How to Store Cardigans

Cardigans are stylish, can be dressed up and down, and make the perfect companions on cold winter nights!

Getting hold of cardigans is easy enough. Cleaning them is relatively straightforward, too. But when it comes to storing them, then the problems start.

With so many styles of cardigan to be had, it’s a struggle to figure out if you should hang or fold your cardis to keep them safe and clean and to protect their lifespan!

So, what’s the answer: Should you fold or hang cardigans?

You may have heard a lot of debate around this issue, but the consensus is that you should fold cardigans when storing them. This method is suitable for all kinds of thin and thick cardigans.

It is possible to hang cardigans up. However, there are certain conditions/factors that need to be met/considered before you do this.

Ideally, you should only hang your cardigans up as a last resort. More on this later on!

Why Should You Fold Cardigans Instead of Hanging Them?

It’s better if you fold cardigans and then store them for the following reasons:

1. Avoids stretching cardigans

Your cardi won’t end up stretched or misshapen if you fold it.

When heavy items, like cardigans, are placed on hangers for prolonged periods of time, gravity starts to drag them downward.

In the process, the cardi gets pulled out of shape, sleeves, and hems get longer, and in the end, the garment looks funny (doesn’t resemble what it did pre-storage) and may be unwearable (uncomfortable/too loose).

By folding your cardigan, you can avoid this type of problem.

 

2. Nothing will get stuck to your cardigan

By folding your cardigans and storing them in a neat pile, objects shouldn’t get caught up in the materials. And your cardigans won’t drag on the floor of your wardrobe.

It’s not uncommon for cardigans to be long and bulky. The trouble with this is, as you place items towards the bottom of your wardrobe, you may knock the cardigans or get things stuck in them!

For example, if you put a box of shoes in your wardrobe, you could snag the cardigan with the corner of the shoe box as you place the box down on the wardrobe’s floor.

Plus, if the cardigan is long, you may rest the box on top of the hem and not notice. So, as mentioned above, you could damage/pull the cardi out of shape.

Folding and placing the cardigans on a shelf, out of harm’s way, is the best idea.

 

3. Avoids hanger marks

If you use the wrong type of hanger (think wire) to hang your cardigans up, you may notice that the shoulder areas of your cardigans are a bit pokey and/or bumpy. This is caused by the hanger pushing the material out at shoulder height.

If you leave your cardigans in this state for too long, the hanger may actually wear down the material, and a hole may appear.

If you fold your cardigans, they won’t come into contact with a hanger, so this issue won’t be a problem.

 

4. They can drop off hangers

Cardigans are known for dropping off hangers. You can avoid this by folding them.

Not all cardigans come with buttons, which means there’s no way of closing them up to get a hanger to stay inside of them. Consequently, cardis drop off hangers and land on the base of the wardrobe/floor.

This can make the cardigans dusty, or you may forget about them, and then they just end up in a heap!

If you fold your cardis, there’s no way they can fall off a hanger!

 

5. Saves space

Folding cardigans instead of hanging them up saves space in your wardrobe.

Cardis can be bulky and often occupy a lot of space in wardrobes. So, if you fold them up and put them on a shelf, you’ll get lots of space in your closet to hang up items that would benefit more from being hung up.

And as mentioned earlier, cardis can be long and drag along the bottom of wardrobes, restricting what you can store on the bottom of your wardrobes.

Tip: Don’t pile your cardigans too high because they may fall over. Try and stack three to four cardis on top of each other to prevent toppling. 

 

How to Fold a Cardigan Ready for Storing

Steps to follow:

1. Optional: Do the buttons up on your cardigan.
2. Pop your cardigan face down on a flat, clean surface (the back should face upwards).
3. Smooth out any lumps.
4. Pinch the shoulder and hem on the right side of the cardigan.
5. Fold the right side of the cardigan a third of the way over the back of your cardi.
6. Pull the right sleeve into place so it’s parallel to the straight edge of your cardi.
7. Repeat for the left side and sleeve (both sleeves will overlap slightly).
8. Fold the cardigan in half (the hem should meet the neckline).
9. Turn the cardigan around (front facing up).
10. Store the cardigan on a shelf.

To see this in action, check out eHowbeauty’s video here!

Tip: Try and colour-coordinate or sort your cardigans by material so you can see what you have available.

 

When Is It Ok to Hang Cardigans Up?

This storing technique should be used as a last resort as it can put needless strain on the material.

When is it okay to hang cardigans up?

It may be good to hang your cardis up if:

• You’re short on storage space (in this case, hanging cardigans up is the only solution).
• If the cardigan is lightweight, so gravity won’t impact it much (think summer cardigan).
• If you have a preference to keep clothes hung up instead of folded (it may be more convenient or look more organised to you).

If you’re set on hanging your cardigans up, make sure you put them on padded and rounded hangers so that they don’t damage the material.

Don’t pack your cardis into the wardrobe too tightly. Give them plenty of room so air can circulate around them!

Ideally, you should avoid hanging your cardigans up for long periods, as this can pull them out of shape.

So, rotate your clothes around, or just remove your cardigans off their hangers every so often to give them a break!

In addition, if you have long cardigans hung up, you should be careful when you put things in/pull stuff out of your wardrobe just in case you bump/snag/weigh down your cardi! Make sure the bottom of your cardigan is kept out of the way.

 

How Do You Store Long Cardigans?

Long cardigans should be folded and then stored.

You can use the method above to fold and store your long cardigans. Just make one minor adjustment: fold your cardigan into thirds instead of in half.

Tip: If you don’t have lots of space in your wardrobe for stacking cardis, think about investing in additional shelving or another type of storage solution that could benefit you. Perhaps you could store your cardigans under your bed in a few containers!