Someone failed Laundry 101

[Leslie2k]

Domestic Godess, I am not. However I have more sense than to put a lambswool/acrylic sweater in the dryer. Someone in my household who shall remain nameless apparently missed that lesson in Laundry 101. I do appreciate that he, err.. he or she is attempting to be helpful by doing the laundry! Unfortunately, my absolutely favorite sweater is now a couple of sizes smaller.

I have googled and found a number of different suggestions. I remember seeing on TV something about using hair conditioner in a bucket of room temperature water, then stretching the sweater back into shape and drying flat. I have also found ideas involving vinegar and other interesting solutions.

Have you ever successfully "unshrunk" a sweater? If so, what did you do? I have the feeling that I will only have one shot at this, so I want to make sure that I do something that actually has a proven track record!

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Never tried, but I appreciate your situation and mourn your loss. (Grandma did that with my favorite wool crewneck when I was in college.)

[magenta321]

I did it to my own favorite wool sweater accidentially. It pained me to give it to goodwill, but I assumed all was lost.

My latest problem is that a moth seems to have eaten many of my cashmere sweaters. I don't know if they can be repaired (many are odd colors, like red, pink, etc) and I don't know how to make my closet less moth-friendly without making it stink like cedar or mothballs.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

clothes moth tips

I had luck getting rid of pantry moths with phermone traps, dunno how well it works on the clothes moths - it's the larvae that's eating the clothes, butif the moths are gone, they won't make more larvae.

[phoenixx]

Be careful with mothballs - they are not good for people to be around. I have no idea on the sweater - as someone who runs a little hot all the time I don't own any sweaters or a heavy jacket.

[magenta321]

Interesting. I hadn't seen any moths since I moved here. My parents house needed new windows, so I knew they came in there. I wondered why it seemed like the holes happened since I moved here... maybe I brought something with me. Gross! I'm going to have to wash everything I own, since almost all my sweaters are merino or cashmere.

Thanks MJ. I figured that since the damage had been done, all I had to do was throw them out or find a way to repair them. Good to know that I have to worry about them possibly having creepy crawlies that will put holes in my other sweaters. Ick!!!

[hadassahchana[$]]

My beaded angora sweater which got tossed into the dryer last week by another person who doesn't quite get laundry fits my teensy little home care worker perfectly. She looks really nice in it. I'm very happy for her. No, really.