How to Take Care of Your Clothes in Winter
Winter is a wonderful season with snowflakes, hot cocoa, and cozy sweaters, but let’s be honest… taking care of winter clothes can be a bit tricky! From pilling sweaters to salt-stained boots, winter can take a toll on our favorite pieces. But don’t worry, with a little bit of care and attention, you can keep your winter clothes looking great all season long. In today’s post, I’m sharing some tips to help you take care of the clothes in your winter wardrobe so that you can keep your cold-weather gear looking great all season long.
You might also like this post: Things from Amazon You Didn’t Know You Needed: Cleaning and Laundry Favorites
How to Take Care of Your Clothes in Winter
Keep Sweaters from Pilling
We all know how frustrating it is to find those little fuzz balls all over our favorite sweaters. To prevent pilling, try to avoid rubbing your sweaters against rough surfaces like backpack straps or the arms of your chair. To keep pilling at bay, turn your sweaters inside out before washing. Use a gentle detergent, and opt for a mesh laundry bag to minimize friction. Air-dry your sweaters to keep them looking fresh and pill-free. If you do find some pills, don’t panic or get rid of a perfectly good sweater! Those little fuzzies are easy to remove with a fabric shaver, a sweater stone, or this Fabric Shaver & Lint Brush that I use on my sweaters.
If you’re shopping for sweaters, check out these posts: Cozy Sweaters For Fall And Winter Under $25, The Best Cream Colored Sweaters To Add To Your Wardrobe Now, and Fifteen Budget Friendly Fall Sweaters
Cashmere Care
While we are talking about sweaters, let’s talk about what to do with cashmere! I’ve acquired a lot of cashmere sweaters over the last year, so I am getting to be a pro at this one. My number one tip is not to wash your cashmere sweaters every time you wear them! I aim for washing mine every 3-4 wears unless I spill something. You can spray them with a refreshing fabric spray in between washes to help eliminate odors. Most cashmere tags say dry clean only, but my Quince sweaters call for hand washing in cold water and letting them air dry. This detergent is what I use for my wool and cashmere sweaters.
You can find more cashmere recommendations here.
Coat and Jacket Care
Coats and jackets are winter wardrobe staples, but they can also be a magnet for dirt and grime. To keep your coat looking its best, spot-clean any stains as soon as possible with a damp cloth. For a deep clean, follow the care instructions on the label. And don’t forget to store your coat in a cool, dry place during the off-season to prevent mold and mildew.
You can find more of my favorite winter coats and jackets in these posts: The Best Puffer Jackets and Coats For Winter and This Year’s Best Affordable Coats And Jackets For Women.
Winter Boot Tips
Winter boots are a must-have for snowy days, but they can also be a pain to clean. To remove salt stains, mix equal parts water and white vinegar and use a cloth to gently scrub away the stains. For suede or leather boots, use a suede brush or a soft cloth to remove any dirt or scuffs. You can also buy a leather conditioner to clean and soften your leather boots. To keep your boots looking their best, be sure to waterproof them before wearing them out in the snow.
Give your boots some downtime by rotating them. This helps prevent excessive wear and tear. When not in use, store your boots with boot shapers or stuff them with newspaper to maintain their shape. Once you swap out your boots for sandals in the spring, store them properly in a boot bag or organizer that can go under the bed or on the top of your closet during the warmer months.
Check out these posts for more winter boots: The Best Stylish Boots For Winter Weather, How To Style Boots With Dresses And Skirts, and The Best Boots and Booties Under $150
How to Care for Denim
If it grosses you out that you aren’t supposed to wash your cashmere after every wear… well, just scroll past this next tip, Lol! When it comes to keeping denim looking nice, the key is not to wash them after every wear. Now, if they are truly dirty, into the wash they go. If I just wore them to run into the grocery, then I just take them off and hang them back up. When I do wash them, I run the washing machine with cold water and a small amount of detergent. I typically air dry (especially my nicer pairs), but I do dry them as well if I am in a hurry.
Related Reads: The Best of the Trending Jeans This Winter and What Are The Best Jeans For Women Over 50
Store Winter Clothes Properly
When the winter season comes to an end, it’s important to store your winter clothes properly to prevent damage. Be sure to wash or dry clean all of your clothes before storing them away. Then, fold them neatly and place them in a cool, dry place like a closet or dresser drawer. And if you’re short on space, consider using vacuum-sealed bags to save room.
Shop Tools to Care for Clothing in the Winter:
Do you have any tips for taking care of clothes in the winter? Let us know in the comments!
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I have one of the shavers! It kept me from getting rid of so many sweaters!
Great tips! Thank you for your dedication to helping all your gurls!!
I always do the water and vinegar for the salt stains on my boots and I couldn’t live without my fabric shaver for my sweaters!
All good tips. I do most of them. The not washing everything after I wore once and it’s not dirty took a while to follow that advice. But the last couple of years I’ve been hanging them. I let the like colors accumulate and then I wash them. I need some of the items you listed.
Fantastic information! Just received a new cashmere sweater for Christmas so now I know how to keep it clean and in good shape.
Great timing!
Perfect day for add’l info on your hair style! I had a haircut scheduled for today and was able to show the stylist exactly what I wanted. I really like it on you and (now!) on me! Thanks for sharing the info.
Yay!!! I’m glad it all worked out for you.
I always turn my jean inside out to wash them. I have had to many pants shrink in the dryer.
Testing…is the comment section working?
I did get your comment on makeup brush cleaner. So it did work earlier.
Good. I had a few ladies tell me that it said their comments were blocked. I’ve never heard of that before.
Great tips, as usual. Tania, are you coloring your hair a tad bit darker? It is a good color for you.
We share the same coloring and I notice if I get my hair too blonde, I look washed out.
No, it is the same color. It always looks darker after I just have it done.
Lots of good advice. Thank you.
PS – love the bangs!
Very good resources! Thanks
Do you have the fabric shaver you listed? I really would like to get one and want to make sure it works well! Thank you.
Karen, I don’t have that battery powered one, mine is old and I quit using it when I got the last one I mentioned. It is a shaver and a lint brush which I like.
Love you advise on taking care of boots and sweaters. Have a blessed day!
Thank you for the salt stain tip! I struggle with that so much here in WI.
It’s been too warm to wear beautiful sweaters thx
Great tips! I’ve read another tip on washing denim: turn them inside out for washing. It’s supposed to help keep the color longer.
Euclan is the wool cleaner they carry in my local yarn store. It’s what I use to wash my hand knitted sweaters etc. The big thing with wool is to not agitate it much when washing. Do more of a soak. Then lay flat on a towel and roll it up to get the majority of the water out. Then just dry flat (if it doesn’t need to be blocked–that’s a whole other thing!)
Hi Tania,
I love all the choices that you show. I see my favorite brand (Talbots, along with many others that look good and would make a good option.
Thanks,
Maureen CB
I also turn my jeans and corduroy pants inside out and wash in cold water then line dry. I have several of these products from your blog ,ha, especially like the sweater shaver to get pills from sweaters and wool coats. Great post as usual!
I just bought some cashmere sweaters this year so I appreciate your tips on washing. Thanks for the post!
Thanks for all of the great advice!
This is great advice. Thank you!! I also love your haircut. Glad to have the pictures. 😀
I would like your advice on makeup brushes and how you clean them. 😀
I use Cinema Secrets Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner. It works great and the brushes dry quickly.
Thank you!! Have a great day!!
I almost tossed a sweater yesterday that I love because of pilling but left it hanging. Because of your blog posts, I ordered a sweater shaver this morning to remove pilling and yesterday ordered a hanging storage bag for handbags. My huge closet gets dusty from fabric lint because we get dressed in it. Thank you for everything you’re sharing each day! I love your posts!
I hope the shaver saves your sweater!
Thanks!!!!
Thanks for the great tips!
I can never add a comment when I want to, hard to find. Love your hair.
The comment section is always at the end of my posts. Just keep scrolling. 🤣
I so wish there was an easy storage solution for winter clothes. I have not had great success with the vacuum bags. My closet needs your purging from a few days ago.
I like the spare bags, I just don’t use the vacuum part. That puts too many creases in my clothes.