Soak

Soak
Available at various retailers
Price: $10-20 for 12 oz bottle

Blocking is such an important part of knitting.  It really makes a huge difference in the finished product.  Also, garment care is crucial.  If you spend hours making a sweater, there is a good chance you want it to last.  Perhaps you might even want to make it last longer than it took to knit.  Crazy, I know.  This means having a mild detergent made for hand-washing is key.  I recently decided to try out Soak.  It is a Canadian based company with an eco-friendly line of washes in great scents (as well as scentless).  It is an affordable wash that is made with knits in mind.  It can also be used for lingerie, baby garments, quilts, workout clothes...the list goes on.  It is designed for hand-washing, but it can also be used in HE washers. It is very gently on your skin, too, so go ahead and throw those fingers in the water to give your shawl a good swish.  (And don't worry about the manicure, either.) The thing that got me hooked, other than the great scents and ease of use, was that it is no rinse.  No rinse? That's pretty amazing.  The wash I was using before was a powder and left a little grit in my garments if I did not rinse thoroughly, which is sometimes difficult when you have a big, drippy wool sweater you are trying to wash in your tiny bathroom sink.  With Soak, you put a tablespoon in for a gallon of water, throw in your garment, let it soak for 15 minutes, and you're done.  How easy is that?  

Bottom Line:  Try it out, it is well worth it.  As its name suggests, it makes soaking knitted items a breeze. It makes garments smell fresh and it is super easy to use.  Now that I've found this product, I don't see myself switching any time soon.  I particularly like the fig scent.  

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