How to Care for Wool-Blend Knitwear: Wash Less, Wear Longer

Ask a man why his favourite jumper died and he will usually blame the jumper. More often, the laundry killed it: one hot wash, one tumble dryer cycle, one winter hung on a wire hanger in a damp wardrobe. Wool-blend knitwear is not delicate in the way silk is delicate — it is simply particular. Treat it the way it asks to be treated and it will repay you with years of wear.

Wash less than you think

Knitwear worn over a shirt or T-shirt rarely needs washing after every wear. Wool blends resist odour naturally, and every wash is a small amount of wear in itself. Air the garment first: hang it near an open window or over the back of a chair overnight. Spot-clean marks with a damp cloth. For most jumpers, a wash every four or five wears is plenty, unless something has actually been spilled.

When you do wash

• Read the care label first. It overrides everything written here.
• Cool water, gentle cycle. If machine washing, turn the garment inside out, use a wool or delicates cycle at 30 degrees or below, and put it in a mesh laundry bag to protect it from friction.
• Mild detergent. A wool-specific detergent is best; avoid biological powders and anything with bleach.
• Never wring. Press the water out gently, then roll the garment in a clean towel to absorb the rest.

Drying: flat, always

Wet knitwear is heavy, and gravity is not its friend. Hang a wet jumper and it will dry longer and thinner than it started. Instead, reshape it gently with your hands and dry it flat on a towel or a drying rack, away from radiators and direct sun. It takes longer. It is worth it.

Storage: folded, clean, and cedar if you can

Fold knitwear; do not hang it. Hangers stretch shoulders into points over a season. Store it clean — moths are attracted to garments put away with traces of food and sweat on them — and keep it somewhere dry. Cedar blocks in the drawer are a simple, chemical-free deterrent. At the end of winter, wash or air every piece before it goes away, and store the best pieces in breathable bags.

Pilling is not a death sentence

Short fibres working loose and balling on the surface is normal for wool blends, especially under the arms and where a coat rubs. It is not a sign of poor quality. A battery de-piller or a knitwear comb, used gently a few times a season, restores the surface in minutes. Never pull pills off with your fingers — that tugs longer fibres loose and makes the next round worse.

A note on blends

Many modern knits blend wool with cotton or a small amount of elastane for shape. Our Fair Isle Quarter-Zip (£35.95), for example, is a cotton-rich blend with a touch of elastane to hold its fit. Blends are generally more forgiving than pure wool, but the same rules apply: cool, gentle, flat, folded.

The five-minute version

Small repairs, done early

Most knitwear damage is trivial if it is caught in the week it happens and fatal if it is left a season. A loose thread should never be pulled or cut flush: ease it through to the inside with a needle, where it can do no harm. A snag from a watch strap or a rough nail gets the same treatment — work the loop back through to the reverse side and the surface closes over it. Cardigan buttons loosen quietly; a minute with a needle and thread at the start of winter saves a lost button in January. And check elbows and underarms when you put pieces away in spring: a thin patch noticed in April is a five-minute darn, while the same patch found in November is a hole.

Air between wears. Wash cool and gentle, inside out, in a bag. Dry flat. Store folded and clean. Comb the pills. Follow those five habits and a piece like the Shawl Collar Knit Cardigan (£65.95) will look as composed in its fifth winter as its first — which is, after all, the point of buying well. For more on choosing pieces worth caring for, read our cable knit jumper guide.

The pieces this care routine protects are gathered in the knitwear range; the season's working set is set out in knitwear essentials for autumn and winter.