How to Handwash Your Clothes

Laundromats have been deemed essential businesses in cities and states that have issued stay-at-home orders to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. But many laundry business owners have chosen to close for the safety of their employees, leaving those who rely on laundromats without access to washing machines and dryers.

Even if your local laundromat is still operating, you may choose to wash clothes at home to avoid being exposed to other people. Here’s how to do it.

Prepare your station

Step 1

First, you’ll need to determine where this operation will take place: Washing clothes by hand requires a clean space roomy enough to fully submerge your garments in water. For most people, the kitchen sink will be the best place for hand laundering, but a utility sink, a roomy bathroom sink, the bathtub or a washing basin are also options.

Clean the sink with an all-purpose cleaner and fill it with water, leaving enough room for your clothes and hands to move around inside. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current recommendations regarding laundry and coronavirus are to use the hottest water temperature a garment can tolerate. (Check the label.) And you can wear gloves if it’s more comfortable.