How To Wash Your Favorite Sweaters Without Totally Ruining Them

In the cooler months we like to wear knit sweaters. But wash? Not as much. Whether your sweater is wool, cashmere, or even cotton, cleaning it can feel like playing roulette. Will it shrink to an unbearable size? Will everything else fluff in the wash? Will it expand strangely?

For all these reasons and more, washing a brand new sweater can feel very stressful. But it doesn’t have to be! To help us with our sweater washing anxiety, HuffPost consulted professional dry cleaners and laundry experts to get their top tips and product recommendations.

When it comes to washing knit sweaters, throwing them in the washing machine with all your other clothes and hoping for the best isn’t the smartest idea.

“Knit sweaters are delicate because of the way the stitches gather into a series of loops,” said Alexandra Wojenski, sustainable cleaning expert and Grove leader at Grove collaboration. “Compared to a woven fabric, the knitted stitches are often looser and stretch easily.” She added that a washing machine can pull the fibers of knitted sweaters, causing them to deform, stretch and wear out faster. “Especially for knitwear made of wool or wool blends, the heat of a washing machine can be dangerous and lead to irreversible shrinkage.”

To avoid laundry mishaps, the first step to cleaning a knit sweater should be to consult the care label – that little piece of cloth with symbols you’ve probably never looked up.

“Read the clothing care label,” said Zachary Pozniak, vice president of Jeeves New York, who also spoke on behalf of Jerry Pozniak, the cleaning company’s CEO. The label not only tells you how best to wash it, but also the material of your sweater. “Wool, viscose, viscose and angora knitwear all need to be dry cleaned due to shrinkage issues.” They added that some merino wool and most cashmere sweaters can be hand washed and air dried and most cotton knitwear in machine or hand washable and machine dryable. “Knitwear can be tricky, and if the sweater is expensive, I wouldn’t risk hand washing it and ruining the garment,” Pozniak said. If in doubt, take it to the dry cleaner.

As for sweater materials, Wojenski notes that because of their short fibers, wool and cashmere are more sensitive to heat and movement compared to cotton or synthetic materials. “A tight knit 100% cotton sweater is more durable and depending on how often I wear it I can wash it from time to time on a gentle cycle in a delicates bag to protect it from pilling and snagging. ” She said.

If a sweater label says “Dry Clean Only” it’s probably best to heed that advice. “You risk color fading, shrinkage, damage, stretching and many more problems if you don’t consider what appears on your sweater labels,” said Sanda Chun, owner and co-founder of Sanda’s cleaning staff.

Hand washing is a gentler way to clean your sweaters than washing machine, but there are a few things to keep in mind to get the best results.

First of all, do not use normal detergent. “Detergent is not good for natural fibers. They should use soap or a special wool wash,” said Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist. Pozniak recommends using a detergent specifically designed for knitwear, e.g soaking or Eucalan Fine Fabric wash.

“Follow the directions on the bottle for the amount of detergent to use,” Pozniak said. “Please measure water and detergent – don’t guess.”

Wojenski laid out the general handwashing process: “Fill a clean vessel (like a sink or bathtub) with lukewarm water and a small amount of a gentle laundry soap,” she said. “Mix the soap into the water and then lay in the sweaters and pat them so they’re submerged.” After soaking, she recommends leaving the sweaters in the water for up to 15 minutes, stirring the water with your hands every few minutes, then draining the water and rinsing the sweaters.

Be careful when squeezing the water out of your freshly washed sweaters. That means no wringing or twisting, which can stretch sweaters and change their shape. To dry, Chun recommends laying each sweater on a dry towel and then rolling it up like a sleeping bag. “Squeeze and pat the roller lightly and allow the water from your sweater to soak into the dry towel around it.” Unroll your sweater, then place it on another dry towel to air dry completely . Laying sweaters flat to dry will prevent them from stretching or deforming.

No matter how gentle you are, washing a sweater will inevitably cause some wear and tear to the material. So if you’re hoping to extend the life of your favorite knitwear, only wash when necessary. If your sweater needs a refresh between washes, Richardson recommends spraying it with vodka. yes vodka “It kills all odors and dries instantly,” he said.

One way to keep sweaters cleaner longer is to wear an undershirt or t-shirt underneath. Sweater materials can also come into play. “Wool is moisture-wicking, so it lasts longer between washes than cotton,” Wojenski said. Her rule of thumb for washing sweaters is to wash them when they start looking or smelling dirty and before they put them away for the season to keep stains and odors from building up.

“Off-season sweater handling and storage is critical,” Chun said. She recommends folding clean sweaters with tissue paper and storing them in breathable storage areas (like closets, drawers, or dressers) with lavender bags to repel moths and avoid unpleasant odors or odors.

Shopping for some sweater washing essentials? These picks are approved by experts.

HuffPost may receive a percentage of purchases made through links on this site. Each item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Subject to price and availability changes.