Knits
 Download our article from Knit Simple magazine. It gives you the full scoop on
Soaking knits. Soak is ideal for raw fibers, spinning, dyeing and the entire
fiber lifecycle.
Here are the basics of hand washing. These guidelines are as important for your
first scarf as they are for the favorite sweater you’ve been wearing for years.
Use Lots of Water
• Fill the sink so there is movement and water flowing freely around whatever
you are Soaking. If you don't have enough water the dirt may not fully come out
of the knits.
Cool Water
• Use cold or cool water to Soak your goods. Warm or hot water can contribute to
felting (with wools) or shrinkage with some delicate materials.
 Less is More (Detergent)
• Use a teaspoon of Soak with a gallon of
water. With low-suds/ no-rinse formulations like Soak, less is always more as
bubbles are an illusion and they are not what actually does the cleaning. Don't
add more Soak to get more bubbles (unless you are taking a bubble bath with your
knits- which works too).
Test for color fastness
• Rub a bit of the wash product on an inconspicuous part of the garment. Leave
it there for 2 minutes and rinse. If there is no bleeding you are good to go.
Don’t worry if you Soak too long, or leave a piece overnight. There isn’t
anything harmful in most wash products. I leave the light on in the bathroom
when Soaking in the sink so I don’t forget.
 15 Minutes will Change your Life
• Contrary to popular belief, hand washing is easy. A quick Soak is all it
takes. Soon, you’ll want to wash all of your finished projects, your lingerie
and other delicates.
Don’t Mind the Dirt or Over-Dye
• In hand-washing we get a fresh perspective on how much dirt and oils are
actually in our clothes. Be prepared for the dirty colour of the water if you
haven't washed the piece in a while. With hand-knits and hand-dyed yarns, excess
colour will come out when you wash. Gentle cleansers, like Soak, allow the
over-dye to come out of the knitted garment and trap it in the water.
Washing Machines including HE
• You can wash your delicates in the washing machine using cold water and the
delicate cycle. However, traditional powder washes are not as effective as
liquids in High Efficiency (HE) washing machines. Soak is appropriate for
regular machine washing and HE machines.
Remove and Lay Flat to Dry
• Once the garment is Soaked, remove as much water as you can by gently
squeezing the sweater over the sink. Do not to lift the weight of the water in
the piece.
• Lay the knit piece flat on a towel, reshaping it as you go. This is called
blocking. Essentially you are moving the fibers back into place so that when
they dry they are their original shape.
Do Not Wring
• Roll the newly cleaned item in a towel to remove excess water. Always resist
the temptation to wring and twist.
• Remove the mostly dry piece from the towel and lay it flat to dry in a place
that allows circulation of air on all sides. Do not use a wood chair or table as
water from the yarn may adversely affect the wood surface. Flip the piece over
half way during drying to make sure it has a chance to dry on both sides and
that it is maintaining its original shape. If you are lucky enough to have a
gentle spin cycle on your dryer, you can also spin away the excess water.
Soaking Swatches
• If you are Soaking a swatch, measure your stitch count after the swatch has
dried. The stitches will relax and the block will likely grow in size.
Moths and knits.
• Moths. We’re always asked about them. No amount of detergent will add moth
resistance to your knits. Not Soak, not the competition. Moth inhibitors are
toxic, harsh chemicals. We recommend you wash your knits on a regular basis and
store them clean. The best way to avoid moths in your knit stash or sweater
closet is to keep the goods clean. The moths are attracted to wool (or other
natural fibers), but more specifically, the oils from your skin trapped inside.
Wash them often and especially before you put them away for the off season.
• Check out our blog for more moth related tips.
Need an answer on something that isn’t covered here? Ask us a question?
If you would like to stock Soak, we would love to hear from you.
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