Some advice for taking good care of your winter clothes

Winter's here! It's time to swap your mid-season clothing for warmer fabrics. However, your sweaters and coats often require special attention. How should you take care of your winter clothes? Here is some advice for taking care of your things!

Coats: winter clothing that requires special care

Washing your coats

Coats are durable items resistant to the cold and bad weather. They only need to be washed once or twice a year, depending on how you use them. If you want to avoid dry cleaning them, you can also wash them at home. In this case, take all the necessary precautions to avoid damaging the fabric! Always read the instructions on the label before washing your coats. Here are some steps to follow for taking good care of these winter clothes.

If your coat is machine-washable:

Unless otherwise indicated, avoid dry cleaning: the solvents used could damage the waterproof coating found on most coats;
Cold washing is preferable (maximum 30°C), with no spin drying;
Avoid fabric softeners.

If you have to hand wash your coat:

Only use cold water;
Use the bathtub, if you have one. If not, spread a towel out on a table and lay the coat on top;
Use a liquid detergent without fabric softener;
Scrub your coat from top to bottom with a wet hand towel;
Remove any stubborn stains with a toothbrush.

Drying your coats

To best care for your winter clothes, drying requires as much attention as washing. Once you machine or hand wash your coat:

Don’t put your coat in the clothes dryer;
Don’t wring it by hand;
Dry your coat some first by passing a dry flannel over its entire surface, from top to bottom;
Then hang it on a thick hanger and allow it to air-dry.

Sweaters: frequent and easy care

Washing your sweaters

Sweaters need to be washed more often than coats. This means you must be careful not to over-wash them! You can wear your sweaters for several days before having to wash them, if you air them out regularly or refresh them with a steam generator. As with your coats, make sure to check the instructions on the label first. More and more washing machines are designed to wash wool or cashmere sweaters without damaging them, which makes it easier to care for your winter clothes.

For machine washing:

Wash your sweaters inside-out;
Avoid fabric softeners, aggressive cleaning products and bleaching agents, particularly on delicate fabrics;
Use only a small amount of liquid detergent;
Cold washing is preferred (30° maximum) in order to keep your sweaters from shrinking;
Select a gentle spin cycle (500 rpm maximum).

For hand washing:

Use cold water;
Gentler detergents specifically designed for hand washing are preferred;
Pat your sweater rather than scrubbing it;
If you find a stubborn stain, scrub it by hand.

Drying your sweaters

Avoid using the clothes dryer;
Never wring your sweaters by hand: this could distort the shape of your winter clothes and cause pilling;
Spread your sweaters out on a towel and allow them to air-dry: this will keep them from losing their shape.

Some advice for the daily care of your sweaters

Don't hang your sweaters on hangers since they are likely to lose their shape;
Air them out regularly;
Never remove pilling with scissors, do it by hand or use a pilling brush;
When ironing, make sure to use a quality iron with temperature control. Some technologies, such as Laurastar DMS steam generators, make it possible to iron your clothes effectively while refluffing them.

Taking good care of your winter clothes: some useful advice!