Rules and tips on how to wash trousers in a washing machine and by hand

Pants are a popular item of clothing that both men and women have in their wardrobes. These versatile pants look appropriate both at a business meeting and at a friendly party.

In order for them to be a source of pride for their owner, they need to be properly cared for.

Read the article about whether and how to properly wash trousers (made of wool, cotton and other materials) in an automatic washing machine and by hand, and how to dry and iron them.

Is it possible?

Machine washing saves time, but not all pants can handle it. To understand whether they can be subjected to automatic cleaning, you need to study the manufacturer's information, which is indicated on the tag. It is encrypted in the form of characters. The prohibition is indicated by the crossed out image of a washing machine.

There is no need to take risks in the following cases:

1. The trousers are made of delicate fabrics: velvet, suede, satin, wool, leather.
2. They have a large number of decorations in the form of rhinestones, sequins, beads, etc.
3. Trousers of questionable quality, for example, with seams that may come apart.

Compared to machine washing, manual processing is more labor-intensive, but it allows you to carefully clean the item of dirt and pay special attention to problem areas.

You will have to refuse machine washing if the trousers label contains the entry “dry clean only”.

How to machine wash correctly, at what temperature?

Before you start machine washing, your trousers need to be properly prepared.

Procedure:

• clean pants from dust, threads, pellets;
• remove all things from your pockets, shake them out;
• fasten zippers and buttons;
• Turn the pants inside out.

The next step is to choose a detergent. Thick and 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:

1. Place the item in the machine drum. Pants can be washed with other clothes, but they must be in the same color scheme.
2. Select the appropriate washing mode. The guide is the type of fabric and information on the label. A single recommendation: do not exceed the temperature of 60 degrees. The hotter the water, the higher the likelihood of shrinkage.
3. The spin speed is set to minimum or turned off completely.
4. Start the wash cycle. After its completion, the pants are removed from the drum and sent to dry.

To prevent your trousers from being subjected to friction and centrifuge once again, you can use a special washing net.

Manual processing

Hand washing can be done with or without soaking. It all depends on the degree of contamination of the fabric.

Procedure:

• pour warm water into a basin and dissolve the detergent in it;
• soak the pants for 30-60 minutes;
• gently rub the stains, work on the waistband, pockets and bottom of the legs;
• rinse your trousers - change the water several times until it stops foaming;
• gently wring out the item if this does not contradict the care rules;
• wait until the excess liquid drains and hang the pants to dry.

To make the soap dissolve faster, it is ground into shavings and dissolved in hot water (before washing, it is cooled to the desired temperature).

How to clean items that cannot be washed?

If trousers cannot be washed, they are dry cleaned. At home, you can resort to the following methods:

1. Soda. Sprinkle it on the stain and press it with your fingers. After 12 hours it is removed with a soft brush.
2. Starch. The trousers are placed in a bag, starch is poured into it and shaken thoroughly. After 3 hours, remove the pants from the bag and clean them with a soft brush. You can moisten it slightly.
3. Cold. You can refresh the fabric if you put the item in the freezer for a day. The trousers are placed in a fabric bag without any pre-treatment. Under the influence of cold, microbes die and aromatic molecules, which are the source of an unpleasant odor, are destroyed.
4. Scotch tape or sticky roller. Using the sticky surface, you can clean your pants from dust, hair, and threads.

If it was not possible to clean the item using 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. Depending on the type of pollution, methods of dealing with it differ.

Fat

The main fat neutralizer is salt.. Sprinkle it onto a fresh stain, rubbing it into the fabric with your fingertips. You need to change the salt several times. Instead, you can use talcum powder or starch.

Wine, tea or coffee

You can lighten stains from tea, coffee or wine using vinegar. It is used in its pure form, but not the essence, but a regular preservative with a concentration of 9%.

Apply vinegar to a cotton pad and wipe the dirt with it until it disappears completely.. You can enhance the effect with soda.

