How to Hang Sweaters Like an Expert: 4 Tips
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Ed Malaker
- Last updated:
If you like to wear many different sweaters in cooler weather, you know that it can be hard to store them for easy retrieval. Putting them on hangers can damage them and result in shoulder bumps or stretched-out material. If you are looking for a better way to hang your sweaters, keep reading as we provide several hanging methods that are easy to follow and work great.
How to Hang Sweaters Like an Expert
1. Lightweight Sweater Hanging Method
Reason to use: Easy and works well for lightweight sweaters and cardigans
- Lay your sweater flat on a large clean surface.
- Button up the sweater completely.
- Flip the sweater over, and smooth it out to remove any wrinkles or creases.
- Fold one sleeve across the shoulders, keeping it parallel to the top of the garment.
- Fold the other sleeve in the same manner.
- Fold the left side inward toward the middle of the back.
- Fold the right side inward toward the middle of the back to create a straight line down the middle.
- Grab your hanger and slide the garment through the opening with the hook pointed down.
- Gently lift the sweater by the hook and hang it.
2. Heavier Sweater Hanging Method
Reason to use: Better for hanging heavier sweaters
- Lay your sweater on a large, flat, clean surface.
- Button up the sweater completely.
- Flip the sweater over, and smooth it out to remove any wrinkles.
- Fold the sweater in half, so the two sleeves come together.
- Place the hanger upside down on the sweater. Position it so the hook is between the torso and sleeves.
- Fold the sleeves over the hanger, ensuring that they’re as close to the hook as possible.
- Wrap the body of your sweater over the other shoulder of the hanger, so it lays over the sleeves. You can check the torso under the bottom bar of the hanger, if it has one, to help keep the sweater stable.
- Carefully lift the hanger by the hook and place it in the closet, ensuring that the sleeves and torso are not wrinkled or crumpled.
3. Upside-Down Hanging
Reason to use: Prevent shoulder bumps and wrinkles
- Place your sweater face down on a large flat surface.
- Use your hand to smooth out the fabric and remove any wrinkles.
- Place a sheet of paper towel or tissue paper along the back and fold it so it fits the back, with no overhang from just below the collar to the bottom hem of the sweater.
- Fold the sleeves so they cross over each other to create an X on the back. Then, smooth the material so there are no wrinkles.
- Select a hanger equipped with a bottom bar. Lay the hanger so the bar lays across the hem and tissue. The hook should be facing away from the sweater.
- Pull the sweater through the hanger to position it in the center.
- Lift the hanger by the hook and carefully place it in your closet.
4. Folding Your Sweater on a Hanger
Reason to use: Extends life, prevents damage
Most experts recommend folding sweaters instead of hanging them. Folding eliminates the risk of damaging your clothing, and you’ll never have to deal with unsightly shoulder bumps. Hanging can also cause the sweater to stretch or sag, especially if it’s a heavy-knit sweater, which the folding will prevent. We recommend folding all your heavier sweaters and those that contain thick knits of wool, angora, linen, or high-quality cashmere to help preserve them. That said, if you have more closet space than drawer space, you can try hanging a folded sweater on a hanger.
- First, fold the sweater in the same way that you would to put it in a drawer.
- Next, drape half the folded sweater over the lower bar of a hanger.
- Making sure there’s an even amount of fabric on either side of the bar will keep it balanced when you hang it up.
Other Tips & Tricks
- Always fold your sweaters instead of hanging them when possible to preserve the fabric and keep it looking its best.
- To remove the bumps from a sweater’s shoulder, apply a small amount of water.
- To shrink a cotton sweater, wash and dry it repeatedly, boil it, or iron the wet fabric.
- Try to limit how many times you wash your sweater. Overwashing can cause it to shrink and fade in color.
- Dry cleaning is a gentle way to get your sweater clean, especially if it uses expensive cashmere or chunky wool that’s hard to hand wash.
- If dry cleaning is too expensive, hand washing is the next best option. Use only cool water and a mild detergent to clean it, then gently squeeze it to remove excess water before laying it flat to dry.
- If you want to use the machine to wash the sweater, place it in a lingerie bag and wash it on a gentle cycle.
- Allow your sweaters to air dry, as machine drying can cause the fabric to shrink.
- To remove pills (little fabric balls that form under the arms and on the sides of many sweaters), scrape a disposable razor over the area, scrub them using a pumice stone, or use the sticky side of tape instead of purchasing an expensive de-piller brush.
- Adding shoulder pads to your hangers can help eliminate shoulder bumps.
- Skirt hangers can also be a great way to hang lightweight sweaters.
- Using a felt-covered hanger can help prevent your sweater from falling off.
Summary
It’s always best to fold your sweaters to keep them in good shape and to avoid stretching the fabric, especially when dealing with large, heavy, knitted sweaters. If you need to hang your sweaters for quick access, we recommend the third option on this list, as it does a good job of preventing stretching, but it might take a few tries to get the hang of it so your sweaters don’t keep falling off. We recommend the first method for quick, easy results if you are hanging a lightweight sweater.
Featured Image Credit: jarmoluk, Pixabay
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