Are you new to Ralph Lauren Polo Bear knit sweaters?
I’m sure you figured that you spent several hundred dollars on a sweater, you want to make sure that you clean it appropriately and prevent any fading right? Also, keeping the right care for wanting to keep this sweater in your clothes collection for a very long time or just in case you want to sell the sweater online.
Because these sweaters are made of wool, cotton, cashmere and other special fibers, they are going to require a bit more work but the last thing you want to do is wash it in the washer and dry it in your dryer. Also, dry cleaning fluid can be damaging to fine wools.
When you go online, you can see people who have washed their sweaters and used a dryer. Especially for the Polo Bear made out of wool and seeing all detail missing, because everything is just coming out and looking fluffy in a bad way. And seeing colors that are faded.
And there are people who have holes due to moths on their sweaters, an unfortunate situation.
Polo Bear sweaters require a lot of care and you’ll have to be proactive about taking care of your sweaters.
GUIDE ON HOW TO WASH YOUR RALPH LAUREN POLO BEAR SWEATER:
Again, remember, a lot of these Ralph Lauren Polo Bear sweaters are cotton, wool, cashmere and have a blend of fibers.
- Hand-wash in cold water (do not use hot or warm water as wool can shrink)
- Use a Tablespoon of mild detergent (half a tablespoon for a smaller sweater)
- Let soak for a minimum of 5-10 minutes, if cashmere, let it soak for 30 minutes.
- Roll into a ball and squeeze water out from the sweater, do not wring, rub or twist the sweater as wool can stretch easily and lose its shape.
- Rinse again in cold water and squeeze again, making sure there is no more detergent lather.
- Lay flat to dry (this can take several days). Another way for your cotton/wool sweater is to lay it on top of a towel and roll the towel/sweater and press down until more excess water is soaked into the towel.
- When storing, fold and lay flat. Just know to never hang cashmere, as cashmere can stretch while hung.
WHAT DETERGENT TO USE:
You can get Woolite Extra for Delicates which is less than $5 or the Laundress New York Wool & Cashmere Shampoo for $20.
Another Woolite product that is recommended is Woolite Darks with Evercare (for under $9.25) which works with synthetics and blends, prevents fading and stretching.
HOW TO STORE YOUR SWEATER:
While light sweaters (light cotton blends) can by hung by the shoulders to prevent stretching, heavy sweaters made of wool and cashmere are best to be folded and stored in a drawer or a hanger that allows for folding it over on the bottom rather than hanging by its shoulders.
BUT WHAT IF YOUR HOME TENDS TO GET MOTHS:
Face it, if you have children or someone in your home who opens the door to rush out and get the mail or groceries, and leaves the door partly open, chances of moths (or flies) coming into your home is going to happen.
You can try to catch and eliminate them but the thing is, those moths can lay eggs right on your clothing.
I have lost cashmere sweaters in the past with unsuspecting holes on them and yes, while it’s good to have cedar blocks just in case (moth balls don’t really work), I had to learn from experience of how to store my more pricier clothes better.
Know that most of the damage happens during the summer months. Moths can’t survive in weather over 100F during the summer, so they tend to like to stay in your home for the cooler weather.
So, what do I use, I use zipping garment bags. I have my sweaters folded, not hanged, but I put them in zippered garment bags.
The other thing you can do is if you live in an area where the climate is warmer, put them in bins and put them in your garage during the summer. The hot weather will no doubt prevent any of these moths from wanting to get close to your clothes.
But I hope this helps! If you have your own suggestions, please share what you do in the comments!
