HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR KNITS LE MINOR?

Our knitwear is designed to last.

Our sourcing of high-quality materials—proven over the years (we’ve been working with some of our suppliers for over 50 years)—and the preservation of our craftsmanship, passed down within our company—ensure that your sweaters are exceptionally durable and a quality that is well-established. We see this quality firsthand every day through our clothing recovery program and our “second-choice” section: some items are returned to us—30, 40, 50 years old, or even older—in perfect condition.

The secret to a high-quality sweater lies in its craftsmanship—that’s our job—but also in how you care for it—that’s your job. But since we’ve been knitwear specialists for 100 years, we’re sharing a few tips to help you care for your sweaters properly and ensure they last a long time! These tips were gathered from Christelle and Irène: sales associates in Guidel, they’re also owners of Le Minor sweaters and have become knitwear experts over the years!

It's normal to have concerns about caring for our favorite clothes, but with these helpful tips and a little practice, you'll be able to care for your knitwear like a pro.

THAT BAD HABIT THAT JUST WON'T GO AWAY: HOW OFTEN TO WASH

The first lesson on properly caring for Le Minor knitwear is to break a deeply ingrained habit: don't wash your sweaters too often! 

To practice, learn this favorite phrase of Irène, the former manager of our Guidel store:

“… After wearing your garment, if it isn’t stained, there’s no need to wash it—just air it out. Do this outdoors if it’s not raining, or indoors in a well-ventilated room. And the wool will take care of the rest on its own.”

All by yourself?

That's right. Christelle, who leads tours of our workshop, works as a sales associate in the store, and—by necessity—is an expert on knitwear, explains: 

“Wool is a hollow fiber. That’s why it naturally wicks away moisture and eliminates odors.”

Keep in mind that washing your wool sweaters too often will damage them. Trust in wool’s natural properties: air out your sweaters, and wash them only if they have stains.

Now let's move on to how to wash your sweater. 

CAN LE MINOR SWEATERS BE WASHED IN THE WASHING MACHINE?

When washing by hand, there are a few precautions to take: 

• Do not rub the stains—especially stitch against stitch—as this can cause pilling. Instead, gently shampoo the stained area;
• Don't let it soak, because the wool will absorb too much water, and your sweater might lose its shape;
• Don't twist it, or you'll break the fibers and permanently damage your sweater. 

Here are a few tips for properly cleaning your sweater: 

• Put your sweater in a basin of cold water with a mild detergent. Christelle and Irène each have their own favorite method: Christelle uses a standard laundry detergent, and Irène uses a homemade detergent made with Marseille soap.
• Gently squeeze your sweater, then wring it out by pressing it without twisting it, and finally rinse it in clean water ;
• Dry it by wrapping it in a terry cloth towel and pressing it gently.

Although hand-washing is the best way to care for your sweaters, most wool cycles on modern washing machines do a decent job of cleaning them.

Our knitwear is machine-washable: we recommend a wool cycle at a maximum of 20°C with a gentle spin cycle at 300 revolutions per minute (absolute maximum: 400 revolutions per minute, no more).

After that, all you have to do is let your sweater dry!

HOW DO YOU PROPERLY DRY A WOOL SWEATER SO IT DOESN'T LOSE ITS SHAPE?

Never put them in the dryer. No tumble drying. You probably already knew this, but it’s good to say it anyway. Tumble drying will cause your sweaters to shrink.

After thoroughly wringing out your Le Minor sweaters—either with a terry cloth towel or in the washing machine—start by laying them flat to dry. This simply prevents them from losing their shape. You can dry them in or on a terry cloth towel to speed up the process. Feel free to flip it over after a while—this also saves time.  

What about ironing? 

The wool setting on your iron prevents you from damaging or burning the fibers of your Le Minor sweater. Iron it inside out, placing a cloth between the knit and the iron. Our favorite method is still using steam from a handheld steamer or a steam generator. Steam actually restores the knit’s volume.

IT'SYOUR TURN: DAILY MAINTENANCE (INCLUDING THE CASE OF BULGES)

As we explained earlier, you should air out a sweater after wearing it because wool, with its hollow fibers, has self-cleaning properties. Purists will therefore hang their sweaters on hangers instead of folding them in the closet. As with any garment, your closet should be dry to prevent moisture from damaging your sweaters.

Watch out for moths! They're a real nuisance. Use moth repellent (cedarwood essential oil—which should be reapplied regularly—or moth repellent tablets).

If pilling occurs, don’t panic! Even though our yarns are high-quality and our knitting is tight—which minimizes pilling—pilling isn’t, as is often believed, a sign of poor quality. They are actually a sign… that wool is a living material: pilling is simply a process by which the yarn sheds excess material. 

You may notice a few pills on your Le Minor sweater at the beginning of your journey with it. This happens (rarely, but it does happen) and a little more often on merino wool sweaters. Generally, they appear in areas subject to friction: watch out for shoulder straps, coat zippers, sharp edges on a desk… or other sources of repeated, harsh friction. 

But these pills will eventually disappear on their own. You can use a lint shaver to remove them from your sweater. 

Here are all our tips for caring for your knitwear and making it last a lifetime.

To learn more about the specific features of each product, please see the product page for your sweater. 

And if you still have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us by email at bonjour@leminor-bonneterie.fr or by phone at 02.97.65.09.26 for personalized information and advice. 

Wool: A Valuable Fiber