Caring for Your Knitwear
Wool is naturally breathable, insulating, moisture-wicking and resistant to odours. When cared for properly, wool garments can maintain their quality, shape, and become more cherished with every wear.
Discover our recommendations for washing, drying, and storing your knitwear.
How to Wash
Washing knitwear carefully and infrequently is key to protecting its unique character. For natural fibres like wool and cashmere, airing knitwear out is often sufficient to keep it looking and feeling fresh.
When you wash your knitwear, we recommend these steps:
- Wash by hand in cool water with a wool detergent. Submerge the garment fully and lather gently and slowly.
- Avoid soaking, stretching, rubbing or using fabric softener, as it may cause pilling.
- Rinse well and gently squeeze out water, but avoid wringing or compressing the fabric.
How to Dry
Drying or spinning knitwear in a machine will likely shrink or distort its shape. Instead, we recommend the following:
- Lay the garment loosely on a clean towel, roll it up, and press gently until the excess water is absorbed. Avoid wringing or rolling it too tightly.
- Lay the garment on a clean surface to dry slowly. Ensure the garment is flat, as hanging and draping can distort the shape.
- Iron as needed on a cool setting.
Pilling
Even the highest quality yarns are prone to pilling, particularly soft and fine varieties. While this occurs naturally with wear, there are easy ways to restore the smooth, even surface of a new garment.
To remove pilling:
- Use an electric fabric shaver, comb or sweater stone to remove any raised pills.
- Hold the shaver slightly above the surface of your knitwear, moving it back and forth slowly without making direct contact.
- If using a comb or sweater stone, brush it gently across the fabric in one direction to pull away loose pills.
- After doing this once or twice, your garment should pill less frequently.
How to Store
How you store your knitwear between wears and across seasons is very important. Improper storage can lead to misshapen garments and damage from moths.
- Fold your knitwear and keep it in a drawer, rather than hanging it in a wardrobe. This prevents hanger marks and stretching around the neckline, which can occur when the weight of the fabric pulls the garment down.
- Use natural moth deterrents, such as lavender or cedar wood.
- Over the warmer months, consider storing your unworn winter knitwear in sealed bags to protect it from moths.
- Check your knitwear for holes regularly and air it out on occasion.
How to Repair Knitwear
Through highlighting examples from our free mending service we hope to inspire others to give new life to their worn TOAST garments.
