Irish sweaters are a pleasure to wear: they are soft, warm, comfortable, and very stylish. Although we all love them, they are delicate and require some extra time and special treatment, so you have to be prepared for it when you are purchasing one. In order to have a better understanding of how exactly to wash, store, and remove the stains from an Irish sweater, we’ve had a talk with a knitwear expert from Tara Irish Clothing and here are what we found out about these wonderful pieces of clothing:
Learn how to wash the Irish sweater
First and foremost, let’s discuss how to properly wash and clean your garment. Wool clothing, in general, has the wonderful ability to self-clean, which means that, while being more difficult to care for than most of your other clothes, you won’t have to wash it as frequently. If your sweater isn’t dirty but isn’t quite as fresh as you’d like it to be, hang it outside for a few hours in your yard or, if you have one, on your balcony. Merino wool has antibacterial properties therefore the sweater will stay fresh this way. If your knitted item needs a deep clean, the best choice is to wash it by hand in lukewarm water with a gentle detergent solution that won’t destroy the fabric.
Store the sweater correctly
Merino wool is such a wonderful fabric that even moths can’t stay away from it. Of course, we’re joking, but moths really love Merino wool clothes, and it’s possible that they’ll chew holes in your sweater while you keep it in your closet for when the weather warms up. To avoid this, you should learn how to properly store it. First and foremost, your sweater must be clean and fully dry in order to maintain its freshness over time. Then, if you want to be certain that your clothing is completely insect-proof, put it in Ziploc bags, preferably the vacuum seal ones. Finally, remember to clean and ventilate your closet on a regular basis.
Remove stains the right way
Very often, when someone spills a drink or stains an Irish sweater with makeup it feels like the end of the world, since wool is such a delicate fiber that can’t be washed at high temperatures, bleached, or treated with any other method that can be used on regular clothing. This is why it is very important to learn more about stains and the right way of removing them, since what works with one of them might not work with another. For example, for makeup stains such as foundation and lipstick consider using micellar water, but if it is not enough, try using a mixture of tepid water and some white spirit. However, this method won’t work with alcohol or coffee stains, as they might need a deep cleansing with some baking soda.
