Related Article: How-To Launder and Care for Handmade Garments
1 - I borrowed a cashmere sweater from a friend and have stretched it out of shape. How can I get it back to the original size.
In the sink, soak the sweater in cool water. Ring out as much excess water as possible. Lay it out to dry on a grain board or if none available, lay it on a clean sheet on the carpet (or any surface that will not be damaged by water and will not move). With rust-proof pins, pin the sweater (shaping it to the original size) to the grain board or carpet. Do not pin ribbing. Let it air dry.
2 - My white sweater has turned yellow. Can I bleach it.
Bleaching a sweater is possible depending on what type of fiber it is made of. If it is a natural fiber such as wool, bleach will only make it more yellow and possibly damage the fibers. If you don't know what the sweater is made of, I wouldn't try bleaching it unless it passes the swatch test.
If there is a seam or someplace on the sweater that you can cut off a piece of spare yarn, cut it off, measure it, and dip it in the bleach solution, let it air dry, and then re-measure it to see what happens to the color and texture before you do the entire sweater– this is the swatch test. Compare the prior measurement to the after swatch test measurement to see if the fibers have shrunk.
3 - What can I do to rejuvenate a black garment that has lost its blackness after much laundering. Also, what can I do to relax the elastic waistbands in a couple of skirts that have elastic waistbands that are just too snug. Do I have to replace the elastic or is there another way.
Dyeing is the only thing I know of to solve the faded black garment.
To relax the elastic, over time and heat (in the dryer) it will loosen up. Until then, you can open the waistband just an inch or so (large enough to pull out the existing elastic), cut the existing elastic and sew in a small piece of elastic (extension piece) between the cut elastic ends, then re-sew the waistband closed.
4 - I mistakenly hung a handmade wool sweater and it stretched rather badly. Are there any safe ways to shrink it back to it's original size. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
In order to reshape your sweater, you will need to wet it to relax the fibers and then shape it and let it air dry.
In the sink, soak the sweater in cool water. Ring out as much excess water as possible. Lay it out flat to dry on a grain board or if none available, lay it on a clean sheet or towel on the carpet (or any surface that will not be damaged by water and will not move). Shape the sweater to the desired size and let it air dry.
For directions on "How-To Launder and Care for Handmade Garments" and "How-To Block a Sweater," please see Fiber Images™ Reference Library.
5 - Oops!! My Sweater Shrank! My husband put his chenille sweater in the dryer and it shrank. Can I do anything to get it back to the original size.
If the sweater were made of natural fibers (i.e. wool), there would be a chance to get the fibers to relax and stretch. Man-made fibers (i.e. chenille) set with heat (dryer) are almost impossible to re-stretch. If it was a natural fiber, I would suggest placing it in a sink with cool water and shampoo, let it soak, and then rinse. It then could be stretched on a “wooley board” (sweater drying rack/frame.) If a drying rack is not available, it could be placed on a sheet on the carpet and pinned (with rust-proof pins) to the carpet to the desired size. You can try this method on your husband’s sweater but since it has been heat-set in the dryer, I doubt it will work. If you do manage to get it stretched, try heat-setting it again with an iron on medium-low setting.
6 - How do I shrink a store brought sweater, that has been stretched.
If the sweater is made of wool, to shrink it you will need to combine soap, agitation, and heat – wash the sweater in warm water and squeeze the soap through the fibers, then rinse and lay out flat to dry.
If the sweater is made of acrylic, it may not shrink. You can try soaking the sweater in water (or just wash it) and putting it in the dryer on heat to see if it will shrink. Check the dryer frequently to make sure it is not shrinking too much.
7 - How can I shrink store brought cashmere sweater? I bought M size as the store did not have S size and now I am trying to find the way to shrink it. Can you help me please?
To shrink a garment requires heat, soap, and agitation – place medium to hot water and soap in the sink and move the sweater around in it, then rinse and lay flat to dry. If the manufacturer’s label says “dry clean only”, you will probably not need to much heat in the water. Be careful not to shrink the sweater too much.
8 - I have a sweater that no longer has a care instructions tag. I need to know how to care for it. It is: 54% cotton, 6% polyester, 11% wool, 23% acrylic, 6% silk. Please advise.
The only sweater soap we use is Eucalan Woolwash in cold/cool water, hand washed and air dried.
9 - My question is this....
I have a cashmere/silk sweater 70/30 and a pashmina/silk scarf 70/30 that i wanted to know about laundering. I have heard shampoo is the best for natural hair fibers as such. I contacted my dry cleaner and they said for the $3.50 for them to take care of the garment, it would be worth my time. I tend to think so too, but i hate the smell of my garments after dry cleaning . What do you think about hand washing the garments? I would almost rather do it myself.
Washing your sweater by hand should be OK if the dye is permanent. Use a pH balanced soap (containing no bleach), such as Orvus soap, Eucalan™, or Delicare™. The following directions are from our “How-to Launder and Care for Handmade Garments” instructions and apply to your situation.
“For hand washing, place soap/detergent in a basin large enough to hold the garment. Add water of the correct temperature and mix the soap into the water. Turn the garment wrong sides out, place in an extra-large mesh laundry bag, and place in the basin. Let the garment soak for about 20 minutes, stirring it around once in a while. Drain the water and refill the basin with the correct temperature water to rinse. Keep draining and refilling the basin until the water runs clear. When water runs clear, drain the basin and let garment drain thoroughly before removing it. Roll it in a towel to remove excess moisture.
If yarn has not been pre-shrunk, wash garments in cool to lukewarm water. This doesn’t mean, “ice cold.” Ice-cold water combined with soap will shocks protein fibers and will cause wool to felt and sometimes cause dye to run. Warm water causes fibers to relax which allows soil to be released. Warm water will also set dye and some stains, while cold water will release excess dye. Heat, soap, and agitation will cause wool to “felt.”
To dry garments by the flat method, place the garment flat on a sweater rack or on a towel on the floor, reshaping to size/shape as required. Check it once in a while to make sure it is not shrinking. If it does, pull it back to the desired shape.”
10 - I have two baby afghans made recently that scorched when put in the dryer. I have always dried them in this way - guess my dryer somehow heated hotter than usual. Can you give me any help in how to remove it? They are crocheted in 100% acrylic.
Since your afghans are made of acrylic, I think it is hopeless to try to remove the scorch. The acrylic fibers have probably melted and fused together from the dryer heat and there is nothing you can do if this is the case.
11 - I have a very large (queen-size) very heavy, hand crocheted bed spread that my grandmother made me 30 year ago that needs cleaning desperately. I'm pretty sure it's an acrylic yarn. It's coming apart a little (it is comprised of hundreds of 3 x 3 squares hand-sewn together) and certainly won't fit in my washing machine. How can I clean it?
If this were my bedspread, I would fill the bathtub with warm water and wash/let the bedspread soak in mild soap or Eucalan and then rinse and dry flat. I would be afraid of machine-washing it (even in a large industrial sized washer on low heat/low agitation) because it is coming apart already and I'm not sure how dry cleaning would affect the fibers. After it has soaked in the tub, pull the stopper and let as much water drain out as possible (and just push on the bedspread to ring out the water.) To drain it, I would set some clean 2x4 pieces of wood across the top of the bathtub and put the bedspread on the 2x4's to let it completely drain (this may take a day or so) and then lay it out on a clean sheet on the carpet to dry. I know this method may sound crazy, but this is how I wash my afghans or very large sweaters/coats.
12 - How can I get fluff/pills off woolens without picking each one off?
You could use a fabric shaver or Sweater Stone.
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