One of the best ways to save money in the long run and be sustainable is to dedicate time and energy caring for your clothes. A properly cared for piece of knitwear can last decades and that’s why I manage to thrift most of mine. In fact, vintage shops are full of gorgeous jumpers in perfect condition.
In this article, I’m sharing some of the best tips I’ve been given throughout the years to keep my knits in great shape all year round. For even more tips and hacks like these, head to Substack and become a member of the Slow Fashion Weekly newsletter.
Storing your knitwear the right way
Fold your jumpers
It’s better to fold your jumpers and creating neat piles rather than put them on hanger in your wardrobe. Hangers tend to stretch the fibres on the shoulder area, especially on heavy chunky knits. This technique also makes you take available wardrobe space into consideration when you’re shopping, which is a pretty effective strategy to buy less.
Keep the moth away
Moths are naturally attracted to the proteins in wool fibres and love leaving little holes behind. You can buy an assortment of cedar wood shapes and lavender freshener to keep them at bay. Place these cedar balls strategically in between the jumpers and lavender fresheners between jackets. If it’s too late and you’ve found moth holes in your sweaters, put them in the freezer for 48 hours to kill the moth eggs then wash the sweater.
Caring for your knitwear sustainably
Shave the bobbles
Invest in a little electric bobble remover or shaver. Bobbles are formed by fabrics rubbing against each other. They’re usually found on the sleeves in the armpit area, on the back where your jumper rubs against your coat, etc.These little bobbles can easily and quickly be removed with this affordable shaving tool that leaves the fabric smooth again. It makes an old jumper look brand new in minutes. Mine if from Phillips and you can shop it here.
Cold-wash and flat-dry your knitwear
Depending on how much you trust your washing machine, you can wash them on the wool and silk cycle, at 30°C and reduce the spin. Wool is very breathable, has natural anti-microbial properties and doesn’t absorb stains and odours easily so you don’t need to wash your jumpers often.
How to hand wash a thick wool jumper:
- Soak the jumper in cold water for a few hours until it has absorbed the moisture and feels very heavy.
- Use a wooden spoon to swirl the jumper around a large plastic container filled with cold water and the right amount of laundry detergent (for wool). I use this eco-friendly detergent from Ecover. Another product you can use is Tangent GC TGC041 via Thought Clothing or this one from the Lab Collective
- Let it soak a bit if the jumper smells bad or is particularly dirty.
- Rinse well (in the shower for example). Don’t twist the fabric but press it firmly with your hand whilst rinsing to remove all the detergent. Continue to do so to remove the water.
- Lie the jumper flat on a surface and let it dry for a day or two. You can speed up the process by pat-drying with a towel. Ideally, you should put it outside to dry naturally in the sun. Alternatively, you can use this flat drying rack.
- Bonus: if the smell lingers after this, spray pure vodka on it and let dry in the sun.
Mending and spot-cleaning
Tiny holes don’t need to be a reason to throw a perfectly fine jumper away or to forget it at the back of your wardrobe. This tutorial on youtube is under 10 minutes and shows you exactly how to mend a hole on a woolly jumper. For bigger repairs, you can use a local seamstress to help you figure out how to hide them. I found accessories like brooches and pins can also help hide holes and small flaws on top of being really cool.
Eco-friendly recipe to spot clean a jumper:
- Mix bicarbonate soda with eco-friendly detergent in a bowl
- Soak an old toothbrush, a soft sponge or cotton cloth for soft fabrics
- Brush the spot delicately using circular movements
- If the spot remains, add a spoonful of this French product ‘eau écarlate’ to the mixture (available on Amazon)
- Spray water on the spot to rinse the products
- Let dry
- Wear forever!
Dry-clean your biggest pieces once a year before the winter
Bring your coats to the dry-cleaner once a year before the winter if you feel they need sprucing up. More and more dry cleaners are switching to eco-friendly methods and removing harmful chemicals from the process. A pioneer is Blanc in London that offers wet cleaning designed especially for wool.
