A reader asks, “Do you have any tips for shrinking a wool sweater that is too big without felting* it?” Well, we’re not sure about sizing a LARGE down to a MEDIUM, but we can help when the parts get stretched out, such as when a turtleneck looks more like a hippo neck. When this happens, it’s easy to shrink a sweater’s stretched-out neck, cuffs and waist back into shape. Here’s what to do…

Dunk the sweater in a sink filled with hot water. Shake off as much water as possible (without stretching it further!), then blot the sweater with a clean, dry towel. Once the sweater is no longer dripping wet, reshape to the size you want and dry the stretched-out part(s) with a blow-dryer set on hot. The localized heating will bring those parts of your sweater back into line!

Caution: Do not touch a wet sweater with a plugged-in dryer. And some hair dryers get very hot, so move the dryer constantly (back and forth, as a salon stylist would) to keep from burning your sweater.

*Felting is the process that mats together animal fibers (such as wool) until they resemble felt. This usually occurs from a regular hot-water wash. This is not a good thing if you want a sweater to maintain its basic shape (since felting often shrinks material significantly) and the wool to retain its integrity.

More help with your clothes…

• Free Up Space in Your Closet
• Soften Your Sweaters and Prevent Pilling
• DIY Tricks to Save on Dry Cleaning

 

Source: Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen are health investigators based in New York City who have spent decades collecting "cures from the cupboard." They are authors of Bottom Line's Treasury of Home Remedies & Natural Cures and Bottom Line's Household Magic. They are authors of the free e-letter Household Magic Daily Tips. 

Date: July 10, 2011

Publication: Bottom Line's Household Magic

See this post online at: https://www.bottomlineinc.com/life/clothing/get-your-sweater-back-into-shape