{12.12.12} How Tos

Cashmere cable knit,
$298 by J.Crew

The Art of

Sweater Maintenance

When it comes to sweaters, a man's motto should be more wear and less wash. But after eight to ten wearings, your knitwear will be in need of cleaning. Dry-cleaning your sweaters may be convenient, but the chemicals can strip the natural oils from the yarn, making it lose loft and luster, according to Lindsey Wieber Boyd and Gwen Whiting, founders of The Laundress. They suggest turning the sweater inside out (to clean the fabric where stains and odors buildup on the inside closest to your body), and washing by hand.

Pretreat the collar, underarms and any stains with an enzyme-based remover. $4, by Ecover

De-Fuzz

Got a sweater with those little fuzz balls? It's called "pilling," and it usually happens to knits of lesser quality. But it can be easily removed with a sweater stone, which pulls the little guys from the threads, leaving a smooth finish.

$6, by Dritz

Snags

Fix a snag or loose thread in a sweater by turning it inside out and using a safety pin to pull the yarn back into the inside of the sweater. Then knot the yarn close to the fabric and trim off the excess.

Soften Scratchy Sweaters

You likely have a sweater in your closet that you'd wear more if it weren't so damn scratchy. Some wool is itchier than others, while some start to take on a stiff texture after repeated wears and cleaning. Relief can be found in your shower.

FYI

Always fold sweaters. And whether you're packing them in a box or stacking them in your closet, a commercial folding board ($4) makes it both quick and easy.