This Hand-Washing Detergent Has Saved Me Thousands on Dry Cleaning Bills. And There’s No Rinsing Required.

You may already suspect that “Dry Clean Only” labels are a bit of a scam. Many things designated as such, especially those made from silk and wool, can and should be gently washed in water and delicate soap. But most regular laundry detergents remove stains with protein-digesting enzymes called proteases, so it’s best to clean protein-based fibers, such as those delicate animal-derived fabrics like silk and wool, with a specialty detergent that doesn’t include them—a detergent like Soak.

While we were researching our guide to the best detergent for hand-washing clothes, experts told us that another main cause of damage to delicate clothing comes from agitation, so the less handling, the better. Soak’s gentle formula lets you skip the rinse—you just swish your garment in a tepid basin of bubbles and then remove it, without the added abuse of wringing and rinsing. Yes, a minute amount of soap probably remains on the clothing, but if you use the correct (tiny) dash, it’s negligible. I’ve never noticed any ill effects from skipping a rinse after using Soak. In fact, my favorite pieces have always come out clean, fresh, and soft.

Soak’s no-rinse convenience offers the additional benefit of removing a big step from your wash routine, saving time and effort, especially if you do multiple small “loads” as I do in my kitchen.

A teaspoon of soap in a big bowl of water is plenty, and adding a dash to several bowls allows me to wash my colorful silks individually, in case they bleed a little dye. You don’t have to be this nitpicky, of course, and loading up the bathroom sink with multiple garments at once is just as effective.

Let your items soak for about 15 minutes and then gently squeeze out the water or roll them in a towel before laying them flat to dry. A dry towel works fine for this, or invest in a drying rack, which increases airflow. When testing laundry aids, we loved this sturdy $20 drying rack, which can fold flat and stack up to accommodate multiple garments at once.

I detest the strong smell of most laundry detergents—especially delicates detergents, which can often be overly floral, fake woodsy, and potent enough to spark a headache. So it took me years to even try one of Soak’s half dozen scents (I stuck to the unscented version). Finally, I decided to take a gamble on the Celebration scent, which thankfully smells only a touch sweet and like clean linen—so lovely! Other scents include fig, yuzu, and wild mint. I haven’t tried them all, but I doubt you can go wrong. Unlike the lavender stink bombs of previous eras, the perfume of Soak is very subtle and doesn’t linger after you wash and dry your item.

This article was edited by Catherine Kast and Jason Chen.