This week on the blog, we're giving you our top tips for caring for recycled knitwear!

Elouise Basket Weave Knitted Jumper
Elouise Basket Weave Knitted Jumper

Caring For Recycled Knitwear: The Basics

We recently launched a new knitwear composition, 100% recycled post-consumer polyester. This is something we've been working hard to source, because monofibres are a lot easier to recycle than blended fibres and therefore contribute to a more circular economy.

Synthetic fibres are something we’re moving away from across our whole product range, but when it comes to our cosy knits, synthetic fibres are the best option we’ve found to achieve the fluffy soft knits that we know our customers love! We will continue to search for a more responsible option, though, and will keep you updated on our progress with this.

Fleming Goth Oversized Knitted Slogan Jumper, Fleming We Are The Weirdos Oversized Knitted Slogan Jumper
Fleming Goth Oversized Knitted Slogan Jumper, Fleming We Are The Weirdos Oversized Knitted Slogan Jumper

Pilling (A.K.A. Bobbling)

Pilling is the name for those annoying bobbles that form on knitwear. This can happen to even the highest quality materials, such as cashmere, due to the nature of the fibres. Pilling is common with recycled fibres as they are shorter. The main cause of this is friction from wearing and washing; however, there are things you can do to minimise this and keep your jumpers bobble-free!

Washing Tips For Recycled Knitwear

Every time you wash a knitwear item made using recycled fibres, it increases the chance of it pilling. A few tips you can follow to reduce this are:

  1. Wash only when you need to - knitwear can generally be worn more between washes, so only wash if it really needs it!
  2. Use a gentle wash (or wool wash) - this will reduce friction during washing, therefore reducing the chance of pilling.
  3. Use a guppy bag - This reduces friction during washing as the items are protected in the bag and don’t move around as much. There’s also the added environmental aspect that these capture any microplastics!
  4. Some things can increase pilling, such as zips and fasteners, because they are more likely to catch on the fibres. In order to reduce the risk of this happening in the washing machine, ensure all zips and fasteners are closed before putting them in.
Haisley Basket Weave Knitted Cardigan Tank Top, Elouise Basket Weave Knitted Jumper
Haisley Basket Weave Knitted Cardigan Tank Top, Elouise Basket Weave Knitted Jumper

Drying Tips For Recycled Knitwear

How you dry an item can dramatically affect how much an item pills. Here are our tips on how to reduce this:

  1. Never tumble dry - tumble drying items can dramatically increase the chances of pilling and accidental shrinkage as the friction can easily break down the fibres. This also has the added benefit of saving you money, as well as the environmental benefit of saving energy!
  2. Air dry flat - this will help your knits retain their shape and prevent them from stretching.
  3. Wash inside out - this will protect the outer surface of your clothing.

Care Tips For Recycled Knitwear

If your knits have already got some pilling, all is not lost! There are several different tools, including fabric shavers and pilling combs, that can be used to remove the pills and keep your favourite items looking as good as the day you bought them.

We recommend using Steamery’s Fabric Shaver or Fridja’s Fabric Shaver. These can also be used around your home on other soft furnishings such as sofas and carpets. Once you start, you can't stop! It's an investment that will allow you to extend the life of all textiles.

Read our Wash Care 101: Synthetics blog post for more tips and tricks on caring for your recycled knits!