How to Wash Clothes in a Bathtub? Step-By-Step Tutorial

If you don’t mind exerting more effort than simply throwing your clothing in the washer, washing clothes in the bathtub is easy. For more information on washing clothes in a bathtub, continue reading.

You’ll eventually need to use your bathtub laundry skills. You should have a backup laundry strategy, just in case there are power outages or washing machine malfunctions. What should you do if you have a large load of laundry but without a washer?

So how to wash clothes in a bathtub? Like hand washing items in the sink, you can fill the bathtub with water, add your desired detergent, agitate to wash, and follow by rinsing. After that, you can tumble or line-dry your clothes.

Here is a step-by-step instruction manual for washing laundry in the bathtub, along with best practices and advice for getting your clothes clean.

Preparing to Wash Your Clothes in a Bathtub

Your bathtub can essentially be converted into a washing machine in just 5 to 10 minutes. The first step is as follows.

Gather Your Materials

You’ll need to collect the supplies before you can begin washing your clothes in the bathtub. Your soap or detergent and a place to hang your clothes to dry are the two items that are most important. Plan where you will put your wet clothes after washing so that you have a place to put them.

Clean Out Your Tub

In a filthy bathtub, you cannot wash clothes. Wash your tub thoroughly with hot water to remove any remaining soap scum and to remove any objects that might make washing difficult, such as kids’ bath toys and disorganized toiletry items that might fall in while you’re washing your clothes in the tub.

Sort Your Clothes

Sorting out your lights and darks will help you wash each item at the appropriate temperature, just like you would when doing laundry the old-fashioned way. Be sure to separate your delicate clothing, such as silk garments, which should be washed by hand in the sink.

Read More: How to Wash Colored Clothes?

Separate Any Stained Items

To ensure that you remember to properly handle any stained items during the washing session, group any stained items into separate piles according to color and fabric. Apply any stain remover as required, consulting the product’s directions for how long to let the treatment sit before washing.

Steps to Wash Clothes in a Bathtub

You are now prepared to convert your bathroom into a laundry room.

Check the Drain Plug is Functional

There is probably nothing more inconvenient than soaking your clothes for an hour or so only to discover when you return that the bath is completely empty and you have to start over. Make sure the plug fits snugly into the drain to prevent any leaks.

Set the Appropriate Water Temperature

The type of fabric will influence the water’s temperature. If you want to wash your clothes at the right temperature, make sure you have carefully read the label. Use cold water for washing if this information is missing from the label. For most fabrics, a mixture of cold and lukewarm water works best.

Add the Detergent

The detergent should be added to the bath while the water is still running because this will help the detergent dissolve. If you’re using Surf Hand Washing Powder, just make sure to stir the water thoroughly and let the powder dissolve completely before adding the clothes.

Put Your Clothes In

To ensure more efficient washing of the clothes, take care to keep the load size small. Make sure the clothing is completely submerged by swirling it around in the water. To get the best results when getting rid of stubborn stains and dirt, let them soak for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes, if possible.

Start Washing

Rub the clothing together with your hands. If your hands are sensitive, you can use rubber gloves to protect your skin. Stomping on the clothes in the tub is another efficient strategy.

Depending on how soiled the laundry is, you could do this for up to 10 minutes. Avoid rubbing too vigorously as this can harm the fabric. Drying your feet thoroughly on a towel will help prevent slipping when you exit the bathtub.

Rinse With Fresh Water

The bathtub should be drained of its contaminated water. Make sure to remove as much soapy water as you can from the clothes. To get rid of the soapy residue, if you can, take the clothes out of the bathtub and rinse it.

Pull the plug back in and add clean water to the bath. The soap can then be removed from the clothes by putting them back into the clean water and swirling or stomping on them.

To completely remove the soap from the clothes, carry out this step as many times as necessary. To make sure there is no soap left on any clothing, you can also rinse it under the faucet.

Squeeze and Dry Them as Soon as Possible

For the sake of the fabric, avoid wringing your clothes to remove the water. Place each item in a distinct, clean laundry basket or bucket and gently squeeze as much water out of it as you can before putting it somewhere to dry.

If necessary, roll each piece of clothing in a towel to absorb extra moisture. It’s crucial to hang the clothes up to dry as soon as you can. This keeps clothing from growing mold or smelling. Air drying is best for clothes, so hang your clothes outside to dry.

Here is what you need to know about drying clothes:

• How To Dry Clothes Without Dryer?
• Is It Better to Air Dry Or Use a Clothes Dryer?
• Best and Simple Ways to Dry Your Clothes on Rainy Days!
• How to Dry Clothes Indoors in the Winter?

Tips When Washing Clothes in the BathTub

• Mix the water and liquid soap well with your hands after adding the liquid soap. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from coming into contact with the soap.
• Dishwashing liquid or powdered detergent can be used as a substitute for liquid detergent if you run out of the former. Before washing your clothes, check that the soap has completely dissolved in the water in both scenarios. This will assist in avoiding soap stains on your clothing.
• If you need to wash clothes while traveling and don’t have any laundry detergent with you, you can use the bar soap that hotels provide. Use the bar soap to scrub the dirtiest areas after soaking the clothes for a few minutes.

Is Hand Washing Clothes Effective?

An extremely efficient way to clean clothes is by hand washing them. It is energy-efficient because it doesn’t require electricity and can even conserve water if you only wash a few items, as opposed to filling up a machine completely.

Additionally, it is a fantastic way to increase the lifespan of any hand-washed clothing as well as delicate items. Hand-washed clothes will come out just as clean, even though it might take a little more time and effort, and you can relax knowing that you burned an additional few calories.

Final Words: Wash Clothes in a Bathtub

If you wash your clothes properly in the bathtub, they will come out just like they would in the washing machine. Wash delicate items in the bathtub as opposed to the washing machine to prevent damage.

If done properly, washing your clothes in the bathtub can be just as effective as washing them in a washing machine and can significantly extend the life of your clothing.

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