Should you wash knitwear in a mesh bag?

Check what the wash label permits

Use a mesh bag for knitwear only after you know how the garment can be washed. Look for the wash tub on the label, the temperature and any lines underneath. A hand in the tub calls for hand washing. A crossed-out tub rules out home washing in water. If the garment needs professional cleaning, take the label with it. If the label is missing or unclear, look up the exact item with its maker before trying a machine programme. Clothes care symbols explained.

Fibre names alone do not answer the question. One merino jumper may be labelled for machine washing and another may call for hand washing. The same goes for cashmere and blends. Finishes, construction, dyes and trims can affect what the finished garment can tolerate. Use the label for your knit even if another garment feels identical. Woolmark’s wash-label guide.

Decide what the bag will do for this load

For a permitted machine wash, a mesh bag can keep a fine jumper separate from other items in the drum. This is useful if an exposed fastening or rough edge could snag it. The bag still admits water and detergent, and the garment still goes through the movement, temperature and spin of the programme you choose. Those settings must suit the knit regardless of whether you use a bag.

Woolmark suggests turning a suitable machine-washable wool jumper inside out or using a laundry bag. If the garment maker gives a specific instruction, follow it. If you are washing several knits together, make sure their care requirements agree. A bag around a fine jumper does not make a load of heavy towels or jeans a suitable wash for it. Woolmark’s guide to washing a wool sweater.

Fit the bag to the folded garment

Lay the knit flat and fold the sleeves in loosely. Fold the body only as much as needed to fit it inside. Look for spare room around the folded piece. If the zip is hard to pull, the mesh is stretched tight, or the jumper forms a dense lump, use a larger bag or skip the bag if the garment instructions allow that.

Measure the fold at its widest and longest points, then check the opening and usable inside space of the bag. Printed dimensions can include the seams. Thickness matters too. A fine folded cardigan and a thick cable-knit jumper can have the same length and width but need different space. Start with one knit per bag so it is easy to see whether each piece fits loosely.

The Brabantia 149221 set contains two 33 × 25 cm bags and a 45 × 33 cm bag, with covered zip pulls. The smaller bags are more likely to suit a fine accessory. Check a folded lightweight jumper against the larger bag before washing. A bulky jumper can need something larger even when the first measurements look promising.

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For separating several delicate items

Brabantia Wash Bags Set of 3 149221

Two smaller bags and one larger bag let you separate a few items without filling one net tightly. Each zip has a cover for the pull-tab.

Good for

Small garments or delicate pieces that fit loosely inside one of the two supplied sizes.

Bear in mind

These are flexible bags, so structured garments still need enough room to retain their shape. Follow the garment label and bag instructions together.

• Three bags
• Two sizes
• Covered zip pulls

Check the mesh and zip for wear, close the bag fully and tuck its pull into the cover if fitted. A broken zip or rough seam can catch loops. If the bag you have is too small, compare opening and shape as well as length and width. Mesh wash bag guide.

Choose the programme from the garment and machine instructions

The temperature printed in a wash symbol is a maximum. The bars matter just as much. A single bar asks for milder movement, while two bars require very mild handling. Look at the washing machine’s programme descriptions and limits. Use the wool or delicate programme only when its temperature, action and spin match what the garment allows. Two programmes can show the same temperature while moving or spinning the load differently.

Use the load limit for the chosen programme. GINETEX advises reducing the quantity of laundry for a very mild wash. Leave room in the drum, even if the bag itself has spare space. For a washable wool garment, use a detergent the garment and machine instructions permit. Woolmark recommends a suitable wool detergent. Check the dosing instructions for the small load you are washing. GINETEX washing symbols.

A practical example is a fine merino jumper with a machine-wash label that allows a very mild process. If you can match that process on your machine and the folded jumper fits loosely, you can choose a bag to keep it separate. If the care label instead shows hand wash, put the bag aside and follow the maker’s hand-wash guidance.

If the knit needs a different wash from the rest of the laundry, set it aside for a suitable load. A small bag can look like a convenient way to tuck it in with everything else, but the knit still goes through the same cycle. If you are washing a cardigan with buttons or trims, check the maker’s fastening instructions and feel for any loose stitching before loading. A loose button or damaged knit needs attention before the wash, even inside a bag.

Open the bag and support the wet knit

Take the bag out when the wash finishes. Unzip it and support the knit from underneath as you lift it. Wet knitwear can be heavier and easier to stretch out of shape. Avoid pulling it by one sleeve or wringing it. If the label calls for flat drying, lay it on a suitable flat surface, ease the sleeves and body back to their usual shape and follow any shade or heat instructions. How to dry a wool jumper flat.

Washing and drying permissions are separate. A jumper that can go in the machine may still need to dry flat. Check both before you start so you have a space ready for the wet knit. Let the mesh bag dry separately and check its zip before the next load.

Washing and product references

• Woolmark machine and hand washing guidance for wool sweaters
• Woolmark flat-drying guidance
• GINETEX textile care symbols
• Brabantia 149221 mesh bag specifications