Knits made from natural fibres don't need to be washed often;
sometimes it feels like they don't need washing at all.
But a hand-wash done properly is the secret to bringing tired knits back to life.
It removes stray excess fibres that can cause pilling,
Brings stretched knits back into shape,
& removes tiny debris that can attract moths.
In addition to our handwashing guide, here are the extra little tricks we use to revive knitwear.
01. Always Unbutton First
To reduce stretching and strain that can happen to button holes when wet.
02. Don't Rub Stains: Pinch Instead
Rubbing at stains = Felting. Instead apply some sard soap on the stain, and pinch just the affected area to gently work the soap into the stain.
03. Soak Properly : Good Things Take Time.
Enough time in the water allows the water and detergent to get into the fibres and work their magic.
(1 hour for colours and darks, even longer for lights).
04. Spin With Care.
After handwashing you can remove excess water by rolling in a towel, but it can be faster and easier using just the spin cycle on your washing machine. You can test if your machine's spin cycle is safe for knitwear by watching what happens to a wet towel;
- If your machine's spin cycle throws the towel around in all directions for 10 minutes, it's going to do that to your knit and cause shrinking.
- If the towel stays against the inside of the drum for most of the spin, then your knit should be safe and sound.
Counter-intuitively a faster spin / a spin setting with higher numbers is often better.
05. Skip the Delicates Bag.
When spinning out the water from your knit (see above) don't be tempted to use a delicates bag, they are terrible for knits.
When a knit is bundled up and trapped in the bag is more likely to tumble around, creating friction and shrinking. To make things worse, sometimes the bag itself is made of a course mesh which will rub against the knit and make shrinkage even more likely.
06. Most Importantly: How it lays is how it will stay.
This is when your knit really resets. So take a moment to bring it back into it's original form
- Smooth out creases
- Flatten out the centre button placard.
- Squeeze together ribbed necks, hems and cuffs that may have stretched with wear, encouraging them back into it's original shape.
With these tricks up your sleeve your knitwear will stay looking new for seasons to come.
Need a refresher on handwashing? Visit the handwashing guide here.
