When snow blankets the ground in a thick, pristine white, Scandinavian women have a surprising reflex. They plunge their wool sweaters into the snow, and not to dress their carrot-nosed snowmen. This is how Nordic women care for their knitwear and prolong the life of their cozy garments.<\/p>\n
In winter, we love to snuggle up in cozy wool sweaters<\/a> . They envelop us in their softness and feel like a caress on our skin. Except that this material, however comforting and warm it may be, can easily deteriorate. A wrong setting on the washing machine and our favorite winter sweater is destined for our childhood doll's wardrobe or our toddler's pocket-sized toys. And in just a few spins of the drum, this once-soft fabric becomes as rough as fiberglass. It almost takes a special skill to know how to care for it and avoid unpleasant surprises in the wash<\/a> . When in doubt, we rush to contact our mother, whom we could literally rename Superwoman in our phone.<\/p>\n But we also have a lot to learn from the Scandinavians, who don't do things like everyone else when it comes to washing their wool sweaters. Unlike us, who dutifully follow the instructions on the labels, they have their own method, and it's refreshing. While in summer clothes hang on the garden clothesline, in winter they're buried in the snow.<\/p>\n The technique is simple: after wearing a sweater a few times, instead of throwing it in the washing machine, bury it for a few hours, or even overnight, in a pile of clean snow. The extreme cold kills certain bacteria and eliminates odors. The result: a fresh, clean sweater, ready to be worn again without having undergone the harshness of an intensive wash. It's a gentle, eco-friendly, and surprisingly effective method that respects the delicate natural fibers of wool. The term "cold wash" then takes on its full meaning! <\/p>\n\n