Knitwear Care
With the right care, your Essien & Emre knitwear will last for many years to come. We suggest the following to keep your pieces looking their best.
Washing and Drying: Follow instructions on the care label, some knitwear can be dry clean while others require only a gentle hand-wash. We recommend hand-wash where possible, as the chemical used in dry cleaning can be hash on the fibres.
When hand washing it is important to use mild hand-wash detergent, soak in water with detergent for no longer than 10 minutes in cool temperature. Gently press the garment in the water, take care not to twist, stretch or rub, rinse thoroughly in cool clean water. Carefully squeeze out the excess water, can be place between clean dry towels, gently pressing to help remove more excess water. Reshape garment and air-dry flat naturally away from heat and direct sunlight. When dry, give garment a gentle shake.
We recommend airing your knitwear between wears rather than washing them too often, natural fibres such as merino, cashmere and mohair are odour-resistant and self-cleaning, this is a eco-friendly gentle alternative to washing.
Moths and Storage: Moths are attracted to natural fibres, especially if these fibres contain food stains and body oil. Before storing your knitwear, always ensure it has been washed and cleaned. Store in conceal garment bags, boxes or drawers lined with moth prevention such as lavender sachet or cedar wool. Make sure drawers and wardrobes are always kept closed. Regularly clean and vacuum your wardrobe to remove dust, as moth loves to snuggle into warm dark dusty corners.
The smell of lavender and cedar wood are repulsive to moths, which can be a good prevention to keep them away from your knitwear, however it does not get rid of moths or their larvae. And it is the larvae that cause the most damage to your knitwear. If your knitwear show signs of moths or larvae, can simply put it in a freezer bag and freeze for minimum of 48 hours, give the garment a shake before washing.
If your knitwear is not yet ready for wash and storage, ensure you leave it in a cool and airy place if you intend for it to be worn again. Remember moths love warm dark places, therefore avoid leaving your knitwear in these areas.
Fold or roll your knitwear, avoid hanging as this can stretch the knit out of shape.
We do not recommend vacuum pack chunky knitwear, especially if the yarns are soft and delicate, as this will flatten the knit and may not recover.
Pilling: Pilling or bobbles found in knitwear are quite normal, this is sometimes caused by delicate loose fibres in the yarn twisting together after wearing, especially if yarn is soft and loosely spun. Simply remove bobbles with care by hand or with a wool comb on finer knitwear.
Other Information: Mend your knitwear rather than getting rid of it, a hole can be fixed with simple embroidery or appliqué, be creative and try adding different embroidery stitches and colours, this will add character to your knitwear and extend its life cycle, which will help towards reducing textile waste.