How to Hang Sweaters

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes

Last Updated: February 7, 2024

When it’s time to wear your bulky sweaters and delicate cardigans, you might notice that they’re looking stretched out or they have bumps on the shoulders. These things are due to gravity pulling the thick fibers as the sweater hangs on the hanger, causing the fibers to stretch and press against one another. To prevent stretching, hanger bumps, and wrinkles, you can hang your sweaters by folding them around the hanger or over the bar of the hanger.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Hanging to Prevent Stretching

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1
Fold the sweater in half vertically, with both arms facing the same direction. Hold the sweater up by the shoulders and fold it down the center. Make sure the arms of the sweater are lined up, and then lay the sweater onto a flat surface.^{[1]
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- To reduce wrinkles, you can smooth the sