HOW TO CARE FOR
YOUR SWEATERS
You probably know that taking good care of them will keep your everyday luxuries around for a much longer time. So if you’ve ever wondered how to wash a sweater, whether or not to hang sweaters, how to fold or unshrink them, how to remove fuzz and pills, how to fix a snag…don’t worry: we’re here to help.
Essentially, any wool sweater — that is, any sweater knit from animal fibers, like lambswool, alpaca, merino, cashmere and mohair — requires different care from plant-based yarns and fabrics, like cotton and linen. So we chatted with a few Team TS members to get the lowdown: Lea Dochterman (former Sweater Designer), Michelle Bing (Technical Designer, Men’s Knits and Sweaters) and Matthew Stipano (Art Director and sweater aficionado).
Consider this Sweater Care 101: our most essential tips for ensuring your sweaters (and you, in them) look their absolute best for as long as possible.
"I only dry clean things once a year, at home, to prevent any damage from the chemical process to the fibers of the yarn."
- Matthew
How often should I wash my sweater?
First and foremost: when in doubt, read the care instructions on your garment. But generally speaking, the answer here is that you should only wash your sweaters when you really need to.
Some fibers, like merino, are odor-resistant, and many will freshen up on their own if you air them out for a day or two. Small stains can be removed with a spot treatment or by dabbing with seltzer.
Can I just use the hand wash setting on a washing machine?
“The washing machine, even on the ‘hand wash’ setting, will almost certainly create too much agitation and can lead to shrinkage and more pilling.” — Michelle
Okay, well... How DO you hand wash a sweater?
First, turn it inside out. Then place it in a large bowl, clean bucket, or stoppered sink filled with cool water and a couple of drops of a gentle liquid detergent. Just swish and rinse, without rubbing, until it’s clean and soap free.
Next, lay the sweater between two towels, and gently press out excess water before laying it flat to dry — you never want to wring a sweater, and many sweaters will shrink if you tumble dry them.
"This is a super smart way of folding sweaters that prevents the shoulder sagging sadness that makes me crazy."
- Michelle
What’s the right way to fold a sweater?
You can, of course, fold a sweater the old-fashioned way to store in drawers or on shelves.
- Just lay it flat, face down.
- Fold the right sleeve straight across the shoulders towards the left sleeve.
- Repeat, folding the left sleeve across the right.
- Fold the right third of the sweater over to the center, and again repeat with the left third — both sides should slightly overlap down the center. Fold the bottom to the top, flip it over, and you’re done.
And how about long-term storage...?
If you don’t have infinite closet space and you want to stow your heavy winter woolens to make room for lighter summer knits, you should take care to pack your clean, neatly folded sweaters properly. In order to avoid unpacking them next winter to find a box full of moldering, moth-eaten sweaters, just make sure you’re storing them when they’re completely dry, in breathable (but well-sealed) boxes. You can also pack them with a cedar block for good measure, to keep moths away.
How to fix a snag in a sweater?
We get it; things happen. At some point in your life, you will inevitably snag one of your sweaters — when it does happen, don’t despair. It can be hard to fix loose strings, but not impossible.
First: never, ever cut the threads. The nature of knitting (where a single string of yarn often runs throughout a sweater) means you’re just as likely to cause it to unravel further. A basic fix at home involves poking or threading the snag through so it’s on the inside of the garment.
If you’re a knitter yourself, you can also darn small holes and snags back together. Otherwise, try looking for a tailor who specializes in reweaving before throwing in the towel.
How to depil or remove fuzz from a sweater
No matter how careful you are with your wool sweaters, they will pill. Pilling happens when the fibers of a sweater break and ball up with repeated wear and friction; shorter, un-twisted fibers are more likely to pill than longer, twisted ones. If you want to keep your sweaters looking pristine, don’t just pluck off the pills. Invest in a sweater razor, stone or comb instead.
Can you unshrink a shrunken sweater?
When we spoke to Matthew, one memory stood out: “I remember the first time I bought a merino cardigan, as a 19-year-old, when cardigans weren’t everywhere yet. My mom washed it by accident and it broke my heart when it came out shrunk...cause I’d saved my own money and bought it myself from Banana Republic, which was the height of luxury at the time, and she shrunk it on me. Never again.”
Spare yourself Matt’s childhood tragedy with one solid rule of thumb: just don’t run your wool sweaters through the washer or dryer. Our Sweater Designer recommends giving the following steps a try to un-shrink your wool sweater.
- Fill a large bowl, bucket or your sink with lukewarm water.
- Mix in a little unscented hair conditioner (about a quarter or third of a cup).
- Submerge your sweater and let it soak for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Drain the water, and then press the excess out of the sweater — as with washing, you never want to wring a sweater dry.
- Lay your sweater out on a towel and roll it up to remove a little more water.
- Finally, lay it flat on the towel again, smooth it out, and begin to gently stretch it back to the size and shape you’d like.
- When you’re happy with it, lay it flat to air dry.
