Take A Good Care of Your Tallit and Show Your Respect Towards Your Culture
Wearing a clean tallit shows your respect towards your Jewish culture. A prayer may remain incomplete if you are not using it. The thing that makes it important for Jewish culture is the twined and knotted fringes. Even though you don’t need to clean it quite often, it is still advisable to clean it once every 5 to 6 months to keep it in perfect condition. But you should keep in mind that as it has many knots and is made of wool or other delicate materials, cleaning it through the washing machine can damage your tallit. So, what is the right way to clean it? Read on to find your answer.
Significance of Using a Tallit
As per the Jewish culture, this is a very special garment used for God’s service. It helps people to get connected with God by making their prayers successful. It is generally used for morning prayers on holy days, Shabbat, as well as weekdays. It gives the users a tangible example of the care and love of God.
A Detailed Care and Washing Guide for Tallit
Cleaning a tallit can be a difficult task, and you will have to do it very carefully due to its Tzitzit strings or woven fringes. Sometimes knots can get tangled, and then you can’t even use them. But as you are using it regularly during your prayer, cleaning it has become very essential. To help you out with this, we have listed down an easy-to-follow cleaning procedure. Have a look.
Detailed Instructions to Follow
Before you can clean your tallit, it is crucial to understand the fabric or material used. One of the most common materials is wool. Some tallits are made of silk. These types of materials require gentle cleaning. You can also dry clean it using a certain type of bag to prevent unravelling strings or knots. If possible, prefer to take it to a professional dry cleaner. Keep in mind that if the tallit you are using has water-based decorations, then dry cleaning would be a better option in order to prevent the paint from fading. If you want to handwash your tallit, then you can follow the below-listed steps.
- For tallit with a clear label indicating it can be washed, fill up the sink with warm water and use a mild detergent. It is advisable not to use bleach as this can damage the striped pattern. Check the detergent’s ingredients, and if it has any hard substance, avoid it.
- Soak your tallit for around 1 to 2 hours.
- Take it out and wash it gently under running water. Rinse well.
- Properly dry it on a smooth flat surface to avoid shrink issues.
Whether you opt for dry cleaning or handwashing, the most important thing is you should follow the washing guide. You can also get in touch with the seller to know how to clean it safely and properly.
Frequency of Tallit Cleaning
Well, unless it gets dirty or something spilled on it, you don’t need to wash your tallit. Check it regularly and always pay close attention to its tzitzit. It is not advisable to use a damaged tallit, and if the knots have been unravelling, then you should get a new one. After prayer, keep your tallit properly folded in a storage bag.
Final Words
For every Jewish believer, tallit is a vital part of life. It is advisable to follow the above-mentioned tips to keep it clean for years. However, if you want to buy a new tallit at the best quality, you can always count on Galilee Silks. Here you will find different types of tallit, for instance, silk tallit, bat mitzvah tallit, and more. With them, you can expect to get superior quality and hand-made tallit designs online. Visit their website now to explore the available options.