How to Care for Knitwear So It Lasts a Decade

A good merino or lambswool knit can last ten years or longer — but only if you treat it accordingly. Most knitwear gets ruined not by wear, but by the wrong wash, the wrong storage, or the wrong hanger. Five short rules:

1. Wash less, air more

Unless you've sweated through it or spilled something, a knit doesn't need washing after every wear. After taking it off, hang it briefly in a ventilated room or by an open window. The wool fibres self-clean to a remarkable degree.

2. When you do wash — cold, gentle, inside out

Hand wash or use a wool cycle at 30°C or below, with a wool-specific detergent. Turn the garment inside out first to protect the surface. Never wring; press the water out gently between two towels.

3. Dry flat, never on a hanger

A wet knit on a hanger stretches at the shoulders permanently. Lay it flat on a dry towel, reshape it by hand, and let it air dry away from direct heat or sunlight. This is the single most common mistake — fix this one and you've solved half the problem.

4. Fold to store, don't hang

Same reason as above. Fold knitwear in a drawer or on a shelf. Cedar blocks or lavender sachets in the drawer keep moths off without chemicals.

5. De-pill twice a year

Natural fibres pill at high-friction spots — under arms, on the sides. A cashmere comb or a small battery-powered pill remover, used gently every six months, keeps the surface looking new for years.

That's all there is to it. Spend twenty minutes a year per piece, and your knitwear pays you back with a decade of wear.