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How to wash knitwear. How to wash and dry knitwear properly How to wash a knitted dress

Knitted fabrics differ from ordinary fabrics in their characteristic features - extensibility, elasticity, softness and the method of manufacturing textile material. Therefore, they have their own specifics in sewing and care.

Here are some simple rules on how to properly wash knitwear

Rule #1

It is better to wash knitwear by hand with “squeezing” movements in warm soft water using special detergents for wool and delicate fabrics.

If you do not accept such products, use the old proven method - wash knitwear by hand, diluting a little shampoo in water.

Rule #2

The water temperature must not exceed 40 °C. In hot water, knitwear can be severely deformed and shrink.

Rule #3

Products made of woolen and knitted jersey are not recommended to be soaked for more than 10-15 minutes.

Rule #4

Knitwear does not like bleach.

Rule #5

The capabilities of modern washing machines allow you to wash products from almost all types of knitwear, including wool and silk. But subject to the special regime provided for by the program of your machine - cold water or at a temperature not exceeding 30 ° C, delicate washing at low speeds and with the spin function disabled.

In addition, you can use a special laundry bag.

Rule #6

To refresh the color of woolen and semi-woolen products, you can add table vinegar to the rinse water at the rate of 2-3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water.

Rule #7

Dry knitwear only in a horizontal position on a flat surface.

on a soft, preferably large terry towel.

Or on a special substrate. In this case, be sure to give the product its shape, otherwise deformation is inevitable.

Rule #8

Iron knitwear with a slightly heated iron, without the usual pressure, and best of all through an iron. In order to avoid disturbing the relief of the pattern of a bulky yarn product, it is better not to iron it at all, since there is a possibility of spoiling the pattern - making it flat.

In the wardrobe of each person there is far from one thing from knitwear, because it is beautiful, and it is inexpensive. But to preserve the original attractiveness of a particular wardrobe item made of this material is possible only if you know how to wash knitwear. It is about this, as well as other secrets of caring for such clothes, that you will learn from this article.

What is knitwear?

Knitted fabric is usually made from natural wool fibers. Modern manufacturers often add synthetic fibers to extend the life of the product and make it more practical and comfortable to wear.

Important! If you have already fully appreciated all the advantages of clothes made from this material in relation to your type of figure and personal comfort when wearing, you may be interested in experimenting with your looks using our simple master classes:

You need to wash knitwear correctly for the same reason that you need to know how to wash knitwear - if not properly cared for, clothes made from this material can lose their shape (sit down or stretch), and also become overgrown with unaesthetic spools.

Important! To avoid such problems, the easiest way is to focus on the label on the product - there, usually, manufacturers indicate in a sign or written form all the recommendations for caring for clothes. If for some reason this is missing or you cannot figure out the symbols yourself, read below all the rules for washing and drying knitwear.

We wash knitwear

To properly wash knitwear, you still want to know the composition. It will depend on how much effort will be required from you personally to remove the dirt from the thing and return it to its attractive appearance. The advice in this regard is very simple:

if the thing is only made of natural fibers - use hand washing;
if synthetic threads are present in the fabric, feel free to load it into the washing machine on.

Important! If it was not possible to find out the composition of the fabric, and you would not want to take risks and spoil your clothes, then there is only one way out - only hand washing. It doesn’t matter here anymore, you need to wash a knitted dress, sweater, T-shirt or T-shirt.

Hand wash - features

Despite the fact that you will have to work with your own hands, you will not need any special difficulties and hard physical labor in order to wash knitwear.

Just follow these tips:

Water temperature - no more than 30-40 degrees.
Detergent - preferably in liquid form, preferably special gels or concentrates for delicate washing or wool. For example, it's perfect. If you don’t have one at hand or don’t want to spend a lot of money on acquiring it, then your regular hair shampoo is ideal.
Dissolve the detergent in water before you put your clothes in the basin.
Washing itself is a soft wringing movement, no intense friction and twisting. If there are complex stains of dirt on the fabric, only delicate soaking for no more than 20 minutes is allowed.
Be sure to rinse several times until the detergent residue is completely removed. Change the water to clean several times, but be sure that it is at the same temperature. If you rinse knitwear in cold water, it will shrink or lose its shape.
To refresh clothes and remove the smell of sweat, add a good pinch of soda to the water during the last rinse, and if you need to give the product softness, your option is glycerin (1 teaspoon is enough).

