Caring for Your Wool Sweaters
There's nothing more comfortable or familiar than a good old-fashioned wool sweater. If you have wool sweaters in your wardrobe that you love, you need to make sure that you take proper care of them so that they last years and years.
Some issues that may arise with your sweaters is stretching or on the other end of the spectrum shrinkage. Just daily wear can lead to stretching, whereas incorrect washing and drying procedures usually cause shrinkage. In terms of storage, your sweaters should never be hung. Hanging up a sweater can cause it to stretch and lose its shape. Pilling can also be a problem with wool. You can use a cloth comb to get rid of these kinds of problems but we sure to use it carefully so you don't damage the garment. Pulls can also be a problem. They should be treated with care. Try not to snip any pulls because this can result in your sweater unraveling. What you should try instead is gently pulling the yarn back through to the other side so that the pull is out of sight.
When washing your wool sweater, remember that you should use tepid water rather than hot or cold. Wool doesn't do well with extreme temperature changes. You should wash your sweater by hand and then gently squeeze it to get rid of excess water. Once you have done that, you can put it in the dryer on the spin cycle to remove the rest of the remaining water. You should then lay your sweater on a towel and allow it to air dry rather than sticking it in the dryer. Using a dryer may lead to shrinkage so avoid that whenever possible. As it air dries, you'll want to flip it around a bit so that all sides get dry.
Fulling can be a problem with wool sweaters. This is caused by rubbing or abrasion so avoid handling your sweater much when it is wet.
If your wool sweater becomes stained in anyway, you will probably need to seek the help of an expert (otherwise known as your local dry cleaners). Trying to remove the stain yourself may result in discoloration or shrinkage. It is better to spend the money on dry cleaning rather than risking ruining the entire sweater.
If you follow these guidelines, you'll have gorgeous wool sweaters that will last you a lifetime.