Wardrobe 101: How To Wash & Store Your Knitwear (It’s Not As Simple As You Think)

It’s time! A spring-cleaning strategy for your winter woollies.

Our focus is firmly on new-season style this week as we consider what to wear for spring and summer. That optimism extends to our winter arsenal; we thank them for their service, but it’s time to put heavy-duty jumpers away until next year. This does, however, require a strategy.

Maintaining good wardrobe habits is rewarding, not just for a sense of order and organisation, but for keeping your clothes in good condition. This is especially important when it comes to wool garments. With the right attention and TLC, washing and storing your knitwear will keep it in good condition for next winter and years to come.

The last thing you want is to pull something out in six months only to find it smells musty or, devastatingly, that it has become a victim of moths. And for a category that often has a high initial cost (good quality knitwear isn’t cheap) or often carries sentimental value, the stakes can be high.

So, what can you do? We enlisted some experts for their advice on the matter.

Liz Mitchell is on a wool crusade. The fibre was foundational to the poetic collection she showed on the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria, and the long-standing Wool NZ ambassador spoke to Dan Ahwa about her mission. “New Zealand produces the best wool in the world and we need more,” Mitchell said. “It’s a sustainable, regenerative resource that can be used everywhere.”

Always willing to discuss the unique properties of wool, and educate people about its benefits, Mitchell is a fount of knowledge when it comes to caring for knitwear.

“Wool is the best fibre for knitwear, but our fast fashion brands have devalued this fibre by using poor quality short- and long-length staples and mixing synthetic fibres to produce cheaper garments. These are then unable to decompose, which is one of pure wool’s natural properties.”

And though wool is biodegradable, with the right attention it can last generations. She stresses the importance of making sure your knits are clean before storing them. “Moths eat any food or dirt deposits left on unwashed clothes.” What to wash with? Mitchell recommends classic Lux Flakes, and advises you can get specialised wool-wash products from knitting shops.

Not all wools are the same; a delicate cashmere jumper requires different things to a lanolin-rich sheep’s wool jersey. The latter, “often handknitted, with natural undyed colours, and a sheepy smell does not need washing very often,” Mitchell advises. “Maybe once a year at the end of winter when you are putting your winter wardrobe away.” Fine cashmere can be given a gentle hand wash and dried flat, before putting it away. “Some merino knitwear that has a machine wash label has been treated with a coating (probably a plastic) and can be machine washed with a gentle wool wash,” she reveals. “I still prefer to hand wash my knitwear, giving them a spin and drying flat.”

READ: Fashion Designer Liz Mitchell Is On A Wool Crusade

Once stored, there are some other methods for protecting against moth holes. “Left-over soap can be put in your clothing drawers. I have made pomanders with oranges and cloves and they have a beautiful smell to hang in your wardrobe and keep moths away. There are sachets of lavender that are also good for storing clothes.”

However, no matter how hard you try, holes happen — either by moth or accident. Learning how to darn, and making a point of doing so when a hole is still small, is a valuable skill to know and a meditative task.

Beyond simple practicality, visible mending has become an appealing prospect — signalling care, knowledge and value for its wearer, and providing a tangible sense of the human hand that’s innately appealing in a time of fast fashion and cheap fabric. “There is so much creative darning happening at the moment and it can transform a garment,” says Liz. “There are crafting classes, YouTube tutorials, and the library is full of embroidery books.” And for an expert touch, her namesake label offers clients the service of mending moth holes.

Specialist books are a helpful resource, from the knitwear-specific Visible Creative Mending by Flora Collingwood-Norris, available from the incredible Minerva bookshop in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, to the inspiration offered by Japanese techniques in Mending With Boro by Harumi Horiuchi. Many great tomes can be found in second-hand bookshops, with publications from decades when mending was more commonplace. And if you really want to commit to the practice of darning, it’s worth investing in a wooden darning mushroom to make the task at hand easier.