It is sprinkled on the stain, which is also wiped with a cotton pad soaked in acetic acid. Thanks to the violent reaction, the coloring pigment is quickly removed from the fabric fibers.

Dye

You can easily and safely remove paint from fabric using purified 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 as a compress if the paint has dried;
• After 30 minutes, repeat the procedure using clean cotton wool.

Complete the cleaning by washing the trousers as usual.

Read more about removing paint from pants In this article.

Blood

The main condition for removing blood stains is washing in cool water.. When exposed to boiling water, the protein will coagulate and be difficult to remove.

Peroxide can lighten fabric, so it is not used to clean dark-colored items.Read more about ways to remove blood stains from fabric. Here.

Cosmetics

Traces of lipstick, foundation or mascara can be removed using a mixture based on 3 components:

1. Glycerin – 1 tsp.
2. Ammonia – 1 tsp.
3. Water – 100 ml.

Apply the solution to the stain using a sponge. After 15 minutes all that remains is to wash the item.

Features for different fabrics

Depending on the type of fabric from which the trousers are sewn, the features of their washing will differ. The main recommendations are presented in the table:

What to do with arrows?

It is better to wash pants with arrows by hand. You should not soak them in a basin, it is better to use the bath. This will allow you to straighten them to their full length and prevent creases from appearing.

Machine wash is 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 washing net.

The video will show you how to wash trousers with arrows in the washing machine:

Rules for ironing trousers with arrows are displayed In this article.

What to do if your pants shrink after washing (in length or width), how to stretch them?

If your trousers shrink after washing, you can restore their size. To begin with, they are washed in one of the following solutions:

• in vinegar - for 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. l.;
• in hair conditioner – per 1 liter. water 1 tbsp. l.;
• in hydrogen peroxide - per 1 liter of water - 1/ tsp (only for light-colored fabric).

After treatment, the fabric will become more stretchable. The trousers are suspended and pulled wide. To make them longer, you can attach additional weights to the bottom of the trouser leg.

How to hang, how to dry quickly?

You need to dry your trousers in natural conditions. Basic Rules:

1. Do not hang them in the sun.
2. Do not use a hot hair dryer.
3. Do not dry on the radiator.

You can speed up the process by using towels. Roll up the trousers in them and leave for 15 minutes. Then the wet towels are changed. When the pants stop giving off water, you can hang them out for final drying.

Pants must be turned inside out. If there are special ribbons sewn inside, they are attached to the shoulders. When there are no such holders, the pants are secured to the belt using clothespins. Another option is to hang your pants by the bottom of the legs.

How to stroke?

Iron the trousers from the wrong side. If they have arrows, you need to make sure that they lie flat. It is not recommended to wait until the fabric is completely dry. It is easier to iron an item if it is slightly damp.

Read more about ironing trousers Here.

When should you go to dry cleaning?

People turn to dry cleaning when they cannot get rid of dirt on their own.. Professionals are trusted to care for 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 trousers without harming them. Payment is made only upon delivery of the service.

Important Tips

Before you start washing, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of professional laundresses:

1. Washing in cool water using powder requires turning on the extra rinse function. Detergent particles remaining in the fabric will appear as white streaks.
2. Sorting things before washing is a must. It is important to separate them only by color, but also by type of fabric.
3. Temperature changes are harmful for wet trousers. They may stretch or shrink.
4. Thin and lightly colored fabric should not be subjected to excessive friction. They refuse the brush altogether. Otherwise, whitish scuffs or even holes will appear on the trousers.
5. If the trousers are colored and prone to shedding, before processing they are soaked in a vinegar solution (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water). Exposure time – 15 minutes. The vinegar will help set the pigment in the fabric.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Conclusion

The trousers can be washed either in a machine or by hand. Before you begin removing stains, you need to clarify the type of fabric.

To remove difficult stains, use improvised means. If they do not have the desired effect, contact the dry cleaner.