Important! If you need to wash a knitted dress or sweater with long sleeves, pre-hem the sleeves and bottom with a thick thread. In this case, the product will be softly fixed in one form and will not stretch or deform. The main condition is that the thread should not shed.

Washing in the washing machine

If the care instructions on the label allow machine wash, your job is greatly simplified. But this does not mean that you can clean knitwear from dirt with clothes from other fabrics and in any mode. Some rules still have to be followed. They are as follows:

Be sure to set the delicate mode or the “wool” function.
Put your knitwear in a special laundry bag.
Do not use the spin mode or set the minimum speed, but set the double rinse.
Fill the drum of equipment only halfway.

Important! Some problems may arise with knitwear during wear. But you can quickly deal with them if you keep a note of our selections of effective ways:

Drying knitwear

Drying knitwear as usual on a linen thread is unacceptable. So that the thing does not lose its shape, do this:

After washing, leave the wardrobe item in the basin for a short time - this is necessary in order for excess water to glass.
Lay out a thick terry towel or absorbent cloth on a flat surface.
Lay the knitted item on top, straighten it well.
Wrap carefully in a towel.
Leave in a horizontal position, on a flat surface for several days to dry at room temperature.

Important! Never place knitwear in direct sunlight or on radiators. So you forever spoil your favorite dress or jacket.

For washing such delicate material as knitwear, the best tool is soap chips (2 g per 1 liter of water).

Also now on sale there is a large number of special powders for knitwear. The powder must first be diluted in water and never poured directly onto knitwear, as it can spoil the color of the product. If you are going to start washing immediately, without pre-soaking, soak the most soiled places with a detergent solution. Leave the product for 15 minutes and then wash as usual. Knitwear should not be soaked for more than 20 minutes. The water for soaking should be cool, as knitwear shrinks and falls off in hot water.

It is advisable to wash any knitwear by hand and at the same time squeeze it, and not rub it, otherwise pellets may appear. Knitwear should be washed in soft water. If the water is hard, add 1 tsp to the laundry solution. drinking soda. For the first rinse of knitwear, the water must be at the same temperature as when washing. Rinse thoroughly so that no detergent remains in the fibers of the fabric (when drying, detergent residue can spoil the color of the product). Rinse liquid can be added to the rinse water to remove static electricity and soften the garment.

If the knitted item sheds, soak it in cold water with a little vinegar added before washing. When rinsing, glycerin is also added to the water (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

It is better to wring jersey in a centrifuge - for this it is wrapped in a towel and squeezed to a semi-dry state. But it is better to lay it out on a clean sheet - this way you let the water drain and do not damage the knitted fabric by compression or stretching. Never hang your jerseys to dry as they will stretch and lose their shape. If the product is small, then by pulling it out, you will not be able to make it larger, after a while it will again take its original shape.

The dried product can be lightly steamed with an iron. If a print is applied to the knitwear or the product has a high pile, then the product must be ironed from the wrong side. Colored embroidery will become bright again if, before ironing, dip the front side of the product in water with the addition of vinegar and place it on a clean cloth. After drying, remove the pellets with a special machine or brush.

Unlike products made from other fabrics, knitwear cannot be washed using the usual methods. With improper care, they can become deformed, their appearance will deteriorate. So that knitwear does not lose its original shape after washing and is not covered with spools, you should learn how to properly handle it.

Preparatory stage

Before proceeding, you need to properly prepare things:

The clothes are turned inside out.
Since the bottom of the product and the sleeves can stretch out during wet processing, they should be protected - by inserting a harsh or any other strong and non-fading thread into the needle, the problem areas are sewn along the edge with wide stitches. The thread is cut off only after the product has completely dried.
Are your clothes stained or heavily soiled? So, before washing, it is soaked - pour cool water into a basin, lather problem areas abundantly, leave for 20 minutes.
Before washing knitwear, you should carefully study their label: products made from natural fabrics are washed in water at a temperature not exceeding 40-50 ° C, from synthetic ones - up to 40 ° C. Do not wash with hot water, because due to high temperatures, the product may shrink.

