It’s finally that time of the year when you can cosy up in a warm piece of knitwear for literally any occasion. Sat in the office? Knitwear. Going to the gym? Keep your muscles warm with some knitwear. Sat in your bed? Knitwear. It is, quite frankly, the Winter gift that keeps on giving. Much like every single Autumn/Winter season to have ever existed, knitwear is once again in style from polo necks in neutral tones to big cashmere scarves and you can’t really create a ‘bad’ outfit. However, there is one caveat to owning knitwear that makes many of us freeze in our tracks, sweat falls onto our upper lips and we don’t risk wearing our beloved pieces around red wine…how the hell do you clean knitwear without ruining it?

There’s nothing worse than seeing a cardigan that was so sumptuously soft get washed once and become a bobbly mess. It’s imperative to always remember that you are working with a delicate item, even if the garment feels hefty and strong, as knitwear is more prone to snagging and tearing than you may first think. When it comes to general items of knitwear (perhaps you are unaware of its fabric and fibre makeup) here is the advice that Lenor offers:

Use the delicate setting on your washing machine or, where possible, handwash.
If you must wash your knitwear in a machine, try and use the shortest cycle length available to you.
Always check the fabric care label of the item to see if the garment is washer safe.
Keep your knitwear separate from heavier, possibly rough, fabrics (denim etc.)
Turn your garment inside out before washing, button up all buttons and close all zips. This is to prevent pilling and bobbling.
Either leave the item to air dry laying flat or dry on the lowest setting possible. Do not hang wool or knitted garments to dry as this can cause the fibres to stretch and distort the shape of the garment.

So, you’ve checked the fabric and fibre makeup of your item and you’ve deciphered that your jumper/dress/scarf etc. is cotton! You may now be asking if you can treat these cotton items any differently than the above advice and turns out, you can. Here are some tips for cleaning your cotton items:

Your cotton item can be washed at temperatures higher than 40°c, although it’s not really recommended to go above 60°c. Do check the fabric care label of your piece to see if it has a specific recommendation.
If your washing machine has a cotton cycle setting, this is the time to use that!

What about your lovely wool items? Wool is inherently more delicate than cotton and will require a little more tender loving care. Here are some steps you should take to ensure you don’t ruin anything:

Always wash wool at 30°c. Anything higher may shrink the garment.
Use the gentle or wool cycle setting on your machine, but sometimes it’s best just to wash by hand.
Be sure to use a gentle laundry detergent so you don’t damage the wool. Avoid using powder detergents.
Fabric softeners can help to protect your item from damage during the washing process.

When it comes to the beauty (and expense) that is cashmere, always aim to wash by hand. Otherwise, never higher than 30°c in a machine on a delicate cycle with some cashmere-specific shampoo or very mild detergent.

You’re very proud of how you cleaned your favourite knitted sweater (congrats!) so you decide to treat yourself to some takeout and a big glass of red when the absolutely dreaded happens…you’ve stained your sweater. You really don’t want to rewash the entire item again, so what on earth do you do to rid that stain quickly and smoothly? Here’s how:

Firstly aim to remove any excess stain by blotting with a brush, napkin etc. but do not rub as this will only spread the stain deeper into the fabric.
Next, you must soak the area in cold water with a high-quality detergent to keep stains from setting in. If it’s a proper greasy, harder to remove, stain then use warm or hot water.