They are an occupational hazard for vintage sellers like Noon Goods’ Juliet Stimpson, who advises tending to any visible holes ASAP, while also taking a precautionary approach. “If you suspect moth holes, then you want to make sure there’s no unhatched moth eggs to cause more damage — you can’t really see them so a good way to kill them is to steam the garment thoroughly,” she recommends. “You can also put the knit into a plastic bag, squeeze the air out and freeze it for a few days but unless you have a chest freezer with lots of spare room then steaming is probably easier for most people.”

They’re also quite cheap, especially when you consider the emotional and literal cost that holes can incur: Otautahi store Frances Nation sells locally made cedar blocks — good for shelves — while balls can be kept in a breathable bag in a draw, and Bunnings sells rings that slip on a coat hanger (good for woven wool garments like coats).

Cedar wood has long been used to ward off clothes moths, and its fragrant oil is a natural repellent. It’s the reason why a lot of old chests of drawers are made from the stuff, so if you ever find one for a good price, it’s a smart addition to the home.

Of course, not all knitwear has the luxury of being stored in cedar chests, and months or years shut away can leave a jumper smelling funky — a common issue with vintage knits. “If the knit smells a bit musty like it’s been in storage for years you can hang it outside for a day to air it out.” says Stimpson. “An old costumers’ trick is to spray with cheap vodka as the alcohol somehow helps remove smells.” Liquid hand sanitiser, in a spray bottle, also works well due to its high alcohol content. She likes the refillable Heilala Vanilla.

Other products in Stimpson’s toolbox include the affordable Martha’s Woolmix. “You can hand wash with it or use it in your washing machine — I’ve recently discovered that the wool cycle on my machine is actually a pretty good substitute for handwashing... I probably wouldn’t put a favourite precious knit in but it’s useful for studier items.”

She also recommends investing in a wool comb. “Pilling happens more on acrylic but it does sometimes happen on natural fibres too, it’s due to the fibres in the yarn being shorter,” she explains, and a comb will scrape off the pills easier. For fluffier knits, however, “just sit there and patiently pull them off by hand — it really does make the garment look better when it’s de-pilled!”

If you take the time to do any de-pilling now, come autumn 2024, Future You will be grateful. And though we’re packing away heavier knits until next year, it’s worth keeping a few lighter pieces in your rotation. “Wool is still practical as a layer in summer as it naturally wicks away moisture but is breathable,” says Stimpson. “You can also get some really nice silk or linen blend knits as well as cotton. It pays to buy more expensive knits — or do what I do and look for them second hand or vintage.”

Storing wool garments correctly is important all year round. Fine knits can be prone to snagging — velcro, embellishments and hook closures can do serious damage — while heavy jumpers can stretch, especially if hung. “Knitwear should be kept folded in enclosed storage,” advises Standard Issue knitwear designer Glen Prentice.

“It’s preferable to store like with like, a heavier zip-front cardigan shouldn’t be stored directly alongside a fine gauge sweater. A delicate piece of knitwear can be stored in a pouch (think spare dust bag or old pillowcase) to avoid damage.” While it’s tempting to hang a scarf on a hook, doorknob or the back of a chair, this is something to avoid too. “It’s always safest to fold to avoid the scarf warping.”

It’s also beneficial to factor in some ‘air time’ to cut down on the work of washing. “If your knitwear is of good quality, natural fibres you can avoid washing them very often, instead opting to air your knitwear flat as needed,” he says.

Flatness is fundamental for keeping knitwear in good nick. Drying flat after washing offers “a great way to restore shape to knitwear when required,” advises Prentice, who likes gentle, New Zealand-made, knitwear-specific soaps like Sphaera’s The Laundry Bar or Ecostore’s Eucalyptus Wool & Delicates.

He also recommends cultivating an understanding and appreciation for the properties of wool. “Love your knitwear,” he advises. “Make conscientious decisions when purchasing, wearing, and caring for your knitwear — that way it will last a lifetime.”

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