Knitting is a fantastic hobby. But, some knitters may find the idea of keeping those garments clean and tidy a little challenging when they start delving into more complicated patterns and designs. To maintain your beautiful hand-knitted sweaters and cardigans, you’ll need to know how to wash home-knitted garments.
Washing them at home or at apartments for rent in Hampton can be tricky for some knitters—it’s not as simple as throwing any old garment in the washing machine! Fortunately, it isn’t impossible either. There is a big difference between washing your new sweatshirt and washing a home-knitted sweater as it needs more care while cleaning. With a little guidance, you’ll be able to clean your knitted garments easily and responsibly. Here are some handy tips on how to wash home-knitted garments.
Why is it important to wash home-knitted garments?
If you’ve been knitting for any length of time, you’ll know that acrylic yarn is essentially very easy to clean. You can just throw it in the washing machine and you’re done. But, some other fibers are more delicate, require more care, and cannot be thrown in the washing machine.
First of all, some natural fibers such as wool and cashmere can shrink if they are not washed correctly. Secondly, many of these materials contain oils that will build up on a garment, making them look shabby and smell stale.
If you want to keep your beautiful garments looking and smelling as good as new, you’ll need to know how to wash home-knitted garments. Washing them correctly will keep them clean, and sanitary and extend their life.
The Best Way to Clean Home-knitted Garments
As different fibers require different kinds of cleaning, the method you choose for cleaning your garments will vary depending on the material used to make them. Here are the best ways to clean knitted garments:
- Wool garments – Wool garments are the most delicate of all knitting fabrics. Whether your sweater, hat, or scarf is made from pure wool or a wool/cashmere blend, it’ll need special care when being washed. To wash wool garments, you will need to hand wash them in cool water using a gentle detergent. Avoid using hot water as it will shrink your garment and make it lose its shape. After hand washing your wool lay it out on a flat surface and let it air dry. That way you can make sure it dries properly and doesn’t shrink too much.
- Cashmere garments – We all love the feeling of a cashmere sweater, but it needs a little extra care when being washed. You should hand wash your cashmere garments in cool water with a liquid detergent that does not contain any perfumes. Avoid using regular detergents when hand washing as they can leave a residue that will make your garments look and feel rough.
- Cotton garments – Cotton garments can be washed on the washing machine. However, you’ll need to use a gentle cycle and low-temperature water. Using a regular cycle will cause your garments to shrink, so be careful.
- Synthetic fabrics – Synthetic fabrics such as acrylic and polyester can be washed on the washing machine. When washing synthetic fabrics, you’ll need to use a gentle cycle with cold water. Avoid using warm water as it might shrink your garments.
- Natural fabrics – Natural fabrics such as linen and silk will require more effort when being cleaned. You will need to hand wash these garments. For best results, use cool water with a mild detergent. You can also use an eco-friendly soap to avoid harming the fabric. Be sure to wring out your garment well and lay it out to dry.
- Blended fabrics – If you’re not sure what fiber your garments are made of, it’s best to treat them like natural fabrics. Hand washes them in cool water using a mild soap.
How to clean knitted garments by hand
If your garment is made of a natural fiber such as linen, silk, or cashmere, you’ll need to hand wash it to clean it properly, just like fancy dresses can’t be just washed in a washing machine, you either send them for dry cleaning or hand wash them with care. If you have a large number of knitted garments to be cleaned, you can use a special garment cleaning board. Otherwise, you can put them into a mesh bag and wash them in the sink.
When cleaning garments by hand, here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
- Choose the right water temperature – When hand washing natural fabrics, use cool water to avoid shrinking them. If you’re washing a blended garment, you can use warm water.
- Select the right detergent – It’s important to use a gentle detergent when hand washing your garments. You can also add some baking soda to the water to help soften your fabrics.
- Add your garments to the water
- Wearing gloves, gently drop your garments into the water. Make sure that the water isn’t too hot as cooler temperatures are better for cleaning delicate fabrics.
- Let your garments soak – Leave the garments soaking in the water for around 10 minutes. This will help the detergent work better.
- Rinse and wring out your garments
- After your garments have soaked, gently rinse them. Don’t wring them out too tightly as this might cause your knitted fabrics to stretch.
- Lay them out to dry – You can either lay your garments out on a flat surface or hang them up.
Tips for successful hand washing of yarn
If your garment is made of yarn, you can hand wash it too. However, you’ll need to take special care as the process is slightly different even a velvet shawl can also be washed through this procedure. Here are some tips for hand-washing yarn garments:
- Select the right water temperature
- When hand washing yarn garments, use cool water to avoid shrinking them. If you’re washing a blended garment, you can use warm water.
- Select the right detergent
- Use a gentle detergent when hand washing your yarn garments. Avoid using any fabric softeners as they might make your garment too slippery.
- Add your garments to the water
- Wearing gloves gently drop your garments into the water. Make sure that the water isn’t too hot as cooler temperatures are better for cleaning delicate fabrics.
- Let your garments soak
- Leave the garments soaking in the water for around 10 minutes. This will help the detergent work better.
- Rinse and wring out your garments
- After your garments have soaked, gently rinse them. Don’t wring them out too tightly as this might cause your knitted fabrics to stretch.
- Lay them out to dry
- You can either lay your garments out on a flat surface or hang them up.
How to dry home-knitted garments
Once you’ve cleaned your garments, you’ll need to dry them. When drying yarn garments, it’s important to let them air dry completely. Otherwise, they might shrink and become misshapen.
During the drying process, they might stretch out a little, but they’ll shrink back after they have completely dried. Here are some tips for drying yarn garments:
- Select the right drying temperature
- When drying yarn garments, use cool temperatures to avoid shrinking them.
- Select the right hanger
- It’s best to use wooden or plastic hangers for drying garments. You can also use an old clean rug to dry your garments.
- Let your garments dry completely
- It’s important to dry your garments completely in order to avoid shrinkage and deformation.
Conclusion
Knitting is a great hobby, but many knitters are a little nervous about cleaning their hand-knitted garments. Washing home-knitted garments can be tricky for some knitters—it’s not as simple as throwing any old garment in the washing machine!
Fortunately, it isn’t impossible either. With a little guidance, you’ll be able to clean your knitted garments easily and responsibly. When you know how to wash home-knitted garments, you’ll be able to keep your garments fresh and clean for longer. And you’ll be able to enjoy wearing your hand-knitted creations for years to come!