|
January 2008 Tips & Ideas
***** KEEPING YOUR SWEATER SWEET *****
Joyce Bischoff sent us a newspaper clipping from the Tribune-Review 11/30/07, with this advice for keeping your sweaters looking smart and smelling fresh:
--- Washable wool sweaters that can be safely machine washed should be placed inside-
out in a pillowcase or mesh laundry bag and laundered on the gentle cycle in cool
water. Do not use standard laundry detergents, which are intended for removing tough,
greasy dirt. Soaps especially formulated for gentle-cycle cleaning are easier on the
fabric. Kathy recommends "Eucalan" or "Soak" for washing wool, which require no rinsing.
Dry flat on a mesh screen away from heat and sunlight. Only if the label says "Easy Care"
can it be tumble-dried. Never use chlorine bleach on a wool sweater. Soften harsh
wool sweaters by adding a capful of hair conditioner to the rinse water. Do not use
fabric softeners.
--- Do not machine wash your sweater unless the label says you can. Even when using
cold water, the agitation might cause the sweater to shrink.
--- Remove spots and stains promptly. For getting food or alcohol out of wool, the
American Sheep Industry Association recoemmends placing a towel under the stain and
gently rubbing it with carbonated water toward the center of the spot. For red wine,
immerse it in cold water. For lipstick, rub the stain with white bread.
--- To speed up the drying process, purchase a mesh screen that fits over the bathtub,
hangs from a clothesline or stands 4" - 5" above the table. Occasionally, turn the
garment over while drying being careful to re-shape.
--- After drying sweaters, remove any wrinkles with a hand-held steamer.
--- A perfume or cigarette scent on a sweater can be dissapated by hanging it outdoors,
out of the sun, for a few hours, Good Housekeeping suggests. Then wash the sweater
according to the label instructions and rinse in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and
water.
--- Labels that say "Dry Clean Only" should not be hand-washed. Those that only say,
"Dry Clean" can be carefully laundered.
--- Cotton knits should be turned inside out to avoid pilling that occurs from the fabric
rubbing against itself in the spin cycle, according to Real Simple magazine. Hand-wash
cotton sweaters and knits with buttons or other embellishments. Perspiration can cause
discoloration if not laundered within 48 hours. Bulky knits should be dried flat to avoid
stretching.
--- When hand washing sweaters, do not oversoak. Soaking too long can cause colors to
bleed or fade, or can alter the size. It can also loosen the glue holding embellishments.
According to Real Simple, about 98% of the dirt is removed in the first 2 minutes of a
machine cycle and in about 5 minutes with hand washing, which should be plenty of
time.
--- To ensure returning your wool sweater to its proper size during the drying process:
Before washing, measure and trace the shape of the sweater onto a clean sheet of
paper. Hand wash genlty in cool water with gentle detergent. Rinse with fresh water
until the water runs clear. Squeeze out excess water -- do not wring -- and roll sweater in
a towel to absorb moisture. Lay the sweater on the paper, and gently re-shape it to fit
|
|
