How to store knitwear

We all know that we should look after our clothes and they will last longer, from washing them correctly to storing them correctly. Knitwear can be pricey and if we put them away properly, they will stay looking fresh and feeling their best throughout the season. In this blog we look at how you should be organising your sweaters, jumpers and cardigans to ensure they stand the test of time.

It’s no secret that wool is a delicate material, so it’s important that you take extra care to look after any items you own that are made from this fabric. Aside from washing them as per the instruction label, the number one rule of caring for your wool sweaters is to store them correctly.

Due to the delicate nature of the material, wool sweaters and jumpers should always be stored on a shelf or in a drawer. Hanging wool sweaters can cause them to stretch out of shape and leave dimples in the shoulders, which in turn, can ruin the look and feel. You might even find that it doesn’t quite fit you as well as it used to. Lets take a look at how to store your knitwear.

How to store knitwear in a drawer

Storing clothes in a drawer is a great way to keep your favourite items within easy reach – but how exactly do you organise your sweaters in this way? Check out these top tips on how you can use your drawers to neatly store your knitwear pieces.

-       Roll, don’t fold  

While a pile of sweaters may look neat to begin with, you may find that it soon topples over and makes the drawer look messy. In turn, this can make it harder for you to pick and choose what you want to wear. So, instead of folding your sweaters into a pile and simply placing them into the drawer, you might want to try rolling them instead.

To roll a sweater, simply lay it frontside down and fold in the arms and a small section of the side. Next, flip up the bottom and roll it upwards until you have a smoothly rolled up sweater.

-       Use a filing method

Once you have neatly rolled up your sweaters, you could use a filing method to place each one into the drawer compartment. Simply place each rolled up sweater into the drawer vertically. You should find that this allows you to make the most of the space you have, and it’ll also enable you to see each sweater in your collection at a quick glance.

-       Invest in drawer dividers

If you want to be ultra-organised, you could even invest in some drawer dividers. These organisation accessories are available in a whole range of styles, shapes and sizes, so you shouldn’t find it difficult to find dividers that fit your drawer compartments. Drawer dividers can help keep the inside of your drawers neat and organised. You could even use them to sub-categorise your sweaters, such as by colour or occasion.

How to store sweaters on shelves

Using shelves is one of the easiest ways to store your sweaters, jumpers and cardigans. To help you get the most out of your shelving and ensure your sweater collection remains organised, keep these top tips in mind.

-       Finetune your folding technique

Your folding technique is key when it comes to storing sweaters on a shelf. To get this part just right, simply lay your item face down on a flat surface, take each sleeve and fold them across so that they are shoulder to shoulder. Next, fold the garment in thirds by tucking in each side, stopping at the centre. To finish, smooth over the garment with your hand and fold it in half lengthways. You should end up with a neat stack of rectangular-shaped that you can position on your shelving.   

 -       Put larger sweaters at the bottom of the pile

To prevent your piles of sweaters from toppling over, make sure that you place large, bulky items at the bottom of the stack. For example, it’s a good idea to keep thick cable knit jumpers and sweatshirts at the base of the pile, with your fine knits towards the top. Making a conscious effort to store your sweaters in size order should help you keep them neat and always organised.

-       Use baskets

Once you’ve organised your collection into tidy piles, you could then place each stack into a basket. The style of basket you use is up to you. For instance, you could go for a set of cute straw baskets or a selection of attractive metal designs. By placing your sweater piles into these baskets, you can trust that each stack will stay neat and tidy, and you can even remove the basket from the shelf so you can pick which item of clothing you want to wear before putting it back.

How to store sweaters so they don’t wrinkle

There’s nothing more annoying than pulling out your favourite jumper to wear and seeing that it’s covered in wrinkles. The good news is, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your collection is ready to always wear.

Using the folding technique, we outlined earlier on in this article can help keep your sweaters wrinkle-free. Taking the time to carefully fold each sweater will ensure it stays in tip top condition and stays looking its best in between each wear. Simply smooth over each sweater after you’ve folded it should help keep creases to a minimum.

Alternatively, you might want to consider hanging some of your knitwear. As we have previously mentioned, it’s important to note that there are some sweaters you should not hang, such as those made from fabrics such as wool, cashmere or angora. However, for sweaters and jumpers made from thicker materials, such as cotton or polyester, you could hang them up on a rail. To ensure they maintain their shape, you could invest in padded hangers. You should also make sure that the hanger isn’t bigger than the size of the item of clothing to avoid stretching out the neckline and shoulders. To avoid this altogether, you could try placing them on the bottom section of the hanger instead, just like you would with a pair of trousers.

At Chums, we have a huge variety of men's and ladies knitwear that will keep you warm in the winter and if you take on board all our top tips then you will be able to store them correctly, to last longer and stay fresh for years to come!