How to Care for Wool Sweaters

You Usually Can Wash Them at Home

The myth that wool and cashmere must go to the dry cleaner is worth dropping. All animal fibers, sheep, merino, alpaca, cashmere, use the same gentle process, and home care saves money and shrinkage scares. A wool-specific wash or even a mild hair shampoo works, because wool is hair. The difference is simply how you handle it.

Hand-Wash the Gentle Way

Fill a basin with tepid water and a squirt of wool wash, submerge the sweater, and swish for about thirty seconds. Let it soak up to half an hour, then drain and rinse with cool water. The crucial step is to never wring it: pressing the water out by gathering the sweater into a ball protects the wet, weakened fibers from being pulled out of shape.

The Machine Option, Done Safely

If you prefer the machine, place the sweater in a mesh bag, choose the delicate cycle, set the water to cold, and keep the spin low. Agitation is what shrinks or felts wool, so high heat and rough cycles are the enemy. Pull the sweater out the moment the cycle ends to keep creasing down.

Dry Flat, Never Hang

Keep knits far from the dryer, which is famous for shrinking them. Lay the sweater flat on a towel or rack and coax it back to its natural shape, then let it air dry. Rolling it in a towel like a sleeping bag speeds things up. Hanging a wet sweater is a no, the shoulders and sleeves stretch into shapes they should not keep.

Depill and Store for Next Season

Pilling is normal, not a flaw. Remove little balls with a fabric comb or electric shaver, being careful not to cut the cloth. Before storing, measure the sweater and block it to those dimensions, then fold it into a drawer or shelf, never on a hanger. Clean, dry, and folded is how wool survives the off-season.