Caring for your
sweaters can be confusing since they’re made from so many
types of fibers: cotton, wool, acrylic, angora, rayon, silk
and more. Luckily, Door To Door Cleaners knows exactly how to
keep your favorites looking their best.
First
Rule : Read the Care Label
Follow the care label closely to prevent shrinkage and stretching.
Many sweaters require hand washing, some can be machine washed
on delicate cycle, many should be dry cleaned only. If you’re
not sure what to do, just talk to the experts at Door To Door
Cleaners.
Common Problems
Depending on the fiber, sweaters are susceptible to stretching,
shrinkage, pulls and pilling both from use and cleaning. Of
course, some stretching can be expected from normal wear and
care. Generally, the softer the knit, the more likely it is
to show some change in texture or feel which may be aggravated
with washing or cleaning procedures.
Everyday
Care
Keep your sweaters folded over padded hangers in a well-ventilated
closet or folded in drawers. Do not hang a sweater from the
shoulders; the weight of the sweater can cause it to stretch.
Be sure to empty pockets, remove belts, and close zippers to
keep the finish smooth. If recommended on the care label, tumble
dry at low temperatures. Otherwise, lay garments flat to dry.
Always keep sweaters clean and treat stains right away. When
spills are blotted immediately and then professionally removed,
stains won’t develop later.
Acrylic
Acrylic knit sweaters are often difficult to distinguish from
wool. For this reason, paying attention to the care label and
content is especially important. Acrylic is a thermoplastic
fiber. This means it can be affected by heat and its fibers
may be stretched as a result of high temperatures used in ironing
and drying. For this reason, tension during ironing should be
avoided. Lay the garment flat to dry or, if recommended by the
care label, tumble dry at low temperatures.
Angora
Angora rabbit hair is a blend of wool and synthetic fibers and
shrinkage is its biggest problem. Even machine washing on a
delicate cycle causes more shrinkage than hand washing. If machine
washing is recommended on the care label, use mild detergent.
However, usually hand washing is recommended and will be less
damaging. Lay the garment flat to dry.
Camel’s
Hair/Cashmere/Mohair
Camel’s hair, cashmere, and mohair are soft, touchable
wools. Camel’s hair is a fabric made from the hair of
a camel, sometimes blended with wool. Fibers from the camel
family include camel’s hair, alpaca, guanaco, llama and
vicuna. Cashmere and mohair both come from goats and are often
blended with wool or synthetic fibers. Mohair is the stronger
of the two fibers. Due to their construction, most sweaters
made of these fibers are “dry clean only.”
Chenille
Chenille yarns resemble a pipe cleaner or caterpillar. In fact,
chenille is French for caterpillar. This fabric has a soft,
luxurious appearance and texture. However, abrasion damage and
snagging are common among chenille garments. Normal rubbing
and friction on the fabric will initiate the condition. The
necessary agitation of cleaning further aggravates the damage.
For washable chenille articles, hand washing may be safer than
machine washing, even if the article is labeled as such. Machine
washing, even on a gentle cycle, can cause excessive fabric
damage. After washing, lay the garment flat to dry.
Wool
Popular wool is a protein fiber spun from sheep’s hair
that is durable, comfortable and an excellent insulator. However,
wool requires special handling in both dry cleaning and laundering.
If the care label suggests hand washing, use cool water and
a mild detergent. Soak up to five minutes and rinse thoroughly.
Squeeze out excess water without wringing or twisting. Lay the
garment flat to dry, away from sunlight and direct heat. If
the label suggests machine washing, use the gentle cycle. Wool
sweaters also require special handling in stain removal because
excess moisture can result in severe mating, pilling, shrinkage
and discoloration.
Leave it
to Door To Door Cleaners
Remember, if in doubt, don’t shrink it and throw it out…bring
all your sweaters to the professionals at Door To Door Cleaners.
We pay close attention to the details so your sweaters will
look fabulous for many seasons to come. |
