Keep it clean.
Some ugly holiday sweaters can be safely machine-washed and some need to be dry cleaned, just check the tag. If you can do-it-yourself, keep it clean by following these steps:
1. Place it inside out in a pillowcase or mesh laundry bag, which helps avoid pilling and snagging.
2. Set your washer to the gentle cycle in cool water, which helps avoid shrinkage and color fading.
3. Use mild detergent, which is specially formulated for gentle-cycle cleaning and rinses out better. At the Ugly Sweater Store, we use Woolite.
No one likes shrinkage.
Would you believe that you can avoid shrinkage with cold water? Always use cold water on a gentle setting to avoid shrinkage.
Did it already shrivel up? If your gaudy holiday sweater measures smaller than one or two inches of its original size, it’s too late and you need to find something bigger. If it just needs a little boost, try this:
• Mix 2 tablespoons baby shampoo into a sink full of warm water.
• Soak the sweater for 15 minutes.
• Without rinsing the sweater, take it out of the soapy water and roll it in a towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
• Spread the sweater on a large corkboard, pulling it into the size you want. Fasten the sweater to the corkboard using pins, being careful not to snag the sweater.
• Return to the sweater every several hours, re-stretching and re-pinning as necessary, until the sweater is dry.
Some like it rough.
If you don’t like it rough, soften up your sweater by adding a capful of cream hair conditioner to the rinse water.
Just lay back and relax.
Sweaters (ugly or pretty) can easily sag, be pulled out of shape and left with unsightly humps and bumps. To avoid this, just store your sweaters flat or gently folded. Martha Stewart says to fold a sheet of tissue paper inside to prevent wrinkling, but we’re not Martha Stewart and we don’t have time for that. Remember: wrinkles add character.
Oops, now what?
“Is that lipstick on your sweater?"
"Do I smell someone else’s perfume?*”
Cover your tracks by following these easy steps:
• To get out lipstick, rub the stain with white bread.
• To get out a perfume or cigarette scent, hang it outdoors for a few hours and then wash it and rinse it in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water.
• To get food or alcohol out of wool, put a towel under the stain and gently rub it with carbonated water toward the center of the spot.
• To get out red wine, immerse it in cold water.
*All of the Ugly Sweater Store’s merchandise is free of spots and stinks. So, don’t blame your indiscretions on us!