Hand-washing is also more gentle on fabrics and can be done with just a few supplies.

Keep reading to learn how to easily hand wash clothes with products you likely have on hand.

Work the cleaner into the fabric with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush.

Overhead view of someone hand-washing clothing in a basin

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Clean the sink and rinse well so that no cleaning product remains.

Allow the clothes to soak for at least 15 minutes.

While hand washing is more effective at being more gentle with clothes, it does not sanitize your laundry.

Tools and materials needed to handwash clothes

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Extremely hot water temperatures of 140 degrees can only sanitize clothing.

Pretreating stains on clothing before washing

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Cleaning the wash basin before hand-washing clothes

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Making a wash solution

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Soaking and swishing the clothing

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Wringing out the fabric after hand-washing

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley