How to wash a knitted thing so that it sits down?

Knitwear is always beautiful. Such products do not go out of fashion, on the contrary, they become more popular every year. True, there is one drawback. Since all these products are made using exclusively natural threads, without synthetics, over time they quickly lose their shape and stretch greatly. But you can solve this problem, for example, by washing them correctly.

How to do it? How to achieve the effect of proper shrinkage? Read more about this in our special article.

Knitted woolen things require a particularly delicate attitude. But, despite all the care that the owners show towards them, they still lose their shape. In particular, this applies to various jackets and sweaters. As a rule, sleeves, shoulder zones and collars are stretched in these products. It will not be possible to return your favorite item to its previous appearance with the help of ordinary washing, here you need to know a few secrets in order to accurately wash a knitted item so that it sits down.

There are certain rules that help to return things to their perfect look. Most importantly, this does not require professional skills or any expensive means. Everything can be easily done at home.

Before choosing one of the shrinkage methods of the product, you need to remember the following recommendations.

• To get started, examine the product tag to know exactly what yarn was used. If synthetic threads predominate, then a slightly different wash will be required than if the product is made more using natural threads.
• Thanks to the information on the tag, you can find out at what temperature it is recommended to wash the product so as not to damage its fibers and shape. It is worth paying special attention to this, because the degree of shrinkage itself will depend directly on the washing temperature. The higher the washing temperature, the more the item will shrink.
• We recommend that you remember one more rule. Things that have been knitted on their own tend to stretch much faster. The reason is quite understandable. The fact is that during large-scale production, a large percentage of synthetic yarn is added, which does not allow things to quickly lose their shape.

If a knitted thing, for example, a sweater or a hat, does not need washing and shrinking, then you should not carry out the procedure once again. From frequent washing, products can be damaged, lose their shape, the fibers become looser and thinner. There are only two methods of shrinkage: manual and using a washing machine. Let's first consider the first option.

Many people prefer hand washing, not because there is no washing machine in the house, but because they cannot trust their favorite thing to a soulless appliance. Before starting the washing process, study the label. Once you have all the necessary information, prepare a wide basin, detergent, the product itself and clean towels, which will come in handy at the very end.

• Fill a basin with hot water. As for the temperature, there is a very simple rule that we recommend that you remember.To shrink a knitted product, the water must be fifteen to twenty degrees higher than the temperature indicated on the tag itself. That is, if it is recommended to wash a thing at twenty degrees, then in order to reduce the size of a thing, it must be washed at forty degrees. The arithmetic is quite simple and understandable.

• Pour a small amount of fabric softener, which is designed exclusively for washing woollens, directly into the water, and then immerse the item itself in it. The air conditioner will help your favorite thing to remain as cozy, fluffy and tender, because often after washing such products begin to prick unpleasantly.
• The product must be left in hot water for literally twenty to thirty minutes. After that, we recommend removing it and immersing it in cold water for fifteen minutes. Then comes a more crucial moment - the drying process, on which much will depend.
• When removing the product from the water, do not squeeze it out, twist it or hang it up so that the water is glassy. All these manipulations can seriously damage the fibers, and the product can be deformed.
• If you washed small items, such as a hat, socks or a scarf, then excess moisture can be removed from them quickly and easily by wrapping them in a clean terry towel. If the product is voluminous, for example, a sweater or jacket, then here you will need to prepare a drying place in advance.

Lay a large terry towel or a wide sheet, lay the product on it carefully, do not stretch it.The thing must be laid out in such a way that it does not stretch or deform. You can put another towel on top.

As soon as the towels are saturated with water, they should be replaced with clean and dry ones. Repeat this until the item is completely dry. Ideally, the procedure can be carried out outdoors or on a balcony where you can arrange a draft.

Most of the new generation washing machines are equipped with special programs that are ideal for washing delicate items such as wool. Usually, such a program already includes a gentle temperature and a delicate spin that will not damage the fibers of the fabric.

• Before machine washing, place the item to be shrunk in a special bag. If the house did not have a laundry bag, then this is not a problem. We recommend using the most common pillowcase as a bag. Give preference to white fabric, without any color patterns. So you are guaranteed to protect the delicate product from damage, and its appearance will not be hopelessly damaged.

• Then you can safely lay the thing in the drum of the washing machine. Add a suitable powder or liquid product. Remember that the temperature must be set twenty degrees more than the recommended one, and you can completely refuse to spin. But if you decide to set the spin cycle, then no more than five hundred revolutions, otherwise the clothes will be irretrievably damaged.
• If your washing machine does not have a program for washing woolen items, then it is quite possible to select a delicate or hand wash program.
• After the product has been washed, it must be removed from the drum and placed in a bowl of ice water. You can add small ice cubes from the freezer to the water. Leave the item in ice water for ten to fifteen minutes.
• If the thing is not enough village, you can do the following. Rinse the product in warm water for three minutes. Then soak again in a bowl of ice water. The procedure can be repeated two or three times to achieve the desired effect.
• The next step is to start the drying process. In this case, everything is done in exactly the same way as described above, with the hand washing method.

And finally, we have tips and tricks that are sure to come in handy for each of you.

• When hand washing delicate items such as knitted items, you should not use a conventional detergent, namely washing powder. This can lead to deformation of the fibers. In addition, particles of such an agent are difficult to wash out and remain in the material. Give preference to special products: gels and liquid powders, which are recommended directly for woolen items. You can also choose baby powder or the most common laundry soap for washing.
• We do not recommend using bleach when washing woolen clothes. They can seriously damage not only the fibers, but also spoil the original color of the product. Therefore, we advise you to give preference to the means that we talked about above.
• When manually washing any contamination on a knitted item, do not use special brushes, they will damage the fabric and the threads themselves.Wash gently with your hands only.
• To preserve the rich color of your favorite product, you should add a small amount of table vinegar to the water. The vinegar will help set the color. Just remember that it should not be multi-percent acetic acid.
• In order for a stretched knitted hat to fit one size, you can wash it in a simple way and leave it to dry without laying the fabric.

• If you decide to wash a knitted item in an automatic machine, then it is best not to put any more products into the drum. Wash one item at a time for best results.
• During the process of drying sweaters and jackets, remember that this should never be done on a coat hanger, as the product will stretch and take an ugly shape. After that, you will have to repeat the entire shrinkage procedure.
• In the event that after washing the thing has sat down, but has become a little longer, this is easy to fix. Of course, only if the thing is still wet. Stretch it slightly so that it returns to its original, correct length. Then dry in the way you already know.
• If it is necessary, on the contrary, to stretch the thing, then this can be done with the help of an iron.
• In order to prevent pellets from appearing on things, you can add a little table vinegar to a basin of water. Literally one tablespoon.
• If you do not want your favorite knitted clothes to quickly lose their shape, then you need to remember a few simple rules for storing such things. Sweaters or sweaters should not be stored on ordinary hangers in the closet.

• Knitted items should be stored in special bags.Items must be pre-washed and dried thoroughly. We recommend putting a product in a bag, which should be made of dense fabric, that will help avoid the appearance of harmful moths.
• If you need to quickly return the lost shape to the sleeves, cuffs or neck of a knitted sweater, then you can do this using the following method. Type warm water into the spray bottle, apply water only to the problem area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe product. While, for example, the cuff is wet, you can give it the desired shape: slightly tighten, stretch, etc. Next, you need to lay out the thing on a flat horizontal surface and dry it according to all the above rules.
• In order for the holes for the buttons on the product not to stretch, it is better to lightly grab them with a thread beforehand.

How to wash a knitted item so that it sits down, see the next video.