How to Wash a Sweater

Wool is a warm and durable material. With proper care, you can wear a wool coat for many years. Your sweater may have to be washed several times each season, and you need to know how to care for it so it doesn’t ruffle, shrink, or deform. While some sweaters are machine washable, hand washing is generally safer. Another important thing when washing sweaters is to avoid putting them in the dryer, as this will cause the sweater to shrink.

Table of Contents

Prepare before washing wool coats

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Read the instruction label. You should always read the label on your sweater before you wash it, as it contains exact instructions on how to care for the product. Please check the following information: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

Can the shirt be washed in the washing machine or must be hand washed?
What washing mode to use (if machine wash is allowed)
What type of soap should I use?
Other cleaning and care instructions
Instructions for drying
Does the shirt need to be dry cleaned?

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Dust off the sweater. Lightly brush the sweater with a dusting brush to remove dust, food, dirt, and other debris from the wool. To prevent the wool from getting ruffled and ruffled, you need to brush it vertically from the collar down to the hem.

You can use a damp cloth to dust the sweater if you don’t have a clothes brush.

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Clean the dirty spots on the sweater. Find and clean dirt, food, and other stains on sweaters. Rub a small amount of a mild soap like Wopite into the dirty area. Use your fingers to gently rub the soap until the stain comes off.

Even if you don’t see any stains, you should clean areas such as collars, wrists, and armpits.
You can also use a stain remover or wool soap to clean sweaters. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Wash sweaters by hand

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Rinse the bathtub. Rinse the tub with soapy water and a sponge, then rinse with soapy water. That way you’ll have a clean area to work in and prevent the dirt in the tub from spreading to your sweater. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you don’t have a bathtub, you can use a sink or wash basin.

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Fill the tub with water and add soap. Once the tub is clean, close the drain plug and fill the tub with warm water. Pour 30 ml of mild liquid soap such as Wopite or baby shower gel into the running water. Collect enough soapy water to submerge the sweater.

Remember to use only warm water instead of hot water. Hot water can shrink sweaters.

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Soak the sweater. Soak the sweater in soapy water. Press down until the sweater soaks up enough water so it won’t float. Soak the shirt for about 30 minutes. Squeeze all over the shirt with your hands to make sure the soapy water soaks into every wool fiber. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Soak the sweater in water to prevent shrinkage.

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Knead the sweater to remove dirt. After soaking for 1-2 hours, scrub the dirty areas with your hands to remove dirt and grime, then shake the shirt in water to dislodge the grit.

Do not rub wool surfaces together, as you will cause the sweater to ruffle. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Rinse the sweater. Remove all soapy water from the bathtub. Put the sweater in a large bucket. Rinse the tub, then fill it with warm water. Put the shirt back in the tub filled with clean water. Rinse the sweater in water to remove the soapy and sandy soil. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Rinse several times if the water is still soapy.

Wash sweaters in the washing machine

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Put the sweater in the laundry bag. Your sweater is machine washable if it says on the label. Before washing your sweater, turn it inside out and put it in a laundry mesh bag. This will prevent the shirt from rubbing and hooking in the washing machine. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

You can use a large pillowcase if you don’t have a laundry bag. Put the sweater in the pillowcase and tie it up.
If the shirt is too big to fit the pillowcase, you can wrap it in a bed sheet and tie a knot around the shirt.

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Put water and soap in the washing machine. Put the washing machine with warm water in the drum. Pour 30 ml of soap for washing wool or delicate materials like Wopite while the water is running. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Soaking sweaters is an important step in the washing process. If you’re using a front-loading washing machine and you can’t soak your sweater, you can hand wash it or soak it in the tub before putting it in the washing machine.

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Soak the sweater. Place the sweater in the soapy water in the washing tub. Press down on the shirt to let the yarns soak in the water and the shirt sinks. Open the washing machine lid and soak the shirt in soapy water for 30 minutes. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Soaking the sweater is to prevent the wool from shrinking and to help the stains come off.

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Wash clothes. Close the washing machine lid after the sweater has been soaked for 30 minutes. Set to gentle wash, hand wash or wool wash. Turn on the washing machine and let it do the work. ^{[10] X Research Source}

It is important that you use the wash cycle for wool or delicate fabrics, as this will reduce the amount of kneading and rubbing that causes the wool to ruffle.
Remember to use only warm water to prevent the sweater from shrinking.
When the wash cycle is complete, remove the sweater from the mesh bag and turn it right side out.

Drying the sweater

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Squeeze the water to drain. Holding the shirt by the sink or bathtub, gently squeeze the shirt from top to bottom to let the water drain. Do not wring or twist the sweater to avoid stretching or deforming it.

When you squeeze down to the hem, you can go back up and squeeze the shirt again from top to bottom.

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Roll the sweater in a towel. Spread a large bath towel on the table and spread the shirt over the towel. Roll both the sweater and the towel together like a jam roll. Once the shirt is rolled up in the towel, press against the towel to let the towel absorb the moisture in the sweater. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Do not wring or twist the sweater while it is rolled up in the towel.
Open the towel and take out the sweater.

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Spread the sweater on a flat surface to dry. Replace wet towels with clean, dry towels. Spread the shirt on a towel and let it dry. After a day, turn the shirt over to dry the other side. It may take 2-3 days for the sweater to dry.

You should never hang up a wet sweater to dry. This type of sweater can stretch and deform.
Never put a sweater in the dryer, as the heat can cause the sweater to shrink.

Advice

You can keep your sweater clean by cleaning up stains as needed and hanging it up and air-drying it after each wear.

Warning

Do not use a washing machine to wash sweaters, hand wash is recommended. You can damage the materials that give the shirt its shape and structure, such as glue, cotton lining or lining fabric.

Steps