Being an avid knitter and always on the lookout for tips related to our wonderful craft, I’m excited to share my latest discovery! While this might be a bit on the gross side, let’s face it…deodorant residue happens in our knits and it can be tricky to remove. So, let me tell you all about what I discovered...
It all started this winter when I set a goal to wear as many of my hand knit sweaters as possible. But, of course, that means they will need to be washed to avoid any pesky little moths having a feast. When I went to wash them though, I noticed that there was some deodorant residue still in the wool. So, I set about the internet looking for the best way to remove this residue without damaging the sweater. Here’s what I found…
BEFORE
AFTER
Testing the Suggestions
One suggestion I found in my search recommended using 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Mix these in a bowl, then soak a microfiber cloth in the mixture and lay over the area of residue for about 20 minutes. This will help loosen up the deodorant residue and then it can be gently scrapped away. After trying this method, I found that to loosen up the residue fully, I needed to scrap off the gummed-up bits, which were not coming off easily, and it started to fuzz up the wool. EEK!
Trying Something Else…
So, I quickly stopped what I was doing! Then I had the idea to fully soak the garment, inside-out, in a cold-water bath with some white vinegar and wool wash (in this case, Soak), for about a half hour. Then after its bath, and while still in the water. I took my vinegar-soaked cloth from my previous experiment and started to gently wipe the residue off the affected area.
I was hoping that with the problem area fully immersed, this would lead to an easier time removing the residue. Plus, being in cold water, this should encourage the wool to stay intact, rather than felt up.
Results Are In!
I’m happy to report that this final method of full immersion worked! And just to make sure, I tested it out on a few of my other knit sweaters and each time I was able to get the residue off the fabric with minimal wiping with the soaked microfiber cloth against the fabric. Now my sweaters are all clean and ready to wear again!
Let us know if you have any tips and tricks for washing your woolens. We’d love to hear what works for you. Head over to our Ravelry group to share your thoughts! And don't forget to grab your Plucky yarns and join our Spring KAL going on through May!
The sweater shown in the images is my So Faded sweater knit in Primo Fingering.
Happy Making Friends!!
Brandy and the Plucky Crew
P.S. We love seeing all of your beautiful creations made with Plucky yarn! Please tag us @thepluckyknitter or use the hashtag #pluckyknitter on Instagram and Facebook so we don't miss them! And sign up for our newsletter emails for a look at upcoming yarn and kit updates!