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Last Updated on August 1, 2023 by Steal the Style
Picture this: You’re doing a bit of online shopping. You’ve found the perfect natural-toned sweater for this chilly season. So, on impulse, you order it.
You wait a few days to a week. Finally, it arrives. You wear it for some at-home wining and dining. Then, to your absolute horror, some of the wine spills on the sweater.
You check the label, frantically searching for solace from this nightmare, and three words leap out at you from the tag: hand wash only.
Knowing how to hand wash sweaters is a skill that everyone should learn at some point in their lives. Not sure how to get started? No worries! Our guide is here to help!
In This Post:
Here’s How to Hand Wash Sweaters
So, you’ve got a sweater, say, from amazon.com or shopjessicabuurman.com, that needs washing by hand. You’re not sure how to start the process. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Set Up Your Soaking Station
Whether you use your sink or a separate basin, you need something to fill with water before you begin. Whatever you use, it needs to have enough lukewarm water in it to submerge your sweater.
Step 2: Swirl in Your Soap
Take about a tablespoon or so of soap or detergent and swirl it into the basin until completely dissolved. You’ll want to use a mild soap for this. Anything too harsh risks damaging the fabric of your sweater.
Pro tip: If you’re worried about sweat odors, a tiny spritz of vinegar can cut through them with ease. The same applies to stain removers if you need stains lifted.
Step 3: Submerge and Soak
Shove your sweater into the basin until the water completely covers it. Then, let it soak for at least 15 minutes. That should be enough time for the sweater to absorb all the water. If the sweater in question is particularly thick or dirty, you can let them soak for longer.
Step 4: Drain the Water
Once you’ve drained all the water, inspect your piece. If you didn’t use soap that’s rinse-free, or the sweater still looks dirty, repeat step 3, only without the soap this time. Keep repeating until the soap is gone and the sweater appears clean.
Step 5: Squeeze Out Water and Set Out to Dry
Once the basin gets drained, take the sweater and gently fold it to squeeze out the excess water. Certain sweaters can then be tumble-dried in a standard dryer. However, the best route is to set the sweater out somewhere flat on a towel and let it dry over the course of a day or two, flipping halfway through.
Let’s Review
You now know how to hand wash sweaters. This puts you miles ahead of many other fashion fanatics, who gladly ruin their perfect winter sweaters in the pursuit of convenience. No more gross shrinkage, felting, or stretching for you!
If you enjoyed this handy how-to article and would like to read up on other fast fashion facts, check out our blog daily for more content like this.