There’s nothing worse than powering through an Arizona summer, looking forward to slipping on a comfy sweater as soon as the weather dips into the double digits, only to discover your sweater has stretched, pilled or developed holes during its off season. Before you get too discouraged, here are a few tips to keep your sweaters in tip-top shape for years to come.
Extend your wear
Sweaters are often layered over a shirt or blouse, which protects them from the oils that may cause stains or smells. You can usually get away with wearing them a few times before washing them. Take advantage of this and keep your sweater out of the washing machine.
air Dry
Washing machines and dryers are notoriously damaging to clothes but sweaters are made with woven yarn that often shrinks with too much heat. You can use this to your advantage if you want to shrink some areas but use a hair dryer and lay the sweater flat to ensure you get the shape you desire.
Fold to store
Woven sweaters are built to stretch comfortably over whatever shape it is placed on. That’s a great thing when it hugs your shoulders just right but not so great when it takes on the shape of your hanger and creates annoying bumps in the fabric. Be sure and fold your sweaters to store them in a drawer or on a shelf. If you’re storing for a long period of time, use a garment bag to prevent moths from damaging your clothes.
Remove Pills
Tiny little pills of fabric are obnoxious but not difficult to get rid of. Use a cheap razor to very gently shave them off the top of the fabric. Use caution when doing this so you don’t add holes to the garment
Don’t sweat the snags
Repair snagged fabric from the inside out. Turn your sweater inside out and use a needle to gently pull the looped string to the inside of the sweater. Tie a knot in the loop on the inside or simply tuck it away. Do not try to pull at or cut out a snagged string as this will cause further damage.
As always, if you need help freshening up your wardrobe for fall, you can count on the experts at Legend Cleaners. Take advantage of our free pickup and delivery and let us do the hard work for you! Call today to schedule your pickup.
Legend Dry Cleaners has been serving the community of Ahwatukee since 1999, and has expanded into the Phoenix communities of Chandler, Maricopa, Mesa, Tempe and coming soon to Gilbert! We offer exceptional eco-friendly dry cleaning, laundry, wash/dry/fold, wedding dress & gown cleaning, and alterations in Arizona. Our East Valley locations have free pickup & delivery and 24-hour drop boxes. For more information call: (480) 460-5343