Knitwear Care Guide

Caring for your knitwear is the most important factor you need to think about when you buy knitwear. Knitwear is a commitment. It’s a relationship. It is a way of life.



 

Top tips before we get into the nitty-gritty.

  • Wash your knitwear as little as possible. Don’t over do it, if you need to wash your knitwear that much you probably need to deal with some other problems.
  • Bobbles and Pills. Yes, glorious imperfections will surface,. They only come once and after they are removed, ought not come back. The stories of perfect knits that have never bobbled are usually because the person hasn’t checked the composition label. But when there is a bobble, you can remove it by hand or with a debobbling machine, and keep going. Take your time and your knit should be softer than ever!
  • Dry Cleaning is not your friend. Renounce it. Your garments crave something gentler, more poetic.

Pre-Gaming

Before you wash, turn it inside out. Particularly Cardigan Knitwear with embroidered
stones. If there is a specific stain that needs to be dealt with, tackle that first, before
washing the whole garment. Sometimes just the stain needs to be dealt with and you can continue wearing the knit without having to wash it fully.

We touch everything, so should you

Caring for your knitted items is best done by hand. In a basin in a sink or bathtub, using cold water, you should allow the item to soak in an appropriate non-Bio detergent for up to 5 minutes. Using your hands to disturb the water and knit, get the item soaked with the water by hand and continue to watch for a further 5 minutes. A maximum of 10 minutes is all you need in the water.

We have listed a few options of detergent below and linked several that we think work well. Our preference is Tangent GC.

 

 

Avoid operating heavy machinery while cleaning

Once you have washed your knit, keep it away from the tumble dryer, that would be a pact with the Devil. Just never go there, don’t do it. You don’t want to regret this day for the rest of your time.

Instead, you can remove excess water from the knit by rolling it up in a clean towel and pressing down to get as much water as possible to run out of the knit into the towel. This can still be done in or over the basin so you don’t drench the floor or worktop.

You should then lay the knit out flat as open as possible without stretching it, and while trying to maintain its original shape. This can be done on top of a new clean towel either on the floor or a countertop where it is out of the way. Feel free to find the warmest room in your house or somewhere with underfloor heating. Avoid direct sunlight while it lays out to dry.

Kiss of Life

Once the knit is dry, feel free to give it a gentle steam with either an iron or steamer. Lay it flat on a clean surface and use the steam held about 3-5cm away from the surface without making contact. Steam irons or clothing steamers are great for this. If you can used de-ionised water in your steamer or iron that would be preferable, but not required. This will help remove any creases from washing and drying and give it a refreshing restart.

Who let the Moths in?

When storing your knits, keep them folded, never hanging. In between wears or usage, where possible keep them in zip lock moth proof bags. Whether it is a reusable plastic storage bag, or biodegradable plastic free option, you just want it to be sealed. Always keep your wardrobe fully protected against moths using any means possible. You can never go far enough with protecting your wool and cashmere, you can only regret the day you found a hole because you didn’t take all the precautions you had available to you.

Suggested Detergents:

Suggested reusable storage bags: