Review: Soak Wash + Flatter Spray

Gone are the days when I would chuck my clothes in the washing machine on a standard 40-degree setting and hope for the best – since I’ve been making my own garments, I’m far more careful (some might even say obsessive) when it comes to how I wash my me-mades.

So, although student me would’ve scoffed at the idea, I often hand-wash some of the more delicate fabrics in my wardrobe – anything to avoid that sinking (or should that be shrinking) feeling when you realise your favourite top is now doll-size.

Let’s face it, though – hand-washing is boring. Soaking, rinsing, drying – it’s all more of a faff when you’re doing it by hand. So I don’t think it’s too much of an exaggeration to say that Canadian laundry brand Soak has revolutionised hand-washing for me. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration – but it has made hand-washing a whole lot speedier. As its name suggests, with Soak you just need to soak the garment for around 15 minutes or so then squeeze out the water by rolling the item of clothing in a dry towel. That’s it! Easy, quick and very non-faffy. I have the Yuzu scent, which has a fresh, light, citrusy fragrance that isn’t overpowering (there are also fig, pineapple and scentless options). The formula is environmentally friendly and biodegradable, and the bottle is recyclable and printed with water-based inks.

As you can probably tell from the bottle in the photo, I’ve used mine a lot (and a little goes a long way – I’ve had mine for ages now and there’s still plenty left) for everything from delicate vintage blouses to occasion dresses and it’s never caused any shrinkage or colour-running (although obvs it’s always best to test). And, if I’ve still not managed to convince you of the joys of hand-washing, it can be used in the washing machine, too. A newer addition to my laundry cupboard is the Flatter Smoothing Spray, also from Soak’s range. As previously discussed, pressing has not always been my favourite part of the sewing process, but I have learned to love it – in fact, it’s now one of the most enjoyable aspects of stitching for me.

Aside from the fact it’s so satisfying to see a lumpy seam become beautifully flat and crisp with just a quick sweep of a steamy iron, pressing also provides an excellent excuse to buy more sewing tools, from steam-generator irons to pressing hams (I’ve got one of those fancy wooden clapper things on my wish list).

And, although not technically a tool, this handy little spray is now an ironing-board essential for me. It leaves fabric beautifully pressed with no residue at all, even on dark fabrics (although, as always, test it on a small area on the wrong side of the fabric first just to make sure) and kinda makes me want to sew seams just so I can press them, which I’m hoping will work wonders for my sewing productivity.

What are your pressing essentials? Share your pressing-tool geekery!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post or ad – I just like the products.