My Sweater Washing Method Took Years to Perfect (It’s Foolproof!)

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town…read more
published Aug 21, 2025
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Stack of cozy knitted sweaters on a wooden table. Retro style. Warm concept
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Credit: SunKids/Shutterstock

Growing up in San Francisco’s Sunset District, I barely believed real seasons existed. Most days were chilly and foggy, with only a couple of sunny weeks each October. Now that I live in middle Tennessee, it feels like a storybook: Winters bring just enough snow to be exciting, springs burst with color, summers stay lush and green, and fall turns the trees warm shades of red, orange, and gold. As the weather cools and eventually freezes, I pull out my sweaters from storage — which, of course, means washing them more often. Here’s how to wash sweaters using my simple, foolproof method that I’ve honed over the years.

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Credit: Apartment Therapy

What You’ll Need to Wash Sweaters: 

  • A bowl or washing basin
  • Liquid laundry detergent 
  • Cool water
  • Light-colored towel
  • Drying rack 

How to Wash Sweaters

Sweaters need extra care because they’re more delicate than many other garments. Their construction and materials make them prone to stretching, shrinking up, or losing their shape if handled too roughly. Using gentle washing methods will help prolong their life and keep them looking great. 

Step 1: Soak 

Fill a large bowl or washing basin with cool water and add a small amount of liquid laundry detergent, about a teaspoon per half gallon of water. Add the sweater to the water and swish it around to get the detergent to suds up a bit. Soak for about half an hour.

Step 2: Rinse

Dump out the water and add clean water to the bowl, swishing the sweater around some more to get the soap out of it. Repeat this process until the water runs clear. 

Step 3: Squeeze

Do not wring your sweater to get the water out. Instead, wad it and squeeze it to release water without stretching your sweater out or misshaping it. Open the sweater up, then wad it up and squeeze again. Repeat until it’s no longer dripping wet. 

Step 4: Roll dry

Set out a light-colored towel and place your sweater completely flat on top of it. Roll the sweater in the towel to help dry it further, again, without stretching it out.

Step 5: Place on drying rack

Lay your sweater out flat on a drying rack, like this one. If you don’t have one, you can get a mesh hanging rack that you can lay sweaters on.

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Cleaning
laundry

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