Buying new hoodies and sweaters to develop a sustainable habit of wearing them in winter isn’t easy.

But…

The cooler months of winter allow you to try out almost every aspect of your winter clothing closet. During the four months of winter, the weather calls for layering to keep warm.

Hoodies and sweaters are made from different materials, including wool (breathable), cashmere (butterfly-soft), yarn or homey cable knits, cotton, etc. The materials offer warmth and comfort in cold weather.  It’s important to keep your clothes nice for when you head into the office or a setup a new work location with desk booking software.  We all want to look our best!

and need to look great.

The aftercare rules for your hoodies and sweaters include:

• Washing
• Drying
• Folding
• Ironing, and/or
• Hanging on the clothes rack.

Keeping Winter Wool Sweaters in Shape

The aftercare guidelines help prevent misshapen wool. Keep your sweaters in top shape and avoid pulling at threads. Otherwise, you’ll soon be pulling at your hair in frustration.

So…

It’s important to ensure that your hoodies and sweaters are consistently in the same shape.

Sweaters and women’s hoodies are comfortable and casual, hence their popularity as winter clothing. Although they’re also durable, they require cleaning or washing. Whichever way you decide to clean your winter wear, make sure you don’t do that all the time.

During winter, proper care of your hoodies and sweaters becomes handy. They become clean, soft, and comfortable after washing. The clothing remains comfy, soft, and in shape for multiple years.

Prewashing Your Sweaters and Hoodies

Sweaters are high-maintenance, but most of them don’t require washing each time they’re worn. You don’t have to wash your winter clothes after every use.

Wear your hoodies and sweaters at least four times before washing them. Read the label for instructions on how to best wash your winter clothing. And, air them for storage for reuse before you can wash them.

Moreover, most sweaters are made using cashmere or natural fibers. Hand-wash your winter clothing using the correct instructions to prolong their lifespan.

How to Wash Your Winter Clothing (such as hoodies)

Turn your clothing inside out and soak them in cold water for about 30 minutes. Do this before washing using non-invasive detergents and warm water for rinsing.

Lay each garment flat on the dryer rack and mimic the original shape to prevent any form of shrinkage. Place your clothing in the freezer cycle for about 30 minutes to avoid washing machine blasting. When done, scrape off cosmetic residues to prevent damaging the delicate fabric.

Cleaning Your Winter Clothing

Do the following to clean your hoodies and sweaters:

• Hand wash every fitness item, but don’t wring, rub or rinse. Instead, use a towel to cover the item and eliminate excess water and moisture.
• Machine wash with cold water for better temperature control. Cover with a towel to eliminate excess water or moisture. You may find hand-wash cycles in some washing machines.

Hand-washing your sweaters increases their durability and keeps the fibers in-place.

Source: Creative Commons

• Drying – hang sweaters meant for hand-washing flat to dry over low heat. However, you can dry machine-washable hoodies and sweaters in low-heat dryers.
• Blocking – soft sweaters and hoodies meant for hand-wash only are prone to shape loss. Mark your sweaters’ outline onto a craft paper before cleaning it. Use it to block your sweaters to previous shapes and sizes, for restoration purposes.
• Dry cleaning – use in-dryer kits for cleaning to block your hoodies and sweaters. Professional dry cleaners wash and clean at a fee. Opt for dry cleaning if your clothing has light soil and stains that may distort the shape of your sweaters.

What to Avoid and Why

Don’t hang delicate knits during aftercare of your hoodies and sweaters. Instead, hang them on your clothes line or the door of your wardrobe. Fold your wool clothes without stretching your silhouette.

Gently shave off the flat fluff that your fabric may have developed, downwards. The smooth strokes ensure that the shaving lasts longer.

Some fabrics require hand-washing while others need dry cleaning. Never let your hoodies and sweaters go through drying machines (dryers) to prevent likely damages on the wool.

Daily Care and Storage

Fold your hoodies and sweaters for quick and neat storage. Don’t hang sweaters because they can easily stretch out of shape. And, make sure that you wear the right jewelry with your winter clothing. This is attributed to the fact that some knits are delicate, hence get snagged easily.

Source: Creative Commons

When storing your winter sweaters and hoodies, make sure they’re all clean prior to storage. Remove all soils and stains on your winter clothing to keep off insects and other bugs. The spots with stains can easily darken or become yellow over time, hence must be cleaned.

Winter clothing such as sweaters don’t need ironing. Moreover, ironing can offset stubborn stains that aren’t easy to remove. Stains that keep reappearing are usually hard to remove.

Store your well-folded sweaters in cool, dry, and dark places with proper ventilation. Some great storage solutions for winter clothing include:

• A cardboard box
• An airtight chest and,
• A closet.

Avoid using plastic bags and bins to reduce the effect of trapped moisture and air, which, in turn, develops a damp, unsuitable atmosphere.

Wear T-Shirts Underneath Your Clothing to Extend Washes

Extend the time before washing your hoodies and sweaters because regular cleaning isn’t good for sweaters. Create a barrier between your skin and winter clothing to limit friction on the fashion fabric.

Elements such as body odor, deodorants, sweat, and skin oils can also influence the ability of your hoodies and sweaters to lose shape. Therefore, your winter clothing stays intact for a longer period (due to reduced washes) with a t-shirt worn underneath as a barrier.