proceeding with the removal of dirt, you need to clarify the type of fabric.
To remove difficult stains, use improvised means... If they do not have the desired effect, they go to dry cleaning.