Can You Wash Clothes with Shampoo?

There are plenty of remedies for cleaning clothes. Laundry detergent is the most popular washing agent as the whole world population showed their trust in them.

But if you are traveling or out of laundry detergent you can use shampoo for cleaning your dirty clothes. The shampoo is an effective stain remover and dirt cleaner. It is very mild and will never cause any damage to your clothes.

However, hand washing with shampoo is the best way to clean your clothes, you can machine wash them. You will need to run an extra cycle to clean all the bubbles residue from the shampoo.

Can You Wash Clothes with Shampoo?

We are going to give a detailed procedure for washing clothes with shampoo. You will know how someone should use shampoo for cleaning clothes, and how effective shampoo can be in cleaning.

Let’s dive deep without further waiting.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Washing clothes with shampoo

  1. The shampoo is cheaper than laundry detergents. It makes shampoo more cost-effective and efficient for your pocket.
  2. The shampoo contains chemicals that are not harmful to either clothes or your skin.
  3. It is biodegradable and can be easily disposed of without harming the environment.
  4. Shampoo can cause color fading to your clothes.
  5. Shampoo tends to leave more residue in the washer and can cause vital damage to your washer if not maintained correctly.

Washing Clothes with Shampoo 

The shampoo is a rarely used cleanser yet it is as good as any other agent. You can wash your clothes in the washing machine with shampoo.

But it will be best to hand wash clothes with shampoo. Here we will be giving a washing guide with shampoo.

Hand Wash procedure with shampoo

1. Washing water

If you’re washing with shampoo, cold and hot water can be used depending on the fabrics. Read the care label of your garments and choose the washing water temperature carefully.

You can’t wash silk or any delicate items in hot water. On the other hand, cotton shirts will be needing hot water washing.

2. Prepare Shampoo solution 

When you are washing with shampoo, always make sure that your shampoo doesn’t contain any tint or dye in them. They can leave spots on your clothes.

Conditioner shampoo also should be avoided as the oil in the conditioner will stick to your favorite shirt. Baby shampoo is the best choice considering all the facts. This shampoo will clean and leave a sweet odor in your clothes.

Mix 5 ml of shampoo with a bucket of water.10 ml of shampoo can be used for better results.

3. Soak your clothes 

After preparing the solution with shampoo and water soak the cloth, if you are willing to wash them. Keep them in the water for 5-10 minutes. Heavy items like pants or washable jackets should be washed alone for a better experience.

4. Remove stains 

If there is any stain on your clothes you need to rub the area with your hand. The soapy water will penetrate the fibers and remove any stains left on your clothing. Be polite when rubbing lighter fabrics as excess pressure can tear them apart.

5. Cold water rinses

The article you are washing needs a perfect cold-water rinse to remove any shampoo residue left in the item. Get the dress out of the shampoo water and rinse it properly with cold water.

6. Air dry

After the cold-water rinses, remove as much water as possible from the clothes. Squeezing them is a good idea but don’t overdo it. A hard squeeze can loosen the stitches in your clothes.

You can try a towel for removing excess water from your clothing. Now hand them in the clothesline outside and let air dry directly under the sun.

Machine Wash Procedure with Shampoo 

This procedure has 3 steps as mentioned below:

1. Pretreat

If there is any stain on your clothes, pre-treat with shampoo can clean it. Damp a piece of fabric and remove as much dust from the stained area.

Now add one drop of shampoo to the stained area and rub it with a finger to cover the whole area. Now let the shampoo sit for around 10-15 minutes.

Add one more drop in a clean piece of fabric and then rub it gently over the stain until it fades.

Now rinse the stain with hot water if the stain is from oil, grease, or sweat. But if the stain is from blood, tea, or wine you can rinse it with cold water.

2. Washing

Depending on the fabric and the stain type choose cold or hot water and load the washer with it.

Add 5-10 ml shampoo in the detergent drawer and load the washer with your clothes.

Now run a regular wash cycle and have stain-free clean clothes.

Shampoos create lots of bubbles when mixed or shaken with water. These bubbles are very hard to remove from the washer. The shampoo bubbles can lead your washing machine to build up residue.

To avoid any issues, clean all the bubbles after washing your clothes in the washing machine with shampoo. You can run an empty wash cycle with hot water to perfectly clean all the shampoo residue.

3. Drying

As you have successfully cleaned all the shampoo residue from your clothing with cold water now is the time for drying. You can use your drier to do the job.

But first, place a towel over the wet cloth and let it suck some water from the clothes. Then put it in your dryer and dry it. Otherwise, you can just air-dry them.

Final Words

The shampoo is an environmentally friendly cleanser good for cleaning dirt and stains from clothing. The shampoo is not the best laundry cleaning agent but it is a nicer way of washing clothes.

Though there are some drawbacks to using shampoo for washing clothes the benefits cannot be overseen. If you are looking to save some energy costs you can use shampoo for washing. Enjoy your washing day.

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