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Proper sweater storage, cleaning prolong beauty

Q. How often and in what ways should I wash my sweaters? When I break them out each year, I usually spend each morning sneezing from the allergies of 9 months' of dust build-up. I remember hearing something about fluffing them in the dryer, but wonder if I should be washing them.

A. There are many options in terms of sweater care, washing should not be your first choice or first thought. You are right, even sweaters that are not spotted or soiled in any way often don't seem quite fresh. But before you take them to an expensive dry cleaner or decide to try washing them yourself, here is some advice on how to fluff and freshen them in the dryer.

Put your clean, dry sweaters -- turned inside out -- into the dryer on the "gentle" cycle and set the temperature to "air" (no heat). Fluff them for no more than five or 10 minutes. You might add one or two fabric softener sheets along with your dry sweaters -- preferably a variety that is not scented. You will be amazed at the amount of lint, fluff, and dirt-holding fuzz that is released. You'll find it inside the lint trap.

Obviously, for any soiled items actually in need of dry cleaning or laundering, this is not a substitute. But for clean clothes, it is an excellent first step.

Another inexpensive solution for cleaning your less-than-favorite sweaters and everyday, knock-around jackets -- anything that does not need pressing, pre-spotting, or other special handling -- involves nothing more than using a dryer. A special dry-cleaning-at-home product comes as a kit; the most widely available brand is Dryel. Just put your dry clothes in a dryer bag with the cleaning cloth, throw them in the dryer, and they will come clean without shrinking or fading the colors. Though not as effective as a professional dry cleaning, this process is often good enough and is a real bargain. You can clean a whole load for about what it costs to clean one garment professionally.

With all sweaters and seasonal clothing it is best to address it as soon as the season is clearly over and before the next one begins. In an effort to avoid thinking about winter for as long as possible, we often put off clearing out the last of the summer clothes from our closets until way past the end of the season. Sometimes it is hard to know when the season is really over. This year's warm fall/early winter weather lulled many of us into waiting to reorganize our cold weather clothes. The better the clothing, the more you should focus on packing away/preparing for wearing.

Fine sweaters made of natural fibers require a certain amount of special handling, whether they're wool, cashmere, cotton or silk. Of course, you can just take them to an expensive dry cleaner and pay whatever they charge. But, for a whole lot less, you can follow these few how-to-take-care-of your-sweaters rules and keep yours looking great for years.

Rule No. 1: Don't hang sweaters up. The surest way to protect sweaters from becoming stretched out and shapeless is to fold them and keep them in a drawer or on a shelf in one of those multi-shelf hanging closet organizers.

Rule No. 2: Don't wash them too often. Consider spot treatment. Before you decide to clean or wash a sweater that only has a small spot or stain, try using a spray spot-remover product, such as K2R Spot-Lifter. It allows you to eliminate the stain without cleaning the whole garment.

Rule No. 3: Before storing your sweaters for the next season, be sure they are clean. Bugs are attracted to the stained spots. Sweaters that are stored for a few months with stains or soil will not last as long, and will never look as good.

The labels on a lot of sweaters say, "Dry clean only." Although professional dry cleaning is the safest method, dry cleaning -- especially at a top quality establishment -- is expensive. Often it is not really your only choice. If you are willing to spend the time and take a few precautions, most sweaters can be washed at home, by hand or in the washing machine.

Hand washing can be a hassle, mainly because you have to keep replacing the dirty, soapy water and then keep swishing and rinsing until all the soap is gone.

Machine washing is easy: use the gentle cycle, cold water, and for finer sweaters, a protective zippered mesh laundry bag. When I wash a sweater that has any special trim that concerns me, I actually put it into a medium-size zipped mesh bag, and then put that first bag into another larger zippered bag for even more protection against abrasion.

Here are a few ironclad sweater-washing rules:

• Turn sweaters inside out before you wash them.

• Use cold water. Fibers such as wool, cashmere, and fine cottons get ruined quickly if you use warm or hot water. Shrinking is sure to result.

• Avoid wringing or twisting to get rid of water. After I hand wash or machine wash my sweaters, I always put them into the washer and set it for the final spin cycle to get rid of most excess water before the actual drying.

• Never dry in the dryer. Spread the sweater out to air dry on a large clean, dry towel on a flat surface. Don't rush it.

Hard though this may be to believe, if you are careful to avoid stains and spots, you may only need to dry clean or wash your sweaters once a year, before putting them away in some breathable container for their end-of-season storage. FYI: One of the best sweater storage containers is an unused fabric suitcase that has been thoroughly cleaned and lined with tissue paper, where they can rest safely until next winter.

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High Profile on 01/14/2018

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