One of the reasons I love fall and winter so much is because I get to wear sweaters. Honestly, I’ll happily endure months of bad weather just so I can layer my body in cozy wools. I know that sounds crazy, but its true. I love me a good sweater. Especially one that can be a closet staple for years to come. I know a lot of people feel intimidated with sweater care, because of the pieces in your closet, it’s one of the most delicate. They are most prone to snags, shrinkage, and pilling. But today, I’m going to share some simple but helpful tips for caring for your sweaters so they look new, wear after wear.
1. Never hang your sweaters, always fold them. This is my #1 for a reason. So many women hang their sweaters and it is literally one of the worst things you can do for them. It messes with the entire shape of the knit, causes unnecessary strain on the yarn, is more likely to create a snag situation and don’t even get me started on the shoulders! Always fold your sweaters (yes, even the long boyfriend ones) If you don’t have built in shelves in your closet, this hanging sweater organizer can easily be hung from a bar and is under $20.
2. Get a fabric defuzzer to remove pilling. Sometimes, no matter how careful we are with our sweaters, they pill. Even high quality sweaters can pill depending on how the knit was done, that doesn’t mean the sweater needs to be tossed. I see so many women get rid of perfectly good sweaters because they’ve pilled and they just need a little extra care. Some fabrics need more care, and if you take the trouble, they will last and keep looking great. So, grab one of these fabric defuzzers! It basically shaves the pilling off the surface of the sweater and can restore the new look to a sweater that’s gone fuzzy. It is a blade in there, so take care to lay your sweater nice and flat and run it lightly over the surface. Bonus, this also works on furniture, blankets and pillows that have pilled! You can also try this sweater comb.
3. Store them with cedar balls. There’s a reason they’ve made cedar chests for storage for hundreds of years, they are incredibly effective. Keep pests at bay by storing your sweaters with a handful of cedar balls. Moths hate the smell and it will keep your closet smelling woody and fresh.
4. Don’t wash them every time you wear them. This is a hard one for some ladies, but try it. The more you wash an item, the faster it wears out, so try to wear your sweaters 2-3 times between washes. You can use a steamer between washes to kill bacteria, and even spot clean as needed. I love this laundress wool and cashmere spray for refreshing and killing bacteria between washes. Bonus, it smells like cedar so it keeps the pests away too!
5. Always wear an under shirt if possible. If you’re sweater isn’t too fitted, I highly recommend wearing an under shirt where possible, something in a lightweight cotton that can be washed each time. It keeps skin oils and bacteria off the sweater, and extends the life of the piece. Also, you don’t have to wash your sweaters as often when they aren’t constantly touching your skin. Yay! Less laundry! These make great undershirts for sweaters.
6. Wash them with care. I’m going to tell you a secret about your “dry clean only” clothes… 90% of them are washable. Yes, it’s true. Even a lot of your wool pieces are washable. That “dry clean only” tag is a convenience for the manufacturer to cover their bases. Delicate fabrics that require more careful washing present a return liability for them. If they list it as dry clean only, they are covered. Often you can wash cashmere and wool, you just need to use extra care. I love the Laundress wool and cashmere shampoo, its made for sweaters and is super concentrated. Since I only wash my sweaters using it, and I don’t wash them every time, the bottle lasts a LONG TIME. The key to ignoring dry clean only is doing your research, use the right detergent (see above) and hand wash in cold water if necessary. I prefer doing this as there are way less harsh chemicals than you get taking pieces to the cleaners.
7. Steam your sweaters instead of ironing them. I mentioned using a steamer between washes to kill bacteria, but it’s also a best practice to use the steamer in lieu of the iron. A steamer is much gentler on the fibers and knit of the sweater, and you won’t have to worry about accidentally melting anything. And bonus, a steamer is a great way to refresh a piece!
I hope these tips help you to better care for your sweater collection and give you some ideas for how you can extend the life of your clothes. I truly believe in buying quality pieces for your closet and then caring for them properly so they last and serve you season after season!
A few of my current favorite sweaters:
