The weather is finally warming up and it’s time to think about cleaning and storing our winter knits for the season. The most important thing to take care of before tucking them away for spring is to make sure that they are clean! Dirt, makeup, perfume, and skin oils not only stain or damage fibers but also attract the arch-enemy of natural fiber lovers. (You know, rhymes with “sloth”.)
The best option is a product that will gently clean away dirt and excess oils without stripping the fibers completely. You could use shampoo if you wanted, but you can save yourself time (and water!) by going with a low suds, no-rinse wash, like Soak.
Soak is eco-friendly, biodegradable, made in Toronto, and comes in awesome scents as well as scentless. Just fill up your sink, bathtub, or wash basin with some lukewarm water, add a capful of Soak and gently submerge your sweater.
Then walk away and forget about them for 15 minutes. (Don’t worry, if you forget about them for longer it won’t hurt anything.)
When you come back, you will have nice clean knits! You may see some dirt or excess dye floating around in the bottom of your wash tub – that’s totally normal.
Gently lift your wet garments out, press out as much water as you can (don’t wring, you’ll break fibers), and roll in a towel or put in a gentle spin cycle to get out the rest of the water. Lay the item flat and pat into proper shape. It is now ready to dry. I like to throw my Dyson fan in the room where I dry my knits or spread them out on a plastic sheet on the bed under a ceiling fan. Both will get them drier faster. Once your garments are completely dry, gently fold and store in an air-tight container.
That’s all there is to it! As a bonus, your no-rinse wash is great for washing all kinds of other stuff around your house – bras, workout clothes, makeup brushes, baby clothes, spot cleaning carpets and upholstery, you name it!