Is it possible to machine wash a knitted cardigan?

Knitted clothes never go out of style. It is practical, beautiful and original. It can last a long time if you take good care of it.

Read about how to properly wash knitted items, what you should not do when cleaning them, and how to maintain the presentable appearance of such clothes for many years on this page of the women’s website “Beautiful and Successful.”

Before we talk about washing a particular knitted item of clothing, you need to take into account that it can be made from different materials: cotton, acrylic, different types of wool. All these materials react differently to the effects of water and detergents, so each type of knitted items must be washed according to separate rules.

However, there are a number of general rules for all knitted items that are important to know and follow.

In what mode should I wash knitwear?

Knitwear is washed on a delicate cycle at 30-40 degrees with minimal spin and plenty of rinsing.

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Machine washable

Knitted items made from natural and combined fibers must be washed under different conditions, since each yarn composition needs different temperature ranges. Let's figure out how to care for a jacket or sweater so that it doesn't stretch or, conversely, shrink.

A product containing about 20% wool can be safely machine washed, but if the composition is 100% wool, this should not be done. Because this will lead to deformation, namely, they will shrink, and not by a size or two, but will turn into a sweater for a doll.

Before you begin the procedure, carefully read the label; it indicates how to properly care for it. Namely, how to dry it, whether it can be machine washed or whether hand washing is only suitable.

Let's look at the main points on how to wash a cardigan in a washing machine:

Washing should be done as little as possible; if the item has an unpleasant odor, but is externally clean, it is enough to simply hang it in the fresh air to air it out.
It is not recommended to soak woolen items.
The most favorable temperature is in the range of 30-35 degrees. And temperature changes are strictly prohibited.
For washing, use liquid powder or special formulations for woolen products; you can also use regular hair shampoo.
To extend the service life, use conditioner; it will also help fluff up the fibers and make the thread softer.
To remove pellets, you can use special balls; their surface is covered with small hooks, onto which pellets, hair and other debris stick.
It is necessary to use a delicate mode; machine drying and spinning are excluded.
It would be ideal to use special laundry bags.
Before placing the item in the drum, turn it inside out.
If there are stains, it is recommended to remove them before placing them in the drum; to do this, treat the area with laundry soap and rub a little, then rinse under running water. If yellow spots appear on the white, they can be removed with lemon juice.
It is not recommended to squeeze such things. Hang to drain excess liquid, and then spread to dry on a towel or blanket in a room with good air flow or outside. We do not recommend drying in the sun, this will lead to loss of color and rapid destruction of the thread.

Ironing

Ironing is not recommended; if necessary, hang the item and place pots of boiling water nearby, or hang the item in the bathroom while taking a shower. High temperature and steam will do an excellent job of removing creases and bruises.

And if the product tag indicates ironing, this can be done using a damp cloth spread over the top and an iron with a steam function. But this must be done without sliding along the surface, but only at a distance of a couple of centimeters.

Source of the article: https://boilervdom.ru/byt/stiralnaya-mashina/stiralnaya-stirka/kak-pravilno-stirat-kardigan-v-mashine-i-vruchnuyu.html

How to iron?

If, after drying and ironing, creases and wrinkled areas appear on the item, you can iron it. Rules to follow:

Products made from pure wool should not be ironed, even on the reverse side. They can only be steamed through thick gauze. The steam generator must be kept at a distance of 10 cm.
Mixed fabrics are ironed with the steam function turned on.
To avoid damaging the product, always turn it inside out and use gauze.
If ironing is to be done, there is no need to wait for the fabric fibers to dry completely.

If a scorch suddenly appears on the fabric, you can make it less noticeable by wiping the area with a cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. The components are taken in equal quantities.

Handwash

This type of cleaning is the most preferable, since knitted items can shrink or, conversely, stretch if not properly cared for.

For hand washing, the following recommendations are provided:

Fill a container of appropriate size with water at a temperature of no more than 35 degrees.
Add liquid cleaner, mix the water well until foam appears.
If there is a stain or the cuffs are very dirty, wash these areas first.
Place the cardigan in a container and rub it a little, then rinse a couple of times with water at the same temperature. The water needs to stop foaming.
Take clean water, dilute the required amount of conditioner in it and rinse again.
Afterwards, put the jacket in the bathtub and press it down with your hands to remove excess liquid; if necessary, hang it up to drain the excess.
You need to dry it in an upright position, turning it over periodically. This is necessary so that the item does not acquire an unpleasant odor.

Traditional cleaning method

Hand care for knitted items is preferable. It is more difficult to spoil an item manually than in automatic mode. To wash a cardigan at home, follow these simple recommendations:

pour water into the container at a temperature of about 30 degrees;
add liquid laundry detergent and stir;
pre-wash stains;
place the product in the prepared liquid, wash;
rinse several times in warm water;
use conditioner if necessary;
squeeze a little, pressing it to the bottom of the bath, then hang it up so that the water drains;
dry in a horizontal position to avoid stretching.

When drying, periodically change the cloth (towel) and turn the item over so that an unpleasant odor does not appear. The drying process will be faster with this method. Make sure that the material used does not stain the clothes!

Drying knitted items

After washing a knitted item, many people have the problem of how to dry the product. This must be done horizontally; hanging on ropes is excluded. The item of clothing is placed on a terry towel or other hygroscopic fabric on top of the dryer (table, ironing board). It is important to straighten the cuffs, collars, all creases and folds.

The room where the item will dry should be well ventilated. It is better to place the dryer away from heating devices and direct sunlight. The wardrobe item will not need ironing if all the above conditions are met.

The appearance of a wardrobe item often directly depends on how a knitted sweater or cardigan will be washed. If you take into account the features of the product, your favorite knitted item will last a long time.

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Using the washing machine

There is a category of yarn that is machine washable. However, you need to know exactly how to wash a knitted item in a washing machine. Before putting it in the drum, such a wardrobe item should be placed in a special bag, then it will not be deformed, will not have creases or stretching of threads. If such a device is not available, you can use a small pillowcase with a zipper. Every modern automatic machine has several delicate modes linked to the type of fabric. The housewife herself needs to choose the most suitable one. You can also use the hand wash mode. There are features of washing knitted items in a machine:

With this procedure, it is better to add fabric softener to the detergent; it would be optimal to use a combined composition.
The process itself should not last more than 40–60 minutes.
Set the spin intensity to a maximum of 400 rpm. When washing clothes made from natural wool, the automatic spin mode should be turned off.

How to wash a handmade product?

Hand knitted items must be handled with care as they are particularly susceptible to pilling. To prevent the appearance of stray hairs, you should give the tissues a rest from the body. As a rule, within a day the fibers restore their natural elasticity.

To prevent the fabric from becoming rough, temperature changes should not be allowed. It is not recommended to wash it in warm water; it is better to rinse it in cold water.

Features of care:

preference is given to manual processing;
use only liquid detergents;
if the wash is the first, use a minimal amount of gel;
the fabric is not twisted or wrung out;
If the product is washed in a machine, then set the gentle mode and turn off the spin cycle.

When washing for the first time, you can add a little vinegar to the water. It will make the colors brighter.

Use the machine correctly

Depending on what material the cardigan is made of, care rules may vary. The information on the label will help you find out what the item is made of; hand or machine washing is recommended. The temperature regime, the possibility of spinning, drying and ironing are also indicated there.

Different types of yarn and fabric are used to sew a cardigan. There are knitted products based on wool or other knitwear, as well as those made from fabrics of natural and synthetic origin. If the material consists of 20% wool, machine washing is allowed. For all-wool items, hand wash only is recommended. To ensure that a knitted item retains its appearance and always remains soft and pleasant, follow simple rules.

Do not soak. Woolen items should not be left in water for a long time, as they may lose their shape.
Remove stains. Treat the stained areas with laundry soap, lightly rub and rinse under cool water. Remove stains on white items using lemon juice.
Use mild laundry detergents. Liquid powder, special products for woolen items, and shampoo have proven themselves to be suitable. If this is not enough, use fabric softener.
Place it in the machine correctly. Turn the item inside out. You can use laundry bags. To get rid of pellets, animal hair and hair, place special balls with small loops on the surface into the drum.
Wash in warm water.

The optimal temperature is 30 degrees. In hotter water, the product risks shrinking to incredibly small sizes.

Turn on the delicate wash program. Depending on your washing machine model, select a delicate cycle or a wool program.
Do not squeeze in the drum. A 100% wool item cannot be wrung out in a washing machine. After completing the program, hang it up to drain. For other knitwear, gentle pressing is allowed.
Do not tumble dry. Automatic drying will cause damage. Lay the item on a towel in a horizontal position, provide a flow of fresh air. You can dry it outside, but not in the sun - the fabric will lose color under the scorching rays.

Try not to wash woolen items frequently. This will cause the threads to wear out faster. If the item is externally clean, but has a stale smell, try hanging it out in the fresh air.