Taking the time to store winter sweaters properly at the end of the season ensures your sweaters will look their best when fall rolls around and the first chill hits the air. Follow these easy steps to store winter sweaters so your favorite sweater will still be in great shape several months from now.
Clean the Sweater
The biggest mistake people make is not cleaning their winter sweaters before storing them away during the summer months. Body oil, dirt, food or fragrances will attract moths and other insects to sweaters for a feast.
Read the sweater’s label and follow the care instructions for cleaning. Some winter sweaters will have to be professionally cleaned but most can be hand washed at home.
Drying Time
If you opt to hand wash (your washing machine may have a hand washing cycle that will make the chore even easier), make certain the sweater is completely dry before proceeding. Lay the sweater flat on a towel or drying rack so air will circulate around the fabric. Flip the sweater (and towel) several times during the drying process and don’t attempt to rush the drying time, which could take several days.
Folding Sweaters for Storage
Fold each sweater as little as possible to avoid creases in the fabric next fall. Lay sweater on a flat surface, front side down, then fold sleeves to the back at the shoulder seams. Smooth and fold sweater in half horizontally with sleeves tucked into the fold.
Sweater Storage Bags
Skip the plastic storage bags, sweaters need to breathe during storage. And while vacuum storage bags are great for minimizing the amount of space items in storage use, the vacuum bags can cause wrinkles that are next to impossible to remove and they can also trap moisture, causing sweaters to have a musty odor. Don’t tuck a new fabric softener sheet in with the stored sweaters, the fragrance from the dryer sheet can leave a stain on sweater fabric.
Cotton pillow cases make the best storage bags for sweater. The cotton fabric provides a tight weave to keep dust and insects out while allowing air to pass through. This is a good way to recycle old pillow cases, and if you don’t any on hand, odd cotton pillow cases can be purchased at thrift stores or yard sales for a few cents each.
Sources:
Woman’s Day
How Stuff Works