Buying clothes built to last is one thing — but there's a lot you can do to make them endure. Our biggest takeaway is that first and foremost, everything we wear should be enjoyed — accessorized with a joie de vivre and not a fear of getting ruined. Here are our tips for wearing, storing and even cleaning your knits correctly to prolong the life of your favorite rue blanche items. 

How to take care of your knits?
Contrary to popular belief, cleaning and caring for woollen knits (alpaca, mohair, angora, cashmere, merino...) is not a complex task, you simply must choose the right method, respectful of your clothes. First of all, it is important to know that the wool fibre does not retain smells, so you can wear your knitwear several times before washing it. A good technique for spacing out washings is to let your knitwear air out after wearing it. But at some point, you will need to wash your knitwear, so here are our little tips for cleaning, drying, ironing, and storing your wool knitwear properly.

 Machine washable

As far as the washing of woollen knits is concerned, except for angora knits, they can be cleaned by hand or by machine, but in both cases with care.

If you decide to wash your knitwear in the machine:

• Opt for a "hand", "wool" or "delicate" cycle, which avoids sudden temperature changes. Woollen garments should be washed at a constant temperature to avoid felting.
• Your woollen knitwear should be washed cold at a temperature below 30°C.
• Put your knit inside out in a net to avoid rubbing and pilling!
• Use a mild detergent, especially for wool, and do not use fabric softeners.
• Spin must be at a maximum speed of 600 revolutions per minute.
• Do not tumble dry your knitwear, the high temperature of the dryer will damage and shrink your jumper.
  
  

Hand wash

If you wish to wash your woollen knitwear by hand, here are our tips. Please note that for your angora knitwear it is highly recommended to wash it by hand. As with machine washing, wash in cold water, avoid changes in water temperature and use a mild detergent, especially for wool. For the hand washing process, here it is:

• Soak your knitwear for 5 minutes in a basin of cold water and then add a tablespoon of detergent (this is enough and will make rinsing easier).
• To get rid of dirt, do not rub your knitwear to preserve its softness and fibres. It should be gently kneaded with your fingertips, be gentle!
• Then put it back in another basin of water at the same temperature.
• To wring it out, squeeze it with your hands in different places and do not twist it.
• Rinse again if necessary, but do not leave it to soak for too long.
  
  

Drying

To dry your knitwear, lay it flat on a towel in the open air, away from any heat source and hide it from the sun's rays.

Ironing

If your knitwear has been washed and dried properly, ironing is not necessary. However, if you wish to iron your knitwear, the best is to do this at low temperature, on the wrong side, without pressing. It is also highly recommended to put a fine cloth between the iron and your garment.

Storage

Once all the previous steps have been carried out, you can put away your knitwear without deforming it. To do this, avoid putting it on a hanger, but fold it correctly. We also advise you never to leave your knitwear in a ball after you have worn it (fold it also in the dirty laundry bin!).

In conclusion, from now on, you will have all the information and advice you need for the care and long life of your favourite woollen knits from rue blanche. Finally, there is one essential missing element: the appearance of pilling on your wool knitwear. We explain this natural phenomenon to you as well as our little tips on how to remove them right here !