Essential Tips for Washing and Caring for Your Handmade Woollens
- Joanne
- Oct 4, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Give Your Handmades a Spa Day This August (Your Future Self Will Thank You!)
August might not seem like the obvious time to think about woolly jumpers, cosy scarves and handmade hats...
... but that's exactly why it's the perfect time.
Rather than waiting until the first unexpectedly chilly morning when you're frantically searching through storage boxes for something warm to wear, why not spend a relaxed afternoon giving your handmade wardrobe a little TLC? Think of it as a spa day for your knits and crochet makes.
Put the kettle on, choose a favourite podcast or audiobook, gather a few towels some wool wash and fabric softener, and enjoy spending time with the beautiful things you've made.
You'll rediscover old favourites, spot anything that needs a little attention and have everything ready to wear as soon as the weather changes; and if you're in the southern hemisphere, this is the perfect opportunity to plan how and when to freshen everything up before putting it away for the warmer months.
Step 1: Gather Everything Together
Before Washing and Caring for your Handmade Woollens, start by collecting all your knitted and crocheted garments and accessories, checking in wardrobes, drawers, under-bed storage, loft or attic boxes, project baskets (yes, I sometimes throw completed items that need blocking back in the basket too!), the back of the sofa and anywhere else they might be hiding. Seeing everything together can be surprisingly satisfying and often a bit nostalgic. You may even discover pieces you'd completely forgotten about!
Step 2: Make Yourself a Simple Spa Day Checklist
Before you wash anything, make a quick inventory and plan for each item. A simple table works brilliantly. This helps you work methodically instead of wondering halfway through whether you've forgotten something or doing more washes than needed.
A Free Gift for You: I have a free Handmades Spa Day planner that you can download as a printable table to fill in plus a version you can copy as an editable spreadsheet for those who like to keep it online. Just sign up here and I'll send you a link, so you'll be able to find it each year.
If you decide to make your own plan consider noting for each item which type of washing and drying it requires, any other maintenance it needs to look its best and what you could wear it with. That way you'll be able to work through as efficiently as possible without wasting time or resources like laundry products and it helps minimise utility costs too.
Step 3: Sort by Wash type
This is the most important step because not every handmade item should be washed the same way. It usually depends on the type of fibre, the dye used to colour it and any trims used on the item.
Animal fibres like natural wool, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, angora, camel or silk usually prefer a hand wash while superwash treated wools, acrylics, cotton, bamboo and many synthetic blends are typically machine-washable unless they have an unusual finish, e.g. a blown cotton yarn may loses its fluffiness in a machine wash. It worth noting, though that, many dyes used for these items could bleed or fade so a low temperature is still necessary for keeping the item, and any items washed with it, in perfect condition.
Always check the yarn label if you still have it, or look up the yarn online if you're unsure. For future reference you may like to keep a scrapbook with yarn bands from your handmades glued in or take a photo and keep a folder online with your handmade laundry checklist.
If you added trims such as buttons or other types of fasteners, a lining or any kind of embellishment, even yarn based ones like tie fastenings, bobbles, embroidery, tassels or fringe, consider how they could be affected by the wash or how they might affect other items: wooden buttons that aren't machine washable may swell and split; a hook and eye fastening can do a lot of damage during the spin cycle and a non-colourfast embroidery could bleed tragically onto the garment it's on. It's sometimes worth removing trims that didn't have their own care recommendations.
It probably goes without saying, but when in doubt, always choose the gentler option!
Step 4: Wash your Machine-Washable Items
Start a load of machine washing now so the machine can do its thing while you are tending to the more delicate items. You can even have a race with your machine cycle if you have a competitive spirit!
Take care to avoid overloading the machine as this can prevent thorough stain, dust and dirt removal and be sure to wash similar colours together. I usually do a white/naturals load then a warm colours load with yellow, orange, pink and red items and a cools and darks load with blues, greys, greens, blacks and browns.
It's best to wash on the recommended cycle and use cool temperatures. Check that your laundry product is suitable too. Some will be too harsh for animal fibres or yarns with silk content and some hand washing products can't go in the machine.
A mesh laundry bag helps prevent straps, sleeves or delicate lace from catching on other items and some fine mesh bags can also be used to isolate anything that could damage other items, e.g. a metal zip pull. Just check if it can poke out at all.
