Soaking bed linen and towels before washing: pros and cons

With the advent of washing machines, all housewives breathed a sigh of relief. But, despite the fact that many processes have now become automated, sometimes you still have to manually soak the laundry before washing. How to do this correctly? And is soaking really necessary? Let's figure it out!

Is the usual tradition still relevant?

Following the correct principles of soaking laundry will not only improve the quality of washing, but also prevent harm to the fabrics. It is important to approach this task wisely: use the appropriate temperature and use the appropriate detergents.

What are the benefits of soaking?

Rest assured: soaking the laundry will greatly simplify the further washing process. The main part of the contaminants at this stage is dissolved under the influence of water and detergents.

IMPORTANT! The dirt remains in the soap solution, and relatively clean laundry is sent to the washing machine, which becomes much easier to wash.

If home textiles have minor stains, there is no need to soak them; the machine can handle them on its own. But stubborn stains will be much more difficult to remove, and machine washing alone will not do. Heavily soiled textiles need to be soaked in water first, so washing will be faster and more efficient.

Opinion against: useless and harmful!

There is another opinion. Some women are convinced that this process has become useless these days. And there is no point in wasting time on it.

Let's not convince them. Let us only draw attention to the fact that you should avoid keeping any materials in water for too long.

IMPORTANT! Soaking textiles for more than a day is not only pointless, but also harmful! Things turn sour and acquire an unpleasant odor, which is not easy to get rid of even with subsequent washing.

Do not keep items made of natural silk and wool in water (the fibers of such fabrics may be damaged).

How to decide: to soak or not?

Each housewife independently answers this question, taking into account the degree of contamination and the characteristics of the items that require washing.

When is soaking necessary?

Not every textile product needs pre-soaking, but in some cases it is simply necessary.

• Oily kitchen towels are recommended to be pre-cleaned without fail. Water with the addition of vinegar will help break down the fat and the towels will regain their former freshness. The efficiency of washing will increase significantly.
• Items that are particularly dirty are also best kept in water before washing.
• Do not neglect the process in the case of hand washing. Pre-treatment will make the textiles easier to clean.

If you soak it, then it’s right!

Many women still believe that it is definitely worth keeping bed linen and towels in water before machine washing. Let's just add that the main thing is to do it right!

We offer some tips to help you do everything right.

• First, you need to sort your home textiles by color, type of fabric, and type of dirt.
• The container should be large and capacious so that the water completely covers things.
• The optimal water temperature is 40°. Powder, soap shavings or other suitable product are added to the water.
• Washing powder or gel should be used half as much as for the main wash.
• It is advisable to soak colored laundry for 1-2 hours (in cool water), and white laundry overnight.
• Adding 4-5 crushed aspirin tablets to the soaking water will help rid white items of the yellow or gray tint that appears from frequent washing.

ADVICE! It is recommended to soak white terry towels and bed linen in this way once a month for 15-20 minutes to preserve the original color.

• The use of soda helps not only remove yellowness, but also disinfect things. It is recommended to use it only for natural light-colored fabrics, because stains may remain on dark materials.

REFERENCE! Optimal proportions: half a glass of soda per 10 liters of water. You should leave the laundry in this solution for no more than 20-30 minutes.

• Another indispensable product for washing kitchen towels is mustard powder. 1 tbsp. A spoonful of mustard must be dissolved in 5 liters of water. The soaking procedure can be repeated if necessary.