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How to Wash a 100% Cotton Sweater

Ashley Garay

You can wear your 100 percent cotton sweater as often as you like since you can toss it into the washing machine when it's time to clean it. Cotton fibers stretch when wet but shrink with heat, so be gentle with wet cotton sweaters and avoid the dryer. Cotton sweaters hold up well to frequent washing in the machine or by hand, although you might need to spend extra time removing soap and water from the fabric by rolling the sweater in a towel if you choose to wash by hand.

Get more wear out of your cotton sweaters with proper washing.
  1. Apply stain remover to the sweater if necessary, following product instructions.

  2. Turn the sweater inside out to prevent excessive pilling in the laundry or place sweater in a mesh laundry bag.

  3. Set the washing machine to a cool cycle and add the sweater with other like colors.

  4. Add your regular laundry detergent and start the wash cycle.

  5. Remove your sweater from the washing machine.

  6. Lay the sweater flat on a towel to dry, being careful to push or pull it into the desired shape as it dries. Turn it over to dry the other side when necessary. Keep your sweater out of direct sunlight and heat sources. Mark the outline of your sweater on the towel so you can check for shrinkage as it dries.

  7. Iron your cotton sweater on the medium- or high-heat setting if desired after it is completely dry.