A Favorite Product
Today I am sharing one of my favorite products: Soak Wash. I first tried Soak Wash in 2014 on the recommendation of the local knitting shop and I immediately fell in love with it for hand knits and handwoven items. What makes Soak really great is that it is a rinse-free formula, so fiber items don't get stretched out during the rinsing process - because there isn't a rinsing process! I was a bit skeptical at first - it seemed odd not to have to wash "soap" out of fiber, but I was quickly convinced the first time I tried it. Soak instantly became my go-to product for washing knitwear and woven items.
I usually weave more than one project on any warp, so when I cut a warp off the loom, there are multiple items that need to be wet finished. Depending on the fiber and whether I want to add fringe, sew the ends or make something else from the fabric, I either put it in the washing machine with Soak wash as the soap (this works well for items like cotton towels) or hand wash each item. If I am using Soak with a hand wash method: 1) fill up a bin, sink or tub with water and a small amount of Soak wash; 2) add the woven item and leave it for 15 - 20 minutes; 3) remove the item from the water and roll it in a towel and then unroll it and lay it flat to dry. If the item is too big to roll in a towel, I let it drip dry a bit, then hang it or lay it flat to dry. I almost exclusively hand wash or "block" knit items. You can read more about the blocking process HERE.
Shortly after I started using Soak wash, I expanded my use of it and started using it to wash my underwear and bras. Overtime, I kept increasing the number of items I used Soak to wash. At this point, I use it to wash everything: as our main detergent in our clothes washer; to wash the cat beds, blankets, and toys; to clean my makeup brushes and regular brushes, etc. Soak conveniently comes in a few different size options: full size (12 fl oz); travel size (3 fl oz); and mini size (5 ml). When we went to Maui in August, I brought a few packets of the mini size and easily washed our bathing suits in the room.
There are currently seven scents of Soak, including Scentless. My favorite scents are Scentless, Celebration and Lacey. You can buy the bottles individually or in assortments. I received an order last week and I am going to try the Pineapple scent. Soak is manufactured in Toronto, Canada and is environmentally-friendly, biodegradable and the bottles are recyclable and printed with water-based inks. None of the Soak products are animal tested.
What products do you love to use on your handwoven and hand knit items?
