As the coldest months are upon us, warmer clothes are becoming a must for surviving the trek from the dorms to the classroom. And what better way to do this than in the comfort of a cozy, stylish sweater! But with the coming sweater-weather, there comes the grueling, and often frustrating, task of keeping those delicate knit fabrics looking their best. You know what I mean. We all have that one sweater we absolutely love, but after a couple of washes it begins to look less than stellar.
1. Washing on Delicate and Hand-Washing Are Not the Same Thing
While both of these labels are signs that your sweater needs extra love and care when washing, “Delicate” and “Hand-wash only” instructions are actually two very different processes that could make or break your sweater survival rate. A delicate wash is the gentler setting on your washing machine that often uses a cool water temperature and an easier spin-cycle to keep from warping fabric strands and turning your sweater into a stretched out mess that is too big in all the wrong places. Better Homes & Gardens gives an excellent breakdown https://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/laundry-linens/clothes/how-to-wash-clothes-by-hand/.
Hand-washing, on the other hand, is more-or-less of a direct instruction not to put that piece of clothing in a washing machine. This label is often seen on more finely knit pieces. A trip through the washer for one of these sweaters could spell disaster like h-o-l-e-s. Instead, fill a sink or a bucket with slightly warm water and pour in a small amount of detergent. Swirl the water until a small amount of bubbles form on the surface, then place the article in the water.
2. Careful What You Wash With It
I get it. Laundry day can feel like it drags on forever, and throwing all the clothes into one load is a tempting way to just get it all over with. However, the life-span of your sweater can be extended if you watch what you put in the washing machine with your delicate clothes.
-No bras: Though they all fall in the “Delicate” category, the metal clasps on braziers can easily snag the fabric of your sweater and create those terrible dangling loose strings.
-No zippers: Just like the bra hooks, zippers can also snag the threads of fabric. In some cases, they can act like saws and create frayed patches in the fabric and even holes.
-Buttons: If your sweater has buttons, watch out for other clothing that has a wide knit. Big loops in cardigans, crochet pieces and even other sweaters can catch the buttons in the wash and pull them out or snap them off.
3. Follow the After-Wash Labels
With all the care that goes into washing our beloved sweaters it has become pretty clear that sweaters are almost a universally fragile clothing article. However, one of the most crucial parts to the sweater care process comes after the rinse cycle. Nearly every wash label on a sweater will tell you to avoid the dryer; the heat and spinning will almost certainly ruin it. “Hang to dry” and “Lay flat to dry” are two very different processes that should not be interchanged haphazardly. You should always do what the label says, even if it means clearing a spot on your desk to lay out your sweater.
When hanging sweaters, those little plastic loops on the inside of your sweater, you know the ones that tickle your shoulders when you’re wearing it, have a big purpose. Use them by looping them over the hook or around the arms of the hanger. These loops act like pressure relievers for the fabric so that all the heavy, wet weight of the freshly-washed material doesn’t stretch out the shoulders or the collar of the sweater.