Question:
Is it permissible for one to clean or dust ones garments on shabbos if they become dirty? What about folding clothes away that are no longer needed?
Answer:
Cleaning garments is a subsection of Bleaching – Melaben which is one of the 39 forbidden activities on Shabbos. Whilst laundering usually entails the use of water and cleaning agents, removing dirt from a garment even without these may also fall under the Halachic prohibition.
If one’s garment became dusty on Shabbos, if the dust on the garment does not concern him and he would wear it without cleaning it, then he may gently shake it out, or gently hit it with his hand or a dry rag, but he may not shake it out vigorously, rub it, or use a brush. Some opinions say that nowadays since most people are particular about their Shabbos clothes, it is forbidden remove the dust at all.
In a case that the owner has no other suitable clean clothes to wear and is embarrassed to be seen publicly in such a dirty garment, then the poskim permit him to ask a non-Jew to remove the dust for him by hand, even though it is not generally allowed to ask a non Jew to perfom a melocha for a Jew. If there is no non Jew around to ask and the Jewish owner is very embarrassed, some poskim say he may remove the dirt with a shinuy.
In the case that one wants to remove a stain from his clothing, we need to first clarify what type of stain it is. A wet stain which is absorbed into the fabric of the garment, e.g., a ketchup stain or a stain which is made when a piece of dirt or food falls on a garment and hardens there. There are different rules for each of these stains.
A wet stain which is absorbed into the garment, one may not clean any garment with water, colored water, spit, or any cleaning agent but if no water or cleaning agent is used, then it is permitted to remove the stain if it is insignificant and would not deter the owner from wearing the stained garment. If the stain is significant, however, it is prohibited to remove it if the stain will be removed completely and will leave no mark whatsoever on the garment. If, however, the stain is only partially removed—some mark will remain—one is permitted to remove it. Two conditions apply: No brush may be used and the stain may not be scrubbed away only gently wiped off with a dry cloth or removed by hand, with a knife, etc.
For the other type of stain made when dirt adheres to the garment’s surface, one may scrape off the substance as long as a stain remains. If it has dried on one’s garment one may not rub it off. However, if food that the ingredients were previously ground (such as dough) dried on the garment one may remove it with his fingernail or the back of a knife as long as a stain remains.
It is forbidden to pour talcum powder or salt in order to absorb an oily stain.
The only instances that one may fold his clothing on its original creases is if it is according to these guidelines: if he needs to wear this again on Shabbos, because he has no other clothing, the clothing is new (has never been washed), it is white, in which case the folding isn’t as recognizable or he folds it by himself, without the aid of another person or a piece of furniture.
It is permitted according to most opinins, to fold clothing not on old creases. |