Detergent selection

It is not recommended to use ordinary washing powder for washing knitwear - it does not rinse well, and delicate fabrics may deteriorate after contact with it. Several means are allowed:

Soap solution. Laundry soap is rubbed on a fine grater and the chips are dissolved in water.
Gel for washing delicate fabrics.
Shampoo. If there is no special tool at hand, you can use any hair shampoo.
Hard water can degrade the look of a knitted product, baking soda is used to soften it - about 1 teaspoon is required for a medium-sized basin.
Bleach for knitwear is not used. If it is necessary to give things whiteness, after washing it is rinsed in water with the addition of a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. A couple of tablespoons of salt or vinegar will help restore a faded fabric to a rich color - they are dissolved in a bowl of water when rinsing.

Handwash

Hand washing is the best way to clean knitted items, since the risk of damaging the product is lower. The process itself is extremely simple:

A capacious container is filled with cool water.
Dissolve a suitable detergent in it, add soda if necessary.
Immerse the thing in a soapy solution, leave for a couple of minutes so that the fabric is completely saturated with water.
Taking the thing in hand, they begin to gently squeeze and unclench it with their palms. Movements should go along the product, and not across, otherwise the knitwear may be deformed. You can’t rub the fabric, try to remove stains and strong dirt with a brush - after that, spools form on the knitwear.
After washing, the item is thoroughly rinsed, changing the water several times until the soapy solution is completely washed out of the fabric. It is important that the rinse water is at the same temperature that was used during the wash - after contact with a colder or hotter product, the product may shrink.
To give things softness, you can add a teaspoon of glycerin to the water when rinsing.
It is impossible to twist knitwear, trying to remove excess water. Before hanging the clothes to dry, you need to gently squeeze them with your hands with gentle movements. Start from the top (the neck of a sweater, for example), moving to the bottom.
After straightening on the grate above the bath, so that the remaining water drains. If there is no grill, they spread a towel on the table, put the washed thing on it, roll it up and wring it out. It is impossible to hang a wet knitwear product on a rope or coat hanger, the wet fabric will stretch greatly.

In the washing machine

Most modern washing machines have a delicate wash mode. It can also be used to tidy up knitwear, especially if it contains synthetic threads.

The clothes are fastened with all buttons or zippers, if any, and then turned inside out. Before placing the products in the drum, it is recommended to put them in a special bag for washing - this will protect the fabric from deformation. It is not worth washing a large number of things at once - when the drum rotates, they can intertwine and stretch out.

After that, the mode of manual or delicate washing is set, the water temperature is selected to a maximum of 40 ° C, the spin is either turned off completely, or the number of revolutions is reduced to a minimum. Activate an additional rinse cycle. A special gel for washing delicate fabrics or shampoo is added to the detergent compartment.

After taking things out of the drum, remove excess water in the same way as after hand washing.

Drying and ironing

Knitwear is dried exclusively in a horizontal position. When excess water drains, the thing is laid out on a special mesh dryer, carefully straightening it. Another method is to use a towel spread on the table. In this case, it will periodically have to be changed to fresh, and at the same time turn the thing over to the other side.

Important! During drying, clothes should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

If creases remain on the knitwear after washing, it can be ironed. However, it must be remembered that products made of thick threads or having a relief pattern should not be ironed - the knitting will become flat.

The iron is set to minimum heat. An iron is placed on top of the things laid out on the ironing board - a piece of clean cotton fabric, ironed only through it. It is impossible to press hard on the device, the movements should be light.

If the ironed item turned out to be mint after storage in the closet, it can be slightly moistened with clean water from a spray bottle, laid out on the table, carefully straightened and left for a while. After the moisture has completely evaporated, the wrinkles on the fabric will disappear.

How to store

Knitwear can be stored in a variety of ways. A suitable one is chosen, focusing on the type and properties of a particular wardrobe item.

So, products made of thick threads (sweaters) can be stacked and put away in a closet or plastic container. In this case, you need to make sure that things from denser threads lie below, and light ones - on top. Filling a shelf or container completely is not worth it, it is desirable that the air there can circulate freely.

T-shirts and other thin knitwear can be conveniently stored rolled up in a chest of drawers.
Hanging knitwear on hangers is not recommended. However, if necessary, it is possible to do this so that the products do not stretch. This method is only suitable for sweaters, dresses cannot be stored in this way, it can stretch out:

the sweater is folded lengthwise so that the sleeves are together;
placed on a hanger in such a way that there are sleeves on one side and the bottom of the product on the other (see photo).

To store knitted dresses, only soft hangers are used, while the hem must be pinned to the area in the armpit area - this technique helps to avoid pulling the fabric down.

Preparation

Proper preparation is one of the most important elements. Knitwear is a delicate material, it should not be rubbed hard with hands or a brush. If a thing is not prepared for washing, then it can easily lose its shape or “grow” with spools. The free edges of clothing are especially prone to deformation: sleeves, collars, hems. Therefore, before washing knitwear, it is recommended to process them a little:

turn things inside out;
free edges need to be grabbed with threads. Collars and sleeves are swept along the edge with wide stitches. The thread should be neutral in color so that it does not accidentally stain the clothes. It is preferable to use harsh threads, as they hold the material well. Stitches are plucked only when the products are completely dry;
if the thing is heavily soiled, it is recommended to pre-soak it in cool water for 20-30 minutes in a strong soapy solution;
stains also need to be pre-washed: they are moistened and rubbed with soap. Then soak in cool soapy water. But at the same time, you can’t rub things hard, it’s better to give the dirt 15-20 minutes so that it gets wet;
soften the water, if it is hard, for this, add a teaspoon of soda to the basin.

How to wash knitwear

This is a fairly demanding material for detergents. Laundry soap is best. You can grate it or just rub it vigorously with your hands in water. Most often it is used in the following proportion: 2 g of finished chips are diluted with 1 liter of water. That is, for a basin of 10 liters, you will need 20 g of laundry soap.

In addition, you can use washing powder for delicate fabrics or washing gel. Knitwear also has a positive attitude towards regular hair shampoo.

Features of washing by hand

Hand washing is the answer to the question of how to properly wash knitwear. This is the most gentle way. The required amount of water is collected in the basin and detergent is added there. Prepared clothes are dipped into a container and wait until it is completely wet.

At what temperature should knitwear be washed? It is best to look at the information on the tag or label of the product and follow the recommendations indicated. The general rule is that the optimum temperature is around 40°C. If the fabric contains 70% cotton or more, then you can wash the products in slightly hot water, about 50 ° C. If the bulk is wool, then not higher than 30 ° C. Synthetics tolerate temperatures around 30-40°C.

Attention! It is not recommended to wash knitwear in hot water! They sit down on it.

During washing, it is not recommended to rub the clothes with your hands or with a brush. The product is gently squeezed and unclenched along the length, you can still gently squeeze the fabric with your hands. In width - it is impossible, because because of this, the thing can stretch or become shapeless.

After washing, knitwear must be rinsed to wash soap or powder. You can add conditioner and antistatic. Rinse clothes in water of the same temperature as for washing. To completely rinse things, you may need more than 1 water. If, when rinsing, you abruptly change warm to cold water, then spools may appear on the clothes, things can also shrink, sit down.

push up

It is at this stage that most things are deformed: stretched, compressed, etc.

Attention! When push-ups, it is strictly forbidden to twist knitwear. Because of this, they lose their shape.

To get rid of excess water, you can gently squeeze the thing without twisting. In this case, the movement goes from top to bottom. Then the water must be allowed to drain. At the same time, you can’t hang clothes, because they stretch out. It is better to put it on the grate or just in the sink. You can also put it in a string bag, and then hang it over a basin or a bath. There is also such a variant of push-ups: things are laid out on a towel, everything is rolled up and squeezed out like that. When things stop dripping, you can proceed to drying.

Not all items can be washed by hand. Some products are too big and heavy. Therefore, you need to know how to wash knitwear in a washing machine.

Here you need to follow the same rules as for hand washing:

water temperature not higher than 40°C;
washing mode "delicate", "gentle" or "manual";
spin - at minimum speed, if possible it is better to do without it;
be sure to double rinse;
do not load the car completely, because things can get mixed up and stretch each other;
knitwear in the washing machine is recommended to be washed in a special bag, it will protect them from “injuries”;
Wash whites and colors separately. It is advisable to disassemble things by color.

You can also machine wash items that have added synthetic threads. Thanks to them, things will not lose their shape.

Drying

And at this stage, things can also sit down or, conversely, stretch. Do not dry things on a rope, because they are deformed. No longer dripping products are laid out on a towel. At the same time, they give the clothes the necessary shape and appearance. In the straightened form, things dry out. Towels are changed as needed and clothes are turned over periodically. You can also lay out knitwear on a special drying rack. But under it, again, it is advisable to lay a towel. It is necessary that the product retains its correct shape throughout the drying process.