Sometimes, laundry additives and cleaning agents need more time to work, which is why pre-soaking is crucial.
During pre-soaking, the cleaning agents – usually a detergent – penetrate the clothes’ fibers to dissolve and separate stubborn stains or dirt from the clothes, making the wash process simpler.
There are several purposes for pre-soaking laundry, but they all follow a similar procedure.
How to Pre-Soak Laundry Using a Bucket
Using a bucket is the default method of pre-soaking clothes, especially if you want to pre-soak for hours.
Procedure:
- Always read the care label of the clothes you want to soak carefully to see the proper procedure, like how long they can soak in water, the water temperature to use, and the appropriate cleaning agent or laundry additive.
- Fill a suitable container with water. It can be a bathtub, bucket, or basin that is big enough to contain the clothes and the water without spilling. Ensure the container is clean before pouring water inside to avoid secondary contamination.
- Add the cleaning agent or laundry additive. The item you add in this section will depend on the purpose for the soaking, whether deep cleaning, stain removal, or another purpose. Carefully read the directions label on the container to ensure you add the correct amount of cleaning agent to the water.
- Stir the water with the laundry additive till it dissolves and forms soapy suds.
- Submerge the clothes into the water. Make sure you separate the clothes by color to prevent color transfer. Push the clothes to the bottom of the container, ensuring that the water covers the clothes in the container. Do not add many clothes into the container; if the water starts to spill over or there are too many clothes, consider removing some and pre-soaking in a separate batch.
- The soaking time depends on the time it will take for the cleaning agent or laundry additive to take effect. But pre-soaking time also depends on the fabric of the clothes and how much water they can carry before they break down. Sturdy fabrics like jeans or strong cotton towels can pre-soak for hours without damage. However, delicate fabrics may only cope for 20 to 30 minutes before you have to remove them.
- Rinse the clothes in cold water to remove the cleaning agent or laundry additive.
- After rinsing, wash the clothes as usual, following the care label instructions.
How to Pre-Soak Laundry Using a Washer
A top-loader washer allows the user to fill the machine with water and have more control of the wash features; this is why it is most suitable for pre-soaking laundry in a similar way as a bucket.
It is straightforward to pre-soak laundry in a washer to have a seamless transfer from pre-soaking to washing. The journey from the bucket to the washer after pre-soaking can be prickly.
Procedure:
- Always read the care label of the clothes you want to soak carefully to see the proper procedure, like how long they can soak in water, the water temperature to use, and the appropriate cleaning agent or laundry additive.
- Pour water into the washer chamber till it’s half full. Ensure that the washer is empty and tidy before you start filling it with water. The water temperature you use will depend on the care label instructions for the clothes and the cleaning agent.
- Add the cleaning agent or laundry additive. The item you add in this section will depend on the purpose for the soaking, whether deep cleaning, stain removal, or another purpose. Carefully read the directions label on the container to ensure you add the correct amount of cleaning agent to the water.
- Stir the water with the laundry additive till it dissolves and forms soapy suds.
- Place the clothes to soak in the washer and ensure the water mixture completely covers them. Make sure you separate the clothes by color to prevent color transfer. Do not overload the washer to avoid straining it past its capacity.
- The soaking time depends on the time it will take for the cleaning agent or laundry additive to take effect. But pre-soaking time also depends on the fabric of the clothes and how much water they can carry before they break down.
- After the appropriate amount of soaking time elapses, drain the dirty water and fill up the washer to rinse the clothes. Then, wash them according to the care label instructions.
Some front-loader washers have a pre-soak or pre-wash feature to allow pre-soaking. Place the clothes and the cleaning agent in their appropriate compartments and run a pre-soak cycle followed by a wash cycle.
Several Reasons for Pre-Soaking Laundry
Many reasons exist for pre-soaking laundry, which informs the procedure and the added laundry additive.
Deep Cleaning Laundry Pre-Soaking
Sometimes the soil on clothing requires a deeper cleaning than just tossing them in the washer. This pre-soaking method requires little effort; you merely soak the clothes and wash them after, without any extra steps.
Laundry detergent is the appropriate cleaning agent to use during this pre-soaking method. Follow the instructions listed above and add your preferred laundry detergent in place of the cleaning agent.
Stain Removal Laundry Pre-Soaking
Usually, stain removal techniques require only spot treating, but in some cases, the fabric type and stain remover instructions demand pre-soaking.
This method of pre-soaking involves having stain remover agents like oxygen bleach or vinegar penetrate the inner crevices of the clothes’ fabrics to remove the stains.
Some stain removers require the aid of laundry detergents, while others don’t.
You might have to treat the stains before or after the soaking to remove every stain, especially the set ones.
As always, follow the clothes’ care label instructions and the stain remover label to know the correct water temperature and the amount of stain remover to add to the water.
Whitening Laundry Pre-Soaking
After a while, white clothes fade, change color, or get stains, and the only way to fix it is by whitening or bleaching the clothes.
Sometimes, bleaching happens during the wash cycle, but most times, it’s during the pre-soaking period.
Like deep cleaning pre-soaking, this pre-soaking method requires little effort.
The laundry additive can be chlorine or oxygen bleach, or other alternatives. Follow the instructions above and pour the bleach or bleach alternative in the place of the laundry additive.