Not sure when to wash your handknitted garment?
You are not alone. I often get questions regarding how to care for handknits.
There is nothing worse than lovingly knitting a garment that you are proud to wear only to have it ruined in the wash. This recently happened to my favourite purple pure wool cardi when the minister for domestic affairs "helped" by throwing it in the wash on our "regular" cycle, I may have shed a tear or several. It came out all felted and several sizes smaller and no manner of re-blocking would see it stretch back to size. Miss 10 is now proudly wearing it as a winter jacket.
Wool and wool-blends actually don't need washing as often as you might think. In fact, frequent washing is actually a no-no. It can cause damage to the fibres as well as fading. I wash seasonally, after winter is done and dusted, before storing my handknits away for the summer. In between I follow the rules for general knitwear nurture outlined below.
While there are some subtle differences in how best to nurture different fibres, there are some basics that will ensure the longevity of your much loved garment, be it pure wool, a wool blend, cotton or any other natural fibre.
General nurture
1. Fold your knitted garments when you aren't wearing it and store in a dry place to prevent your knit from stretching and help maintain shape.
2.Try to rotate your knitteds throughout the week, rather than wear one piece day after day, however cozy that might sound! This will allow each of your handknits to have their own time to freshen up and breathe.
3. If your hand knitted garment isn't stained, but you want to freshen it up- pop it outside for the natural air and wind to freshen.
4. If you have accidentally stained your hand knit, spot clean the area by blotting out stain as soon as possible with a clean cloth or paper towel. Never Scrub or rub!
Which cleaning agent you use will depend on the nature of the stain. I'll be adding a post with some hints for stain removal and spot cleaning shortly so watch this space.
Washing your handknits
While handwashing is the best way to prevent stretching (or shrinking or felting) of fibres, some washing machines do have a "wool wash" setting. But test it with something that you won't mind losing if it doesn't work first (I tested ours with a couple of really cheap thrifted handknits).
Its usually safer to handwash and I always recommend this for anything particularly fine such as lacework or superfine wool.
To wash by hand:
1. Put the plug in your sink and add enough hot water to fully dissolve your chosen washing agent. I make my own wool wash, but there are some really good ones available at your local yarn store or supermarket.
(Don't add anymore wash than is recommended on the packaging, in fact you can usually halve the amount and get the same result.)
2. Add enough cold water to fully immerse your woollies. The water temperature should be just warm. Think bathing a baby, if you can't comfortably dip your elbow in, its too hot.
3. Pop in your knitted woollies and gently squeeze through with your fingertips. If you need to soak because of stains, allow knit to soak for no more than 30 mins. Otherwise, take your knit out of the water, but don't squeeze or wring.
4. Rinse with cold water pressing against sink to gently release out any excess washing agent and water. You will likely need to do this two to three times until there is no trace of detergent left.
5. Pop your knits between two towels and gently press to release any remaining water.
6. Gently pat and ease your knits back into their original size and shape.
7. Dry on a flat surface. Don't hang them up. Allow to dry away from excessive heat.
When I knitted my first jumper in my pre-teen years (sometime around 1980) my Nan gave me the advice I've ever heard for nurturing your handknitted garments:
Don't do anything to your knitteds that you wouldn't do to the hair on your baby's head. No harsh chemicals, no hot baths, no scrubbing or hot dryer and just a little soap if absolutely necessary.
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