Now that you’ve stocked up your sweater collection, you need to keep those precious investments alive and looking great. The last thing anyone wants to be caught dead in is a pilling, sloppy mess. Keep reading for eight of our sweater care tips.

1. Ah, pilling. It will happen, unfortunately. You can remove those annoying fuzzballs with a Bic razor (yep, shave that baby) or a manual pill remover. Pro tip: turn on a TV show so you can catch up and get work done.
2. Never hang sweaters. Ya hear? Never. If you do, it will stretch the fibers out and you’ll end up with giant misshapen shoulders which is not a good lewk. Fold or roll them instead.
3. How should you hand wash your precious? Submerge your sweater in cool water with gentle detergent and give it a few good swishes. Let the sweater soak for about thirty minutes, then rinse well.
4. Another note on washing… Don’t wring anything; be nice to your hardworking sweater. We would recommend that you gently squeeze, then lay flat on a dry towel, and roll that sucker up. The towel will absorb excess moisture.
5. Should you wash your sweater? Unless you’re wearing the sweater to a Soul Cycle class or finishing a pack of cigarettes, the general rule is to wash about every four wears.
6. You bought a super itchy sweater and the return policy has totally expired. Well, don’t donate it just yet – try softening it instead. First, wash and rinse, and then swish (we like that word) the clean sweater in cool water with liquid fabric softener. Urban legend says you could also try a half cup of hair conditioner. (Don’t even think about dumping in that 2-in-1 stuff; may we take a moment to question why you’re using 2-in-1?)
7. Oops, you shrunk a sweater… Been there, done that. You might be able to save it. You can try to stretch it back out by gently pulling at the collar and hem. Repeat with shoulders and sleeves.
8. Oops, you’ve stretched a sweater out… You can wet the sweater and dry it in the dryer. The amount of water you put into the sweater fibers dictates how much it’ll shrink. You’re shrinking grandpa’s old sweater? It probably needs a full soak. If you got a little too aggressive trying to lick your elbow, just mist the shapeless areas and dry.

Sara Dal Monte