10 tips to care for your sweaters

It’s finally sweater season and time to break out all your old favorites and of course shop for some new ones. Here are 10 tips to help you keep all your sweaters looking great all through the season…and beyond.

• Sweaters should always be folded. Never hung. The best way to prevent peaks in the shoulders and preserve the shape of your sweater is by keeping them in drawers or on shelves, folded or rolled. If you must hang your sweater, fold it over the hanger with some tissue paper so a crease doesn’t appear.
• A good rule of thumb is to clean your sweater every two or three times you wear it. Bring it to Fashion Cleaners for the highest quality and care.
• To shrink a sweater that has stretched out you should wet the sweater down, then put a dryer on very high heat until it is completely dry. The more water you add to the sweater the more it will shrink. If your sweater is miss shaped you can customize your shrink just to those certain areas.
• Pills on sweaters unfortunately are inevitable but getting rid of them is pretty easy. Hold the sweater flat with one hand, and slice the pills off with a razor. You can also buy pill removers online.
• The best way to fold or roll your sweater is to lay it front down on a flat surface. Fold the arms in one at a time across the back of the sweater. Then either fold it in half or roll from the bottom hem up to the collar.
• Because fall and winter only last for so long it is important to thoroughly clean your sweaters before its time to store them away in a breathable clothing storage bag.
• When you do store your seasonal clothing it’s a good idea to throw some cedar or lavender in a satchel. Pesky bugs don’t like it and will steer away from your clothes.
• To remove dandruff, hair, and lint purchase a baby or child’s soft brush. The softness from the brush will let you easily brush off those hard to get rid of sweater companions.
• Take great care of cashmere and other delicate items like mohair, angora, and lambs wool. The softness makes it prone to pilling and deterioration.
• Give your sweaters a break. Wearing it every day will cause it to lose its shape and build up hard stains.