Tips To Take Care Of Your Woollen Clothes After Winter

It’s wintertime, and you must have packed your wardrobe with your favourite woollen outfits. They not only make you look cool and stylish but most importantly keep you warm and protected from the dipping temperature. However, since wool is a natural fabric, it is quite delicate and requires some special care and handling. Else, it may easily lose its shape and colour.

Therefore, you must put in some extra efforts to ensure that your woollen clothes last longer. After all, nobody likes to loosen his/her pocket for buying them new every winter. Below are some handy tips that can help you keep your woollens safe and soft through the season and after winter too:

1. Brush them with a cashmere brush

You should avoid washing your woollen clothes as they may lose their sheen and warmness. Instead, use a cashmere brush to keep it clean. Woollen clothes may easily accumulate dust, hairs, and fuzz, and hence, it’s prudent to brush them after every use. Brushing also helps in reviving the yarns by releasing their natural oil.

2. Always dry-clean or dry-wash your woollen garments

As mentioned above, woollen clothes lose their shine and colour if washed frequently with water. Hence, you should avoid doing so unless you’ve no other option. Instead, you can dry-clean or dry-wash it, using petroleum. If you don’t know how to do it, you can take help of the laundry services near you.

3. Wash in “Delicate or Woollen” mode only with mild detergents

In case you have no option but to wash your woollen clothes, you should do so only in washing machines with “Delicate” or “Woollen” mode on. Also, you should use mild detergents only, which are specifically available for washing woollen clothes. Using powder detergents, which are harsh on fabrics, may destroy woollen garments.

4. Dry them on a flat surface, away from direct sunlight

Unlike other clothes, you should never hang your woollen garments via a rope or hanger to dry. It’s because wool absorbs a lot of water and become heavy, which may cause the fabric to stretch and your outfit may lose its shape. Hence, it’s advisable always to dry them on a flat surface. Also, it would be best if you do it at room temperature, away from direct heat or sunlight.

5. Always use steam heat to iron your woollen clothes

You should never iron your woollen garments when it’s dry. Instead, use a steam iron or make them steam-wet before ironing. It will prevent your woollen clothes from shrinking and losing their shape. Also, you should keep your woollens inside-out and iron them from the inside to avert any chances of damage on their visible sides.

6. Fold your woollen garments and store them neatly in an almirah

Storing your woollen clothes properly is as important as cleaning and maintaining them. As mentioned earlier, woollen garments may get stretched and lose their shape if you keep hanging them through hangers. Hence, you should fold them neatly and store them in a covered almirah or wardrobe. Also, ensure that they are not cramped up together as this may cause wrinkles.

7. Spread naphthalene balls around your garments before packing them

After the winter is gone and you’re done with your sweaters, mufflers, and shawls, you need to pack them for reuse the next season. But, do you know woollen garments are vulnerable to moth attacks and germ build-ups?

Hence, it’s advisable to spread some naphthalene balls or neem leaves around your woollen garments before you pack them for the next winter. It will keep them fresh and fragrant until you take them out again after several months.

To Sum it Up

Though you may love the stylish looks and cosy comforts that your woollen clothes provide you, it can be a bit difficult to take care of them and keep them in good shape for a long time. By following the few simple tips listed above, you can increase the shelf life of your woollen garments and make them look great, season after season.