Oh the joys of fall! The vibrant foliage. The unmistakable chill in the air. And, of course, pulling out cozy sweaters for the season ahead. Whatever the base fabric of your favorite knits (wool, cotton, silk or a blend), their proper care means the opportunity to enjoy a longer wear. Garment Saver offers these 5 easy tips to keep your sweaters looking their best for autumn and beyond.
- Have a defuzzer and crotchet hook handy to maintain a fresh look. The defuzzer (as the name suggests) quickly removes balls of pilled fibers from the surface of the knit. A crotchet needle makes easy work of guiding snagged fibers to the back of the sweater.
- Launder sweater inside out. This helps to reduce friction (and thus wear and tear) to the outside surface during wash cycle.
- Clean wool and silk sweaters every few wears. Pests like moth are actually attracted to bits of food and shed skin caught in the fibers. The holes in your sweater are signs of them munching on these often microscopic remnants.
- Store sweaters flat. This keeps them from stretching out of shape; and is particularly important for loosely weaved knits.
- Follow laundering instructions for the best results. In general, hand-washing or gentle machine washing with a mild soap is best. Air drying is preferred to keep sweater from shrinking or to prevent damage to the fibers.