Washing a sweater seems like an easy idea but have you ever thought of how to effectively wash yours? A sweater is a garment worn on top of other clothes to provide warmth to the body. They are different materials used in the making of a sweater. Some of the most common fabrics include: -

This is wool which comes from goats. It is extremely soft, warm and lightweight.

It is a very common fabric in the clothing line. It is mostly used as a casual dressing by most people.

It is a lightweight fabric used for warm weather. A lot of people do not like wearing this type of fabric as it wrinkles.

This is a soft and durable fabric that retains heat in the body as well. It is not easy to find sweaters with 100% silk as most of them are usually mixed together.

Since all these fabrics are used in the making of a sweater, how are each of them properly washed? Most linen, cotton and silk sweaters are preferred to be washed by hand. It is always advisable to wash linen colors separately e.g. dark and white. One should avoid using bleach as it weakens the fibers and may affect its color. Bleach products used in washing always make the material to fade. In this case, use a normal bar soap to do your washing. Always soak stains immediately to avoid using tough detergents in washing them out.

Sweaters can be washed by either: -

• Dry Cleaning

• Machine washing

• Hand Wash

Dry cleaning is mostly done for wools. Cotton too may be dry cleaned, but not as necessarily compared to wool. It is the best way to preserve the color and the wool texture. In case of tough stains, it is always advisable to use dry cleaning services.

Labels that come with most sweaters do also provide a hint on how these sweaters are to be washed. If you use machine washing on cotton material fabrics it is recommended to use cold water. Air dry is the best way to use after washing but not with the use of a drier.

Most sweaters can be hand-washed except for a few that need a machine. Here are some of the tips on handwashing: -

• Wash with cold water and a normal bar soap

• Rinse with the cold water to remove soap. It is recommended not to twist your garment as it may compromise with the shape by stretching it out

• Take the wet sweater and cover it with a dry towel and then roll the towel up with the garment in it as this helps remove the excess water

Take the garment and lay it on a dry surface until it’s air-dried. The beauty of doing this is that the garment will not lose its original shape plus it helps keep the fabric strong and durable.

It is also worthy to note that the above process cannot be followed if you are using a cashmere fabric. The only difference between the steps above is that you will have to use warm water as compared to cold water with the other fabrics.