How to Fold a Wool Sweater

Wool can easily stretch out of shape, and wool garments most frequently become distorted while in storage. Placing a wool sweater on a wire hanger, for instance, will stretch it completely out of shape in a matter of days. To make sure that your wool sweaters hold their shape over the long haul, it's important to fold them and to fold them properly. The following steps will show you how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Select a clean, large, flat surface on which to fold the sweater. Ironing boards are no good; they're too narrow. Good choices are freshly made beds and clean, empty dining room tables.

2. Lay the sweater face down and right-side out. Adjust the waist opening of the sweater, if necessary, to make sure that the front and back line up perfectly.

3. Fold over each arm, one at a time, so that the cuffs rest in the lower middle of the back of the sweater. The two cuffs should meet in the middle, one overlapping the other, and the sleeves should make a V-shape across the back of the sweater.

4. Grab the shoulders of the sweater, one with each hand, and carefully fold the top half neatly over the bottom half. It should be folded right down the middle so that the collar is even with the waist opening.

5. Store the sweater in this fashion, ideally in a dresser drawer or sealed plastic container.

Tips & Warnings

• To safeguard your folded sweater against moths and other pests, store it in a cedar dresser or chest. Cedar deters most insects.
• If you plan to put the sweater in long-term storage for the summer, fold it and put it in a plastic or rubber container with an airtight locking lid. This will protect it from both insects and moisture.
• Never hang a wool sweater on a clothes hanger.