Keep Your Winter Wear In Good Condition

When it’s cold outside, you know exactly what you want to achieve when you get dressed in the morning: not your silky camisole, not your trendy blazer, not your elegant work blouse. No, when it’s really cold, you want to look for a reliable sweater that’s comfortable and so cozy that you’ll never want to take it off.

From early fall to late winter, a sweater is undoubtedly your best friend. And like any other best friend, sweaters require love and care. Although they are extremely delicate, they can last for many uses and many seasons if you treat them in the right way. Here are eight sweater care tips to help you properly care for all your knits so they can last as long as you want them to:

Withdraw pills the right way

Is there anything as annoying as pilling a favorite sweater? A perfectly pretty wool cardigan can start to look like an ungroomed dog after a while if you’re not careful. Unfortunately, all sweaters catch: It’s caused by chafing during wear and is most noticeable around the elbows, under the armpits, and on the sleeves, but it can occur anywhere on the sweater. To easily remove the pills, hold the sweater flat with one hand and cut the pills (one at a time) with a utility knife. You can also buy a pill remover. Warning: do not pull, it will only make the pills worse.

Turn Notable Drawbacks Inside Out

Snags (aka when the stitch comes off the sweater) are the worst because they seem irreparable, and you risk the sweater coming undone if the snag catches on something. Issues can’t be completely repaired, but fortunately, they can be placed indoors so they’re no longer a problem on the outside. Simply turn the sweater inside out, insert a crochet hook into the same stitch as the hook, and carefully pull the hook (a safety pin will also work in a pinch). You will no longer be able to see the hitch and you will not risk the hitch getting caught on something.

Regularly remove hair and lint

Thanks to the soft wool, knit or cashmere we all know and love, the fabric of sweaters can sometimes act like a magnet, attracting and sticking to dust, lint, dander or strands of hair. A soft kid’s hairbrush or soft toothbrush will help you quickly remove anything from the sweater (look at you, dog hair!) for an easy fix, but be sure not to brush the sweater too hard or it will loosen the sweater. the fabric and create pills. You can brush after every wear, but a quick TLC for all your sweaters once a month is enough to prevent lint, dander, dust, or hair buildup.

Know how and when to wash

PSA: Washing your sweaters doesn’t have to be a pain. Most sweaters need to be hand washed to last longer and the fabric to stay intact. To wash by hand, fill a bucket or sink with cold water, add a few squirts of mild laundry detergent, submerge the sweater and let it soak for about 30 minutes. Then rinse it off with cold water. To dry, gently squeeze the water out of the sweater (never wring it out) and roll it up in a towel (such as a sleeping bag or sushi roll) to soak up any excess water. Finally, place it on a drying rack or clean towel to dry.

Cotton and cashmere generally need to be washed after 2 or 3 wears, while wool or polyester can handle around five wears. But be sure to follow the instructions on the label and don’t wash it more often unless the sweater has a stain on it (such as sweat or a spill). And if it says dry clean only (as it does with most yarns), then you know the drill: dry clean only.

To extend washes, wear a t-shirt underneath

Even gentle hand washing can wear down any sweater’s quality, fabric, or softness over time, so if you wear your sweaters often, consider wearing a t-shirt underneath to extend the time between washes. Wearing a t-shirt acts as a barrier between the sweater and the skin, limiting the amount of external forces and odors the fabric interacts with. Since things like sweat, body odor, skin oils, and deodorant can cause wear and tear, your sweater stays intact longer when you wear a barrier layer underneath. Now all you have to worry about is spilling your latte.