Cleaning Garments on Shabbos
Laundering garments is prohibited on Shabbos as it is a toladah (subcategory) of one of the thirty-nine Shabbos melachos, melabein - bleaching. While laundering usually entails the use of water and/or cleaning agents, removing dirt from a garment even without them may also fall under the halachic prohibition of laundering. It is this type of laundering which is the subject of our Discussion.
Removing dust or dirt particles from a garment
There is a dispute among the Rishonim whether or not removing dust or other dirt particles from a garment is considered laundering. Some hold that removing any speck of dirt from a garment, even if it is not absorbed into the fabric of the garment but is merely lying on its surface [like a feather or a loose thread], is Biblically forbidden since the garment is being transformed from “dirty” to “clean.”1 A second opinion maintains that Laundering is only forbidden if one uses water to clean the garment, and therefore removing any dirt, whether it is absorbed into the fabric [like dust] or not, is totally permitted and not considered laundering.2 A third, middle-of-the road view, holds that only dust which is trapped between the fibers of the fabric may not be removed, while dirt which lies on the surface, may.3 Note however that according to all opinions one may not scrub the garment vigorously.4
The basic halachah follows the middle-of-the-road opinion,5 forbidding one to remove dirt that has been absorbed into the fabric6 while allowing one to remove a feather or a loose thread that has landed on the garment7 [using one’s hands8 or a soft, dry cloth; a brush may not be used9]. Accordingly, one should be careful not to let his clothing fall on the ground and get dirty because one might come to remove the dust and thereby desecrate the Shabbos.10 If, however, one’s clothes should get dirty from dust, there is a mitigating factor which may permit removing dust from a garment:
Removing dust from a garment is only considered laundering if the person wearing the garment11 is particular not to wear clothes in such a condition. In other words, if the garment is so dirty that its owner would not wear it,12 then cleaning is considered laundering. If the garment is not significantly dirty, i.e., its owner would not refuse to wear it,13 it may be cleaned so long as the following two conditions are met:
1. No brush is used.
2. The garment it is not shaken or scrubbed vigorously; it may only be gently shaken or lightly dusted.14
Question: Can anything be done to a dusty garment (that is significantly dirty) whose owner has no other suitable clothing and is embarrassed to be seen publicly in such a dirty garment?
Discussion: The poskim permit one to ask a non-Jew to remove the dust.15 While generally one may not ask a non-Jew to do anything that a Jew is not permitted to do on Shabbos, in this case it is permitted, since there are opinions, as stated above, that maintain that it is permitted even for a Jew to remove dust from a garment on Shabbos. (It is questionable, however, whether one may instruct the non-Jew to use a brush.16)
If a non-Jew is not available and the owner is embarrassed to be seen in public wearing a dusty garment, some poskim permit a Jew to clean the garment, provided that it is cleaned in an unusual manner, e.g., with one’s elbow.17
1. Sefer ha-Zichronos, quoted by Magen Avraham 302:4 - see Sha’ar Hatziyun (302:9).
2. Tosafos, Shabbos 147a and many other Rishonim.
3. Rashi, Shabbos 147a, as explained by Rama and Beiur ha-Gra 302:1, and other Rishonim.
4. Beiur Halachah (302:1 ד”ה י”א).
5. Rama, Shulchan Aruch ha-Rav and Aruch ha-Shulchan strongly recommend that one be stringent and follow this view [but do not absolutely require it]. Chayei Adam and Mishnah Berurah, however, are of the opinion that the basic halachah is in accordance with this view and one may not be lenient.
6. In theory, there may be some dust which lies completely on the surface of the garment and is not absorbed into the fabric. In practice, however, this is almost impossible to determine. [See Shalmas Chayim, 2nd edition, 283, concerning surface dust on shoes.]
7. A minority view rules like the first opinion that even feathers and threads are prohibited: Magen Avraham, quoted by Chayei Adam 22:9 and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:39; Ben Ish Chai, quoted by Kaf ha-Chayim 302:11. See also Aruch ha-Shulchan 302:9, who rules according to this view in the unlikely event of a person who is reluctant to wear a garment because of the feathers, etc. See Machazeh Eliyahu 44-4.
8. Some poskim are concerned with the issue of muktzeh (See Shulchan Aruch ha-Rav 302:3 and Ketzos ha-Shulchan 116:3). To avoid the problem, the dirt can be removed indirectly or via his body; Sha’ar ha-Tziyun 337:7. Other poskim, however, are not concerned with the muktzeh issue; see Chazon Ish 47:21 and Shulchan Shlomo 302:5 and 302:12.
9. Beiur Halachah 302:1, s.v. lachosh.
10. Mishnah Berurah 302:6.
11. It remains questionable whether or not another person [who is bothered by the dirt] can clean the garment if the wearer himself is not particular; Beiur Halachah 302:1, s.v. v’hu. See Shulchan Shlomo 302:2-2.
12. This is determined by assessing the individual wearer’s willingness to wear a dusty garment on weekdays, even if he would not wear it on Shabbos, Yom Tov or other special occasions; Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 15:29). See Chut Shani 2:33-1, who disagrees.
13. While this is sometimes difficult to determine, there are two general guidelines to follow: 1) One would normally be reluctant to wear dark (black or dark blue) clothes which are dusty, but not brightly colored clothing; 2) One would normally be particular not to wear new, or freshly laundered clothes which are dirty, but would be less particular if the clothing were obviously worn or faded.
We may, therefore, assume, that most people would not be reluctant to wear worn or faded clothes which are dusty, nor would they be reluctant to wear light colored clothes which are dusty.
14. Mishnah Berurah 302:36 and Beiur Halachah 302:1, s.v. yeish and 7, s.v. d’havi.
15. Mishnah Berurah 302:6.
16. Since this may be prohibited according to all views. If the non-Jew uses the brush on his own, to make his job easier, he need not be stopped.
17. Misgeres ha-Shulchan on Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:80, quoted by Minchas Shabbos 80:143. See Beiur Halachah 302:1 (s.v. lachush), who seems to rely on this only when the garment is clearly not new or newly pressed. See also She’arim Metzuyanim b’Halachah 80:36, who disagrees with this leniency.