How to wash a sweater so that it sits?

In our climate zone, where there are a lot of cold and dank days in a year, there are several woolen sweaters or blouses in the wardrobe of each person. These things require special care so that they can please us with their warmth and beauty for a long time. Therefore, it will be very important to know how to wash a sweater so that it does not stretch. And if, however, this happened to the product, we’ll consider options for washing the sweater so that it sits down.

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How to save a stretched sweater?

Before considering the question of what to do to make the sweater sit down, we will consider the main reasons for the deformation of knitted clothes:

• improperly selected washing mode;
• improper drying of the product;
• storage of knitted woolen clothes on a coat hanger;
• the elasticity of the thread itself, from which the product is knitted;
• individual characteristics of a person to pull various parts of clothing (cuffs, sleeves, hem) down.

Important! To exclude some of these factors and at the same time clean up your closet, read the article“How to store woolen clothes?”.

Recovery with a washing machine

If something went wrong, and after washing in the washing machine you got a stretched sweater, then we will try to return it to its lost appearance in the same way, only we will do it right, observing a certain sequence of actions.

How to wash a wool sweater in a washing machine so that it sits?

• Put stretched clothes in special bag for washing clothes, it can be purchased at a hardware store.
• Load the bag into the drum of the machine.
• For washing clothes, use a special tool for wool products, for example, suitable gel weasel.
• Select the quick wash mode, start the machine.

Important! Be sure to turn off spin mode.

• At the end of the washing process, gently squeeze the sweater manually.
• Lay a terry towel on a flat horizontal surface, place a sweater on it, giving it the correct shape.

Important! During the drying process, periodically replace a wet towel with a dry one. Drying itself can last several days. As mentioned above, you should not use heaters to speed up the drying process - this can lead to the fact that things will completely become unusable.

Manual way to restore clothes

Like the previous method, there is a certain sequence. Consider how to wash a sweater manually so that it restores its lost shape:

1. To get started, look at the recommended sweater temperature on the sweater label.
2. Collect water in a container (basin, bath). Its temperature should be 20 degrees higher than indicated on the label.
3. Soak a stretched sweater in this water for 20-30 minutes.
4. Rinse the product in cold water.
5. Gently squeeze the water without stretching or twisting the clothes.
6. As in the previous method, spread on a terry towel and let dry, replacing wet towels with dry ones.

Important! This method is the best suited for things related manually. If you are fond of such needlework, you might also be interested in:

• What yarn is better to choose for a cardigan?
• Workshops: crochet knitted boots.

Restoration of individual parts of clothing

The main ways to wash a sweater so that it sits we have considered. But very often you need to restore certain parts of the product, for example, cuffs, elbows, the bottom of the product or the neck. Given that wool does not like water, we will only affect certain areas.

The sequence is as follows:

1. Use a spray bottle (best option) or just wet a piece of clothing with a little water.
2. Give it the desired shape.
3. Lay the product on a flat surface on a dry terry towel, leave to dry.

Important! When using a hair dryer to speed up the drying process, be sure to set the cold blowing mode on it.

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General rules for washing wool

When starting to wash things from wool, adopt some recommendations for caring for them. Then you don’t have to think more about how to wash the sweater so that it sits:

• Woolen products do not like contact with water, respectively - frequent washing and prolonged soaking. Therefore, the duration and frequency of water procedures for such clothes should be reduced so as not to get stretched things. It is believed that wool can self-clean.
• Avoid temperature changes when washing and rinsing. Ignoring this rule may cause the sweater to sit down after washing.
• The ideal temperature for washing is 30 degrees. Very hot water can cause the product to sit down, but wool also does not like cold water.
• If the clothes absorbed foreign odors, airing on the street or balcony would be a better option than washing.
• Woolen products do not like twisting and friction - various mechanical influences can cause the product to stretch or even tear. Avoid twisting or actively rubbing the fabric on the fabric when washing.

Choose a detergent

The best option for washing wool products is the use of special products, so the farm should have a powder or gel for washing wool products. Moreover, it is better to give preference to a liquid product, as it delicately cleans dirt and dissolves well in cool water.

Important! Clothes made of mohair and angora are best washed with hair shampoo.

Laundry soap is better not to use for washing things from wool, but if for some reason, for example, allergies are the only option, make a soap solution, and do not soap the cloth directly with soap.

Using air conditioners

The use of fabric softeners will allow you to stay your favorite thing after washing fluffy and soft. For this, any wool conditioner is suitable.

Important! Glycerin (in the amount of one teaspoon per half a bucket of water), added to the last water during rinsing, is an excellent folk emollient.

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Handwash

The most correct and optimal option for a woolen sweater is hand washing - your favorite thing will appreciate such a careful attitude to yourself. How to wash the sweater manually so that the product remains soft, does not lose shape and does not change in size?

Consider a few basic rules:

• First of all, turn the product inside out.
• Before lowering clothes into water, prepare a soap solution by dissolving a detergent in water - powder, gel, shampoo.
• Do not twist the fabric, but squeeze slightly, thereby letting water drain.
• In order to avoid stretching button loops, they must be swept away before washing.
• Mustard powder will help remove oily stains from wool. To do this, mix 200 g of mustard powder with water until gruel is obtained, strain the mixture through cheesecloth and let it brew for a couple of hours. Add the prepared mixture to the required amount of washing water and wash clothes. No other detergents need to be added to this solution. When rinsing, you can add ammonia at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water - such a solution will make the sweater very soft after drying.

Important! Mustard powder is best used for washing dark clothes. A spoonful of vinegar added by rinsing will help fix the color.

• You can freshen up a slightly yellowed white sweater by leaving it overnight in water with a small slice of lemon.

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Machine washable

Due to various circumstances, it may not be possible to wash clothes manually. Then you need to familiarize yourself with some rules on how to wash a wool sweater in a washing machine:

1. Carefully choose a washing mode - these are programs especially for woolen things, delicate or hand wash.
2. In addition to special detergent, add rinse conditioner.
3. Together with a woolen sweater, do not put any other things in the drum of the machine.
4. On the washing machine, manually select the duration of the wash so that it does not exceed 40 minutes.

Important! In addition to the deformation of knitted products, other problems sometimes occur with them. How to solve them - read in our special articles:

• How to remove puffs on a sweater?
• How to remove spools from clothes?

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Drying Wool

An important condition for maintaining the appearance of wool products is their drying. We looked at how to wash a sweater. To prevent it from stretching and deforming during the drying process, use the following tips:

• After washing, in no case do not unscrew the fabric, but only slightly remember and leave it crumpled in a basin or on a special stand until water drains from it as much as possible. This procedure may take a couple of hours.
• Lay the thing on a terry towel, trying not to stretch it, carefully twist it into the roller. Wait until the towel gets wet, unwind the roller. After that, take another towel, repeat the procedure again.
• The final stage - cover a flat surface with a cloth or towel, lay out wet clothes on it, leave it to dry.

Important! Do not leave wet items in direct sunlight or on heaters - they may sit down.

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Ironing

In principle, if the drying process is carried out correctly, ironing of the product may not be required. But if there is still a need, first of all, look at the information on the label, where the temperature of the ironing is indicated. It does not matter if there is no such information, you can use the following tips:

• wool products can only be ironed if they are completely dry;
• before ironing, turn the product inside out;
• the use of wet gauze or cotton cloth, through which the process should be carried out, will help to avoid the appearance of shiny streaks;
• to select the temperature, use special marks on the iron where the woolen fabric is indicated;
• To maintain the shape of the product as much as possible, do not pull the iron over the canvas, but simply lower it onto the fabric.

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Useful Wool Care Tips

In order not to have to use tips for restoring clothes from wool, use the recommendations and tips for caring for them:

• Wash things in warm water by hand.

Important! Very hot water can shrink the product into several sizes.

• Use detergents specifically designed for wool products.
• Horizontal position is the only right solution for drying knitted woolen clothes. If you dry the product on a coat hanger or rope, this will lead to its deformation.
• Keep things folded up in the closet, as clothes may be deformed on the shoulders under their own weight.

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As you can see, if you carefully and kindly relate to things, you won’t need to use tips on what to do to make the sweater sit down. Follow the recommended rules, and your favorite woolen clothes can serve you faithfully for many years.