4 tips for taking care of your alpaca sweater
OUR 4 TIPS FOR MAINTAINING YOUR ALPACA SWEATER!
Did you know that alpaca wool is known for being both warm and very breathable? Great cold or milder weather, it adapts to all weather conditions! So so that your alpaca sweater accompanies you throughout the seasons, here are our 4 tips for taking care of it ⤵
1. Air your sweater regularly.
Since alpaca wool is very breathable, it is not necessary to wash it too often. To maintain your sweater, we recommend that you air it regularly . Hang your sweater for a few minutes in a room with an open window, for example, or let it enjoy the steam from your bathroom when you shower! Be careful, however, not to leave it hanging for too long, we will explain why a little further down ⬇
2. Preferably wash by hand, cold.
To wash your sweater , we strongly recommend that you opt for cold hand washing, in water mixed with a little mild detergent or suitable for wool. Washing cold and by hand is also more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Washing is an important step, to avoid any fateful mistake, take care to:
- Do not rub your sweater: knead it to make the water penetrate.
- Avoid twisting your sweater as much as possible to wring it out: instead place it in a bath towel which will absorb excess water.
- Do not hang your wet sweater to dry: wool can absorb up to 35% of its weight in water before being damp to the touch! Hanging your sweater risks causing irreversible deformation. We therefore advise you to dry flat and away from any excessive heat source!
3. Pilling is not an end in itself.
The appearance of pilling on your natural alpaca wool sweater (and even wool itself) is completely normal and has nothing to do with a concern for quality, quite the contrary. The threads that form the stitch of your sweater are made up of fibers of different sizes. The shorter fibers ( woven with the other large fibers) will therefore stand out and with friction, form what we call pills. Don't panic, they will eventually disappear and we therefore advise you to remove them gradually. To save time, you can also use a "pilling razor" , specially designed for this purpose and respectful of the mesh.
4. Beware of moths!
These little creatures love natural wool and can cause serious damage to your sweaters! On the other hand, they are sensitive to strong odors. To keep them away from your cupboards, use natural repellents such as lavender sachets, red cedar balls, bay leaf or even cloves. Do not hesitate to clean your cupboards regularly and only store clean or airy clothes there.
And there you have it, with these tips, your sweater is in good hands, uh... hands!
