Sweaters are a winter time wardrobe staple but they need special care. They get a lot of use this time of year and may have cost you a bit so it’s worth the effort to take special care of them. To maintain your sweaters so they last year after year, follow these 5 essential steps:
1. Store your sweaters correctly: Store your sweaters dry & folded and do not store with moth balls. Use cedar balls or mixed herbal sachets as a safe alternative. Hanging a sweater will result in a larger sweater than the last time you put it on as it will stretch. Once the fibers are stretched out, it’s difficult to regain its original shape.
2. Limit the wear of your sweaters: Give your favorite sweaters a break by alternating them with other sweaters or jackets. Wearing a favorite too frequently, even though you love it, will cause it to lose shape or build up hard-to-remove perspiration stains. If you wear another garment under the sweater, you can usually wear it a few times before it needs washing. If you wear it close to your body, you should expect to clean it after one to two wearings.
3. Maintain your sweaters: Give your sweater a good shake after each wearing to remove fluff & dust. Remove dandruff, hair, lint and pilling regularly. The pilling can become worse when you store them for the summer. Click here to read how to De-Pill your sweaters.
4. Protect your sweaters: Let your deodorant and perfume/cologne dry or set before putting on a sweater. The chemicals can weaken the fibers. After dry cleaning sweaters, remove the plastic bag. The plastic bag traps in moisture and can cause mildew which is a real threat to the integrity of the clothing’s fibers.
5. Clean your sweaters properly: Remove stains immediately and follow the washing care instructions on the label. If the label says “dry-clean only”, we recommend having it professionally cleaned. The manufacturer recommends dry cleaning because of a sweater’s design, bulk, trim, or fiber content and it should be entrusted to a reputable professional dry cleaner. If the label says “hand wash only”, Click here to read how to do it properly.
– S.O.
