Knitwear Care Guide: How To Wash Care & Wear Knitwear
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Prepare your wardrobe for the colder months ahead with everything you need to know about washing and storing your super-soft sweaters, cosy cardigans and fine knits.
Caring for your knitwear is essential to maintaining its integrity, vibrancy and longevity. To help you make the most of your beloved knitwear collection, Sussan have enlisted the expertise of Quality Assurance Manager Claire Mellios who shows us how to keep sweaters, delicate wool-blend pieces, and bold pullovers looking and feeling fabulous for years to come.
Caring for knitwear requires a little extra time and attention to maintain longevity for seasons to come. How should we be washing our knits?
You don’t need to over-wash your knitwear. Spot cleaning and airing out can extend the time between washes and prolong the life of your knitwear. If your knitwear does require cleaning, wash it by hand using cold water and eco-friendly wool wash detergent. Try not to rub, wring, or scrub your knitwear, as it can cause surface fuzzing. Let the garment soak for 10 mins, rinse thoroughly with cold water and then gently squeeze out excess water by hand.
While hand-washing is preferable, it’s not always achievable! A cold wool wash cycle in your washing machine is also OK if you’re time-poor. Avoid harsh detergents, bleach, and stain removers. Instead, use a wool wash to maintain the colour of your pieces and a gentle spin cycle to remove excess water.
How should we be drying our knitwear to ensure we can still wear it year after year?
Drying your knits correctly is essential to maintain their quality and shape. Never wring or hang-dry knitwear, as wool stretches easily, especially when wet. Instead, roll the garment in a clean and dry towel before gently pressing it. Once the towel has absorbed the excess water, carefully ease your knit into shape and lay it flat on top of a dry towel or a drying rack.
Storing knitwear properly is also essential to maintain its shape and integrity; what are your tips for preventing them from stretching out of shape?
Store your knits folded in a drawer or shelf. Hanging knitwear can cause the shape and fit to distort so always store your clean knitwear between seasons to prevent moths. The most sustainable thing we can do as consumers is care for our knitwear correctly to extend its lifespan and ensure we can wear it again season after season. If you have knitwear you no longer wear, you can also send it to Upparel who will repurpose or recycle your pre-loved knits.