Welcome To Soak School
Soak Story: Jacqueline Sava
Where it all started.
Meet Soak Wash founder, Jacqueline Sava. In 2006, Jacqueline, a knitwear designer, realized her customers didn’t have a great product for washing their knits and delicates. So she decided to make one. Everyone loved it and wanted more—and Soak Wash Inc. was born.
Over the years, Soak Wash has introduced innovative products that shift how people think about caring for their clothes, crafts, lingerie and more. Soak has created a premium category that’s redefining laundry care—offering gentle, deliciously scented options for washing the laundry you love most.
Q: What is the first item you washed with Soak?
A: When we were testing Soak, one of the first things we washed was my mom’s crewel-embroidery pillows that she made in the 1970’s. The pillow was aged and the linen was dirty and my mom said “If it gets ruined, it’s fine.” But it came out beautifully.
I also washed all of my own knit line production after it came back from the knitters so all the pieces were clean and had a uniform finish.
Q: Why does it have special meaning to you?
A: My own knits were Soakworthy™ as the people buying and wearing them felt great and they help launched Soak Wash.
Q: What do you look for in a fragrance?
A: I like bright, citrusy fragrances for myself. When we developed the first Soak scents we wanted to make ones that were interesting and that did not remind you of anything else.
Q: What is your favourite Soak scent?
A: First it was Aquae (before it was retired), then Yuzu, and now it’s Wild Mint.
Q: What do you wash with Soak today?
A: Stains in my carpet, made by my children– toppled coffee, and smoothies. I use Soak when I travel so I can travel lighter. And I always hand-wash bras and swimsuits, because they are all Soakworthy™.
Q: Which of your Soakworthy™ items would you be most sad to lose?
A: Do they have to still fit? (Haha.) I would say my original Marlise Dekkers bra sets.
Q: Has Soak ever saved one of your own Soakworthy™ items?
A: My living room rug.
Q: What do you say to people who are afraid of hand-washing or think it takes too long?
A: We’ve built a whole business around making it easy, and we created Soak School to help. I would also ask them to reflect on how they feel wearing their clothes and to evaluate which feeling is more important – how they feel wearing their item or their fear/dislike of hand-washing.
Q: What item to do get asked how to wash most often?
A: Silk. But mostly I discover through conversations how infrequently people wash their hand-knit or cashmere sweaters, because dirt is invisible. And they don’t realize that their sweater will look better after washing with Soak.
Q: What’s the wildest Soak story you’ve heard?
A: One of our customer’s husbands had to buy her a new bottle of Soak as he had used half a bottle trying to get enough bubbles for his bubble bath (from our low-suds, amazing smelling formula)!
For more about the evolution of Soak Wash, check out our About Us page!