3 tips for loosening a knit sweater

We’ve all had that unlucky moment when you get your sweater out of the dryer and find that your favorite knit has tragically shrunk a size or two. Luckily, your new micro sweater doesn’t have to stay the way it is. We’ve spotted three foolproof tricks to smooth your sweaters and get them back in the right shape.

For wool sweaters

For wool sweaters, you can use baby shampoo or fabric softener to return shrunken sweaters to their original size. For that, proceed as following:

1. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and add a teaspoon per liter of baby shampoo or fabric softener.
2. Mix well.
3. Soak your sweater in the solution for at least 30 minutes (but ideally up to two hours)
4. Drain the liquid but do not rinse the sweater.
5. Gently squeeze excess liquid into tub or towel; do not wring it.
6. Lay your sweater on a dry towel or flat surface and gently stretch it as much as you can. Place weights on the ends of your sweater to hold it in place.
7. Repeat this stretching process several times until your sweater is dry and you can’t stretch it anymore.

For a cashmere or wool sweater

If you’ve shrunk a cashmere or wool sweater, try the following to restore it to its former glory:

1. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and mix one part white wine vinegar to two parts water (i.e. 1/2 liter of vinegar and one liter of water).
2. Soak your garment in the solution for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove the garment and, as with the previous hack, do not rinse it but gently wring out the remaining liquid.
4. Use rolled up towels to stuff your sweater and help absorb excess vinegar water solution.
5. Hang your sweater to dry, avoiding wrinkles on the hangers.

For viscose sweaters

If you don’t have baby shampoo on hand, you can use hair conditioner to detangle rayon sweaters and even denim.

1. Mix one tablespoon of conditioner with one liter of warm water in a large bowl or bucket.
2. Let your garment soak for a few minutes to loosen the fibers.
3. Take the sweater out and squeeze it gently to squeeze out excess liquid.
4. Lay your sweater flat on a large towel or clean, dry surface. Dab it with a dry towel to further remove the liquid.
5. Gently stretch the garment back to its original shape.
6. Lay flat to dry and using weights or clothespins secure the edges so it dries to the desired shape.