Tips on washing your beloved wool sweaters
As you already know, I love knitwear. I cherish all my mohair jumpers and take good care of them. As a general demand, Here are my tips for washing knitwear.
I mostly hand wash all my wool sweaters, but there is also washing machine advice.
Step 1:
Pretreat, hand wash & Rinse
Rinse Clear: Run cool water through the garment until there are no longer signs of fell of soap
DO NOT WRING
Instead, press the water gently out of the item between your hands or the sink.
Fresh and clean: I love the smell of a freshly laundered jumper. So after rinsing your knit, if you want to have a lovely fresh smell on your sweater, repeat step 1 (draw a bath of cold clear water with no soap).
Add a few drop of essential oil like lavender (which is the one I use), lemon... Leave it to soak again for 30mn in a cold water basin.
Do not rinse, just press gently out the water of the sweater.
- Little note: if there is some color in the water, it is normal! The yarn dye is just releasing color. You will not notice any loss of color after the wash is complete.
Step 2
Dry and finish
Take your time: There is no rush. Lay the item flat in its natural shape on a drying rack or clean towel.
It will distort the sweater yarns with the water weight.
When drying, avoid direct sources of heat such as radiators and direct light with the sun, it might shrink or damage the wool.
Steam it: Ironing a knit can crush or flatten the natural pile of the yarn. Instead, steam the garment; it will remove wrinkles, odors, and bacterias.
Brush for beauty: brush (soft hairbrush can work and that is what I use) softly you knit fluffy yarn (like the picture). While washing, the wool hair will stay flat, and it will lose it charm. There is nothing better than seeing a fluffy jumper. It feels so cozy.
More advice about washing your knits:
Wash them less as possible!
It is important!
Wool has strong antibacterial power and does not require frequent washing. If your garment is not stained, simple ventilation is enough. We wear the garment one day, air it the next day, and wear it again. A delight!
Step 3:
Fold: Always store your knits folded to prevent stretch or distorting.
My last advices…
To prevent moth bites, store your knits in an open dressing room. Moth loves dark places.
Before storage, wash them to avoid providing a “food source” of proteins for bugs.
Sprinkle your storage with pieces of wood.
There are quite effective essential oil repellents. Add some pieces of wood to which you add a few drops of essential oils. Moths are very sensitive to strong fragrances such as cedar, lemon, but also mint or lavender…
Et voila, this are some advices on how I wash my knits, and I hope you will enjoy washing and love your beautiful them as much as I do.
1 comment
I want to add more knitwear to my style, but I’m not sure how to wash them properly. Thanks for letting us know that it’s best to not leave your sweaters in the washing machine for too long and remove it promptly to reduce signs of creasing. I’ll be sure to take note of this while I look for wholesale knitwear clothing lines in boutiques. https://www.stitchneedle.com