How to Wash a Petticoat

Washing Your Petticoat by Hand

Fill a bathtub or other container with lukewarm water. Turn your faucet to a lukewarm temperature and fill your bathtub with 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) of water. If you don’t have a bathtub, find a container like a bucket or bin large enough to hold the petticoat and fill this with lukewarm water instead. Make sure the water isn’t too hot so it doesn’t damage the petticoat fabric.

Pour 1–2 tsp (4.9–9.9 ml) of laundry detergent into the water and mix it. Use a laundry detergent that you would use on your delicate clothing, or opt for a gentle dishwashing soap instead. If you’re just washing one petticoat, pour about 1–2 tsp (4.9–9.9 ml) of detergent into the water and mix it around with a spoon or your hand so it’s evenly distributed. If you’re washing several petticoats at once, use 2–3 tsp (9.9–14.8 ml) of the detergent.

Place the petticoat in the water so it’s saturated. Once the soap is mixed into the water, dip the petticoat in the water gently. Press down on it until it’s fully under the water and saturated well.

Swirl the petticoat around in the water to clean it. There’s no need to aggressively rub the fabric to clean it—just move it around in the water to help agitate it gently so the soap can do its job. If it’s super dirty, feel free to let the petticoat soak in the sudsy water for 10-15 minutes. The waistband of the petticoat is usually the dirtiest since it's the part that's against your body, so make sure this area gets to soak if it's especially dirty. If there's a stain on your petticoat, apply a drop of detergent to the stain and dab it gently before swirling it around in the water.

Rinse the suds out of the petticoat under clean running water. Hold your petticoat under cold running water to get rid of the detergent. Move the petticoat around under the stream to be sure the soap is out of all of it.

Squeeze the extra water out of the petticoat gently. Be careful not to twist or aggressively wring out the petticoat so you don’t ruin the fabric or its bouncy shape. Squeeze the water out in small sections, starting at the top of the petticoat and working your way to the bottom to get out as much moisture as possible. Once you’re done, the petticoat should be damp but not dripping wet.

Putting the Petticoat in a Washing Machine

Place the petticoat in your washing machine by itself. If your washing machine has an agitator, position the petticoat so the waistband is around it and the petticoat’s skirt is evenly distributed in the machine. It’s important not to wash anything else with the petticoat so it doesn’t get ruined. If you don’t have a washing machine with an agitator, consider placing the petticoat in a washing bag made for delicates before putting it in the washer. If you put the petticoat in with other clothing, you risk the fabrics rubbing together and causing damage.

Add 1–2 tsp (4.9–9.9 ml) of a gentle detergent to the washer. Since you’re only washing the petticoat, it’s not necessary to use the amount of detergent that you normally would. Measure out 1–2 tsp (4.9–9.9 ml) of a mild laundry detergent and pour it into your washing machine. Pick out a detergent that you might use on your delicates.

Set the washing machine to a delicate cycle with cool water. Check to be sure the washing machine isn’t set to a high spin setting as well to protect the petticoat. Once the settings are set to delicate and the water temperature is set to either cool or cold, you’re ready to start the machine. If your washing machine doesn’t have a delicate cycle, it’s best to hand wash your petticoat to be sure it doesn’t get ruined.

Remove the petticoat from the washer and shake it gently. Once the delicate cycle is finished, take the petticoat out and check to make sure any stains that were there are gone now. Shake the petticoat out gently to help return its fluff. If the petticoat still has a stain on it, dab detergent on that area again to do a spot treatment.

Drying the Petticoat

Turn the petticoat inside out to preserve its bounce. Carefully flip the petticoat so that it’s completely inside out and none of it is bunched in the center. By drying the petticoat inside out, it'll be much fluffier when it's time to wear it.

Lay the petticoat out flat on a towel and let it dry completely. Spread a clean towel out on a flat surface and lay the petticoat on top of it. Spread the petticoat out too so that it’s at its full volume, helping it dry faster. Avoid hanging the petticoat to dry because this can weigh it down too much.

Put the petticoat in the dryer for a couple minutes to fluff it up once it's dry. If your petticoat dries and is a little rigid or flat, place it in the dryer on a low heat setting. Only let it stay in the dryer for a couple minutes so it doesn’t get too hot. Since you're only putting the petticoat in the dryer for a minute or two, it's not necessary to add a dryer sheet.