How to Hang Sweaters
Throughout the years, you have amassed dozens of light sweaters, wool sweaters, and cashmere cardigans. Now, you don’t know what to do with them all. You have a problem with sweater organization. Don’t worry, we’ve experienced this too—and luckily, it’s not a huge issue. At first, you might’ve thought slipping a sweater on a hanger was a fantastic idea, but now they have unsightly shoulder bumps. So, you need a solution, one that doesn’t ruin them.
We have one problem-solving way to hang a sweater that you’re going to love.
The Golden Rule: Fold Your Sweaters
No, we didn’t just trick you by saying you can only ever fold them. Yes, folding a pullover is the best for prolonging its life and keeping it looking new. Heavier knits are most susceptible to stretching and shoulder bumps, since gravity will pull them down when on a hanger. Spring sweaters and cardigans also experience the same stretching after a while. So, when in doubt, fold them.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t hang your sweaters. You just need to do something extra, which we’ll get to in a minute.
When to Fold and When to Hang Sweaters
How do you know which pullovers can be hung and which ones should always be folded? There are two points to keep in mind: weight of the garment and material.
Lighter sweaters, like those made for late spring and summer, can usually be hung normally with little to no stretching. Since there is little weight for gravity to play on, you don’t need to worry about damage to the shoulders either. The best materials for this include light cotton and thin cashmere.
Heavier sweaters for the winter or ones that include thick knits of wool, high quality cashmere, angora, and even linen should all be folded. Store them on a shelf or in a bin. You can also utilize a special folding method that will allow you to hang heavier garments without ruining them.
Best Ways to Hang a Sweater
You probably already have a stack of sweaters deemed ready for hanging. There are two methods that will come in handy and for both of these I would highly recommend using knitwear hangers as the coating works perfectly to grip the wool and stop them from slipping off the hanger. The last thing you want is for your nice clean jumper to end up falling on the floor.
Sweater Hanging Method #1
This one is relatively straightforward. Use it for lightweight knits and cardigans. To begin, spread your sweater or cardigan on a clean flat surface.
- If you are folding a cardigan, button it up completely.
- Flip it over and smooth out the material, removing wrinkles.
- Fold one of the sleeves across the shoulders. Try to make the sleeve as parallel to the top of the garment as possible.
- Repeat with the other sleeve.
- Take the left side of it and fold it in towards the middle of the back.
- Do the same on the right side. You should have a clean line down the middle.
- Grab your hanger. Slide it through the opening with the hook pointing towards the bottom.
- Your sweater is ready for hanging.
Sweater Hanging Method #2
Think of this one as sweater origami. You’ll be doing a lot more folding.
- Take it and lay it back up on a flat surface.
- Fold it in half with the sleeves coming together.
- Place your hanger so that the hook is in the triangle of the armpit. You want the back of the hook’s curve facing the sleeve.
- Fold the bottom hem of the garment up towards the top and over the one side of your hanger.
- Fold the sleeves the same way over the other side of the hanger. The end result should look something like a triangle.
- If you are trying to hang a chunkier knit or find that the folded jumper is sliding off, you can loop the bottom of the pullover and the sleeves through the hanger, securing them in place.
Ta-da! You’ve just hang-folded your first sweater.
Is Hanging Sweaters Worth it?
As mentioned earlier, folding is the best way to store your sweaters; that doesn’t mean that hanging is out of the picture. All you need to do is fold it around the hanger then store your knits and cardigans in the closet. Not only do you save a load of space on your shelves, but you prevent shoulder bumps and stretching!
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