Step 5: Hand Washing
It's worth bearing in mind that natural animal fibres don't usually need vigorous washing. They're naturally resistant to and able to shed dirt and odours, so a gentle soak is often all they need.
I once had a delicious tomatoey ratatouille type dish at a meal with family friends and as I carried the cooled leftovers back to the kitchen so they could be stored in the fridge, the host's big dog decided I needed a snuggle and he slopped quite a bit down the front of my woollen skirt and over his own shoulders. His golden dog hair cleaned up beautifully with a wipe over but I had a big dark mark on my skirt, so I put it in a cloth bag when I got home and on my day off, I took it to the dry cleaners. I explained that the skirt had an oily tomato sauce stain and I hoped they could treat it to give the best chance of removing those stains but understood that such a strong stain might be impossible to remove completely and you know what? the stain had completely disappeared! Neither of us could find it. The woollen cloth had shed all the oil and tomato residue during its few days in the bag. IT just needed a freshen up.
Hand washing Manually
Here's how I manually hand wash my woollen items to get them looking great before the weather turns cold. I soak them a bit first if they are being washed after being worn to loosen any dust or oils that could damage them or attract moths.
The video features my crocheted Clarion Multiway Scarf as the laundry. You can see all the fun and stylish ways it can be worn and find out how to get the pattern here.
Do you like my unusual way of getting them dry enough to hang out? You can press your handmades in a towel if you don't have a salad spinner. Leave me a comment to let me know how it goes if you'll try this yourself!
Step by step to handwashing manually
Fill a bowl, bucket, basin or sink with cool or lukewarm water and add a wool wash. I use a bowl or bucket as I love to wash woollens outdoors to minimise mess.
Submerge the garment and gently separate any layers so it gets wet through.
If it needs a full wash after wearing rather than just a freshen up after storage, leave it to soak for around 15–30 minutes, turning occasionally.
Gently squeeze the water through the fibres.
Avoid rubbing, scrubbing or wringing.
Lift the garment out carefully, supporting its weight.
[Refill the bowl with fresh water and rinse] three times, adding fabric softener on the third rinse if you wish.
To remove excess water, roll the item inside a clean towel and press gently or try spinning it in a salad spinner to eject excess water gently. Never twist or wring it.
Just like with machine washing, I tend to do a batch of similar colour items at a time either by completing one stage at a time for all similar colour items or buy using a large container that several items can fit in without being squashed together. The latter is more efficient if you need to soak them.
Using a machine hand-wash or wool cycle
It's not always necessary to hand wash by hand; modern washing machines often have an excellent wool or hand-wash programme that's gentle enough for suitable animal fibres. I wasn't sure I trusted mine at first but I watched it and have to admit, it's honestly much gentler than I am! It simply soaks and occasionally rotates once very slowly during the wash and rinse but it does spin faster than my salad spinner. I skip the spin on the handwash woollens cycle for any heavy items that might stretch and usually put them in a small laundry bag to hold them tight before doing a separate spin.
If you're ever unsure, hand washing is the safer choice.
An alternative: When Might Dry Cleaning Be the Best Choice?
Most knitted and crocheted items can be safely washed at home with a little care, but there are occasions when professional dry cleaning is worth considering. It can be a good option for:
garments with a sewn-in lining as the lining and handmade garment might react differently to water
pieces made from luxury fibres that recommend dry cleaning on the yarn label
heavily structured or tailored knitted garments, e.g. bags, formal jackets
heirloom or vintage handmade items you're nervous about washing yourself
anything with embellishments that could be damaged by soaking
If you do choose to use a dry cleaner, let them know your garment is hand knitted or crocheted rather than commercially manufactured. Handmade fabrics can behave differently, and it's helpful if they understand that the stitches may be more delicate than machine-knit clothing.
It's also worth mentioning the fibre content or bringing the yarn band if you know it. This helps them choose the most appropriate cleaning method.
Step 6: Drying Properly
How you dry your handmade items is just as important as how you wash them.
For most knitted and crocheted garments you should reshape them while damp and lay them flat on towels or a drying rack to air dry. Avoid hanging knitted or crocheted garments garments as they can stretch under their own weight.
I love to leave them outside in the fresh air or at least in a room with open doors or windows on a warm day when I do this; it's another reason for starting early! Never place items in full summer sun as it can fade the dyes used or make some fibres feel crispy. Drying in a room with a flame fire or any other intense heater isn't recommended as garments may get singed, damaged or absorb smoke smells plus it can be unsafe to use many types of heaters for drying too.
If a garment has become a little misshapen during wear, this is the perfect opportunity to block it back into shape, just as you did when you finished making it. Lace shawls, garments and accessories often look dramatically better after a fresh blocking, as do any items with a zigzag or scalloped edging.
Some items may be suitable for tumble drying. I don't ever use a tumble drier for my handmade garments but if you do, it's really important to check and follow both the yarn and machine manufacturer's instructions to avoid any problems Typically it'll be the coolest and gentlest setting on the machine that is to be used and so you may like to clean out the machine first to remove lint and empty water collection containers to help it dry the item as efficiently as possible on the low settings.
This isn't to say I don't use heat at all to dry my handmades. I sometimes place blocking mats on dining chairs near our radiators in winter to create a warm drying spot for them and have even used a hairdryer on a warm low speed setting to finish drying thick seams on a relatively sturdy item that was otherwise dry plus I often use it when blocking cotton thread crocheted jewellery!
Step 7: A Little Beauty Treatment
Now everything is clean, it's time for the finishing touches that will make sure you always reach for your handmades through the winter.
Check each item for any loose ends to weave in or tiny holes or worn areas to repair. Doing this always reminds me of the saying "A stitch in time saves nine." It's literally true with out handmades!
Re-stitch or replace any loose or missing buttons and consider adding buttons to any garments that you didn't wear because they wouldn't stay in place or weren't cosy as they couldn't be closed. snap fasteners or crocheted/plaited tie-fastenings are also an option
If the items have any bobbles or pilling, this is a great time to remove it. A fabric comb or de-pilling tool can make well-loved garments look wonderfully fresh again. Just work gently, especially on delicate fibres.
Step 8: Wardrobe Planning
Now's the time to take stock of everything you have and decide if there are any gaps in your wardrobe. Did your favourite grey cardigan deliver its final wearable season last year? Have you stopped wearing a lot of your pullovers because you don't have comfortable jeans to go with them right now? Did you always find yourself wishing for a cowl on coastal walks over the winter but you only have scarves you were afraid might blow away? Or maybe you spotted that berets are back in style and can't wait to jump on the trend or have been promising yourself to try a shawl project sometime.
Use your notes to identify purchases and projects that would deliver real value to both your crafting experience and your wardrobe this winter, creating multiple new outfits and making old favourites more wearable plus of course some projects that would simply be fun to make or wear. If your wardrobes are full, you could ask family and friends if there are any handmades they'd like as gifts in the coming months instead so you have time to make them and ensure they get plenty of wear.
Step 9: Store Everything for the Next Season
If cooler weather is approaching, store your handmades in drawers, on shelves or in chests, making sure they are completely dry. They should be folded rather than hung up as hanging can cause them to stretch out of shape and you may like to use moth preventing products.
If you're preparing to put them away for the warmer seasons, your clean garments can now go into storage. Breathable packaging with appropriate moth protection for any animal fibres is usually the preferred solution as it is better for the health of the fibres than airtight containers, which are only suggested in cases where they the items will otherwise likely be damaged by pests. A little care now can save a lot of disappointment later.
Make Washing and Caring for your Handmade Woollens an Annual Tradition
Finally put a note in your diary to save the date for the same thing this time next year. It's such a wonderful chance to reconnect with projects you've loved making, appreciate how much your skills have grown, and perhaps even notice a few gaps in your wardrobe that deserve an exciting new cast-on or crochet start.
Your future self will be delighted when the weather suddenly changes and every handmade piece is clean, fresh, beautifully cared for and ready to wear.
Before you go, don't forget to claim your Free Gift: a free Handmades Spa Day planner for you that you can download as a printable table to fill in and there's also a version you can copy as an editable spreadsheet for those who like to keep it online. Just sign up here and I'll send you a link, so you'll be able to find it each year.
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