A Christmas jumper only gets a few weeks of wear each year, but those weeks are busy. Office parties, Christmas Jumper Day and a long Boxing Day walk can leave even a good jumper bobbly, creased and smelling faintly of mulled wine. A little care keeps it looking bright for many Decembers. Here is how to wash, de-bobble, steam and store it.
Start With the Care Label
Most Christmas jumpers are acrylic or an acrylic blend, which is soft and warm but quick to bobble. Some are wool or lambswool. The fibre decides how warm the wash can be and how the jumper should dry.
Check the label before the first wash. If the symbols are a mystery, our guide to fabric care symbols explains each one. As a rule of thumb:
- Acrylic: usually fine at 30°C on a gentle cycle. Heat can make it lose its shape, so keep it cool.
- Wool and lambswool: hand wash or use the wool cycle in cold or lukewarm water. Hot water and fast spins cause felting and shrinking.
- Cotton blends: more forgiving, but they can still stretch if hung up wet.
Then look at the decorations. Sequins, pom-poms, appliqué and battery-powered lights all need extra thought.
How Often Should You Wash a Christmas Jumper?
Less often than you might think. Knitwear does not need washing after every wear, especially over a T-shirt. Every wash adds friction, which causes bobbles, fades colours and loosens stitches. Once or twice during the season, plus once before you put it away, is plenty.
Between wears, hang it over a chair back or lay it flat to air overnight. A short blast of steam helps lift light smells such as cooking or a smoky pub. We go into this in more detail in how often you should wash clothes.
How to Wash a Christmas Jumper Without Ruining It
- Remove anything electronic. Light-up jumpers have a small battery pack, usually tucked into a pocket inside. Take it out, along with any detachable badges or bells.
- Turn it inside out. This protects sequins, embroidery and printed designs from rubbing against the drum and other clothes.
- Use a mesh laundry bag. It cuts down friction and stops pom-poms snagging.
- Choose a cool, gentle cycle. A wool or delicates programme at 30°C or below, with a low spin, suits most jumpers. Use a mild detergent, or a wool detergent for wool.
- Wash with similar items. Towels, jeans and zips rough up knitwear.
- Hand wash if in doubt. For heavily decorated or wool jumpers, swish gently in cool water with a little detergent, rinse, then press the water out without wringing.
Drying It Flat to Keep Its Shape
Knitwear stretches when it is heavy with water, so never hang a wet jumper on a hanger or washing line. Roll it in a dry towel and press to remove extra water, then lay it flat on a drying rack or a fresh towel. Ease it back into shape with your hands, paying attention to the cuffs, hem and neckline.
Keep it away from radiators and skip the tumble dryer. Direct heat can shrink wool, distort acrylic and loosen glued-on decorations.
Removing Bobbles From a Christmas Jumper
Bobbles, or pilling, form when short fibres work loose and twist into tiny balls. Acrylic is especially prone to it, and the areas that rub most, such as under the arms, along the sides and on the cuffs, bobble first. A fabric shaver is the quickest and gentlest way to clear them.
The Fridja f40 Fabric Shaver is made for this job. It is safe on wool, cotton and synthetics, charges by USB-C, and collects lint in a 40ml container so you can work through several jumpers before emptying it. Here is how to get a clean result:
- Lay the jumper flat on a table or ironing board. Never shave a jumper while you are wearing it.
- Test a small patch first, such as inside the hem, to check how the knit reacts.
- Glide gently in small circles without pressing down. Let the blades do the work.
- Work around the decorations. Keep well clear of sequins, embroidery, pom-poms, appliqué and loose threads, which can catch in the blades.
- Empty the lint container as it fills and brush the blades clean afterwards.
For more detail on technique and different knits, see our guides to the best fabric shaver for jumpers and removing bobbles from knitwear safely. You can also browse the full fabric shaver range.
Steaming Out Creases and Freshening Up
A jumper folded in a drawer since last January often comes out with sharp creases. Ironing is risky, because heat and pressure can flatten the knit, melt acrylic or damage sequins and prints. Steam is far kinder.
Hang the jumper on a padded hanger, or lay it over the back of a chair, and hold the steamer head a few centimetres away from the fabric. Move slowly from the top down. The moisture relaxes the fibres so creases drop out and the knit springs back rather than being pressed flat.
A handheld steamer is ideal for knitwear. The Fridja f10 Handheld Clothes Steamer, a Which? Best Buy, has a 260ml tank and two settings, Full Power and Eco Mode, so you can use a gentler setting on delicate knits. You will find more options in our handheld clothes steamer range. For a closer look at why steam suits wool, read are steamers better for knitwear than irons.
A few cautions for festive designs:
- Do not steam directly onto sequins, glitter, foil or rubbery printed motifs. Steam from the inside, or keep the steamer further back.
- Never steam a jumper with the battery pack or lights still attached.
- Let the jumper cool and dry fully before folding or wearing it, so the knit sets in shape.
Dealing With Festive Stains
Gravy, chocolate and red wine are all part of the season. Treat stains quickly. Blot gently with a clean cloth rather than rubbing, which pushes the stain deeper. Rinse from the back with cold water, dab on a little mild detergent, leave it for a few minutes, then rinse again. Avoid hot water on egg or cream, as heat can set them, and skip bleach and strong stain removers on wool.
Storing Your Christmas Jumper Until Next Year
Moths are drawn to wool, especially with traces of food on it, so always wash the jumper before storing it.
- Fold, do not hang. Hangers stretch the shoulders over months of storage.
- Use breathable storage. A cotton bag or a lidded box works better than a sealed plastic bag, which can trap moisture.
- Add a moth deterrent. Cedar blocks or lavender sachets help protect wool and wool blends.
- Protect decorations. Lay a sheet of acid-free tissue paper over sequins or 3D motifs to stop them catching on the knit.
- Store the battery pack separately, with the batteries removed, so nothing leaks onto the fabric.
Next December, a quick steam and a once-over with the fabric shaver will have it ready again.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put a Christmas jumper in the washing machine?
Usually, yes. Most acrylic Christmas jumpers can go in the machine on a gentle or wool cycle at 30°C or below. Turn the jumper inside out, place it in a mesh laundry bag and remove any battery pack first. Wool jumpers and heavily decorated designs are safer washed by hand in cool water.
How do you stop a Christmas jumper from bobbling?
You cannot stop bobbles completely, but you can slow them down. Wash less often, turn the jumper inside out, use a gentle cycle and avoid washing it with rough fabrics such as denim or towels. When bobbles do appear, lay the jumper flat and remove them gently with a fabric shaver.
Can you steam a Christmas jumper with sequins?
Yes, with care. Steam from the inside of the jumper or keep the steamer head further away from the sequinned area, and never hold it in one spot for long. Avoid direct steam on glitter, foil or rubbery printed motifs, as heat can dull or lift them. Let the jumper dry fully before wearing.
How do you get a shrunken Christmas jumper back to size?
Soak it in lukewarm water with a little hair conditioner for about 30 minutes to relax the fibres. Press out the water without wringing, then lay it flat on a towel and gently stretch it back towards its original shape. This works best on wool and mild shrinkage. Badly felted wool rarely recovers fully.
What is the best way to store a Christmas jumper?
Wash it first, then fold it rather than hanging it, so the shoulders keep their shape. Store it in a breathable cotton bag or lidded box with a cedar block or lavender sachet to deter moths. Remove the batteries from light-up jumpers, and cover sequins or 3D motifs with tissue paper.