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Laundry

Sorry, you're washing your sweaters all wrong

Your sweaters will look better and last longer if you wash them correctly

Sorry, but you're washing your sweaters wrong Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / FotoDuets

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The beautiful, cozy sweaters you bought last fall will never make it through the winter unless you learn to clean them correctly. Since a sweater basically stands between you and well … sweater weather, you could be wearing yours every day. And you can only wear a sweater four or five times before cleaning it. Sweaters get sweaty, and they can become stinky after a while. But don’t forget that if you clean them wrong, you'll ruin your favorite sweater fast.

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Let's get a few things straight. If you're tossing your comfy sweaters into the washer with your jeans, that's exactly the wrong way to clean a sweater. You're beating that wooly warmer to a pulp! And if you're always sending dirty sweaters to the dry cleaners, you may be wasting your money. So, in defense of sweaters everywhere, here's everything you need to do to clean them the right way.

How to wash sweaters

1. Read the label

Always read the care label before washing a sweater
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / KM6054

The label sewn into the sweater will tell you exactly how to clean it.

Depending on if they're made of wool, cashmere, or some kind of blend, sweaters need special handling. Check the care label first. It will tell you exactly what you need to do to clean that sweater. If the label just says "Dry Clean", be skeptical. That's a recommendation, not an order. If it says "Dry Clean Only", you might have to listen. If you're stubborn, we have a guide on how to wash "dry clean only" clothes at home that should work if your sweater isn't beaded, bejeweled, or made of silk.

2. Turn sweaters inside out

You can save a sweater's good looks if you shave pills off a sweater
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / Detry26

If you don't turn your sweaters inside out when you wash them, they can get pilled, and you'll have to shave them to restore their good looks.

Even the gentlest washing machines beat up clothes to get stains out. Protect your sweater by washing it on the wrong side. If you fail to do that, your sweaters will end up with extra wear and tear. Over time, you may also find them covered with pills, those little nubs of fiber that ruin the look and make a sweater look like you've kept it too long.

Pro-tip: You can remove pills with a special sweater shaver like this one, but it's not effortless.

3. Hand wash if possible

For best results, hand wash your sweaters
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / Evgeniy Skripnichenko

Hand wash sweaters for best results—it's gentler and eco-friendly.

It's easier than you think to wash sweaters by hand. Better still, it's simple, affordable, and more sustainable than dry cleaning.

4. Use a gentle detergent meant for delicates

Detergents with enzymes do a good job removing stains, but they can weaken a wool sweater. An eco-friendly detergent might be a better choice.

Pro-tip: A few drops of baby shampoo can be used to hand wash sweaters.

5. Cold water is the way to wash

Watch the water temperature! Swish your sweaters in a basin of chilly, sudsy water. This helps prevent shrinkage. Check the label, though. Some sweaters can be washed in warm or cool water, which may do a better job of removing those stains.

6. Swish to rinse

Drain the wash water, and fill the basin again for a gentle cold water rinse. Swirl the sweater in clean rinse water. You may have to change out for clean water more than once as you rinse the sweater.

Pro-tip: Don’t run water from the faucet directly onto the clothes, because it can stretch them.

7. Roll, don't wring

Have several white or light-colored towels on hand to dry the clothes
Credit: Getty Images / Magone

Have a pile of white or light-colored towels on hand to roll the clothes. As you roll each garment, press the towel gently to extract water.

Don't ever wring out a sweater. Even if you just gently squeeze it it sets the sweater up for stretching. Lay the sweater on a towel and roll it up, just like you'd roll a yoga mat. That helps get the water out without putting too much stress on the fabric.

8. Lay it flat to dry

Dry the hand washed clothes flat
Credit: Amazon / OXO

Since you have to dry the wet clothes flat, a mesh rack can be a big help.

Reshape the sweater and lay it down on a dry towel. Air drying is your friend. Come back in a day and check to see if it's dry enough to wear. Don't rush it! Pro-tip: Lift a damp sweater with both hands from underneath. Picking up a wet sweater by the shoulders is another way you may unintentionally stretch it out.

9. Fold, don't hang sweaters

Don't hang up sweaters. Fold them instead.
Credit: Reviewed

Don't hang up your sweaters. Fold them, and keep them in a basket or on a closet shelf.

Hanging up sweaters, especially delicate cashmere sweaters, will pull them out of shape. Don't even think of doing it. If you want, you can give your sweaters the vertical fold Marie Kondo style. Or fold them flat and store them in a basket or on a shelf.

Pro-tip: Keep your sweaters away from hangers to avoid stretching. If you notice bumps or wrinkles on your sweaters, you can use a garment steamer to remove them.

10. Machine washing is possible

If you're going to wash your sweater in the washer, use a mesh laundry bag to protect it
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / bungoume

If you're going to wash your sweater in the washer, use a mesh laundry bag to protect it.

Cotton and acrylic sweaters will survive machine washing. Place sweaters in a mesh laundry bag (don't crowd them), and put them in the washer's drum. Use a mild detergent on a cold delicate cycle. Don't even think of running your sweaters in the dryer, unless you want to shrink them.

If you do end up shrinking sweaters by accident, there are products that claim to unshrink sweaters. They smell funny, though, and may not work as well as you expect.

Don't dry your sweaters in the dryer—they will shrink
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / SusanDaniels

You think we're kidding? Avoid the dryer—your delicate sweaters can come out looking like doll clothes.

Some high-end European washers made by Miele offer customized laundry pods that can clean wool and silk, among other high maintenance fibers. If you have a washer like that, you are very fortunate. But for most people, hand washing sweaters is a fact of life.

11. Wear your gorgeous sweaters this winter and next

Take good care of your sweaters, clean them correctly, and they'll last longer
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / Drazen_

Wash your sweaters correctly, and they'll look good for a long time.

Now that you know how to wash knit sweaters, cashmere sweaters, and more, you can follow these steps for cleaning, reshaping, drying, and folding them. Your sweaters will look newer longer while keeping you warm all winter—and next winter, too.

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