10 mistakes to avoid when caring for knitwear and natural yarns

10 mistakes to avoid when washing and caring for knitwear

Home treatment of knitwear – especially when it comes to yarns to be treated – is a delicate phase.
Many problems such as felting, stiffness, loss of shape, or "disappointing results" are not due to the yarn, but to common mistakes made during home treatment.

Let's look at the most frequent ones.

1. Using water that is too hot

This is the number one mistake.

Natural fibers (wool, cashmere, alpaca, etc.) do not tolerate high heat, especially when combined with agitation.

What happens:

• the fiber shrinks

• the garment becomes overly compacted

• there is a risk of irreversible felting

👉 Basic rule: lukewarm or cold water, always.

2. Changing temperature between washing and rinsing

Even if the water is not hot, temperature changes are dangerous.

Typical mistake:

• washing in lukewarm water

• rinsing in cold water (or vice versa)

Effect:

• fiber stress

• stiffening

• loss of elasticity

👉 The temperature must remain constant from start to finish.

3. Rubbing, twisting or wringing the garment

Many treat knitwear as if it were cotton.
Serious mistake.

What NOT to do:

• rub the garment

• twist it to remove water

• wring it forcefully

Result:

• deformations

• localized felting

• damaged stitch pattern

👉 Water is removed by gentle pressure, never by twisting.

4. Using the wrong detergents

Another very common mistake is the use of:

• harsh detergents

• all-purpose products

• soaps that are too degreasing

These products:

• dry out the fiber

• remove elasticity

• make the garment stiff over time

👉 A specific detergent for natural fibers, gentle and low impact, is needed.

5. Fulling "too much" thinking it makes it softer

Fulling is a tool, not a shortcut.

Typical mistake:

“If I full it more, it will become even softer”

In reality:

• too much fulling compacts and shrinks the fiber

• the garment loses definition

• the product's lifespan decreases

👉 Fulling must be light and controlled, not forced.

6. Drying the garment by hanging it

Hanging a wet garment is one of the most underestimated mistakes.

What happens:

• the weight of the water pulls the knit

• the garment stretches

• shoulders and edges deform

👉 Knitted garments should always be dried flat, on a horizontal surface.

7. Not respecting rest times

After treatment, many want to "see the result immediately."

Mistake:

• handling the garment as soon as it's dry

• folding or wearing it immediately

Natural fiber needs:

• time

• rest

• stabilization

👉 The final result is visible after a few hours (or a day).

8. Judging the yarn from the first treatment

Especially with:

• cashmere

• recycled cashmere

• carded yarns

The first treatment:

• opens the fiber

• starts the process

• is not always the final one

👉 Often, it's after the second treatment that the yarn truly expresses its potential.

9. Treating all yarns the same way

Every yarn is different in terms of:

• count

• twist

• fiber

• structure

Common mistake:

“I've always done it this way and it's always worked”

👉 Each yarn needs to be understood and listened to, not standardized.

10. Thinking that a mistake is the yarn's fault

This is the most common mistake.

When a garment:

• felts

• hardens

• loses shape

The first reaction is:

“The yarn is not good”

In most cases, however:

• the yarn was correct

• the treatment was not

Home treatment is not complicated, but requires:

• attention

• delicacy

• awareness of the fiber

A yarn to be treated does not forgive mistakes, but when treated correctly, it delivers extraordinary results.