SWEATER CARE

Sweater Care 101

As seen on 3TV/Phoenix (Good Morning Arizona) – Monday, December 21, 2020 – 8:45am. Watch the broadcast video at the bottom of this post.

Watch the video on how to UNSHRINK a SWEATER HERE

I want to share with you some easy ways to keep your sweaters clean, fresh and new looking and also how to take the itch out of wool sweaters. AND – What to do if you shrunk your sweater!

CASHMERE: Cashmere should be cared for as you would care for your hair. Hand wash it in cool water with a good squirt of shampoo. Gently squeeze the suds through it and then squeeze it out but don’t wring. Put into a rinse of cool water and again squeeze it rather than wringing. Do a second rinse of clear cool water. Gently squeeze out the water you can and then roll in a towel to remove as much water as you can. Reshape and dry flat out of the sunlight.

BLENDS: These are sweaters with cotton, polyester and other fibers. If they say “washable” on the care label here is what to do. Turn them inside out and wash in cool water on a gentle cycle in the washer. Dry as indicted on the care tag. If you put them in the dryer, leave them wrong side out until you fold them.

EMBELLISHED: Sweaters that are washable with beading, sequins, etc. on them need special care. Always hand wash these and if you have a “hand wash” feature on your washing machine, put the sweater, turned to the wrong side, in a delicate or lingerie bag. Use a gentle detergent and a liquid fabric softener. Dry according to directions.

KEEPING WOOL ITCH-FREE: Many times sweaters containing wool can be itchy when it comes into contact with skin. To eliminate this issue wash as directed on the care label but use a rinse containing a few tablespoons of glycerin. Find glycerin in the hand cream section at the drug store. This will keep the garment soft and prevent itching.

PILLS ON SWEATERS: Use an inexpensive disposable razor to “shave” away the little balls of yarn. Don’t push down hard on the razor, just lightly go over it.

HELP! I SHRUNK MY SWEATER!

Here’s how to resize the sweater you shrunk.

Use baby shampoo and warm water. Fill a basin with warm water, add a couple of squirts of baby shampoo and swish with your hand.

Lay the sweater right on top of the water and allow it to sink on its own. Do not force it down into the water.

Soak for 15 minutes.

Gently take the sweater out without wringing it and put it in a container, then fill the basin again with clean water.

Lay the sweater on top and let it sink again on its own. If there is a lot of suds, repeat this.

Take the sweater out, place it on a towel and roll the towel to remove most of the moisture.

Lay the sweater on a dry towel on a flat surface and gently reshape it. Check the sweater as it is drying to continue reshaping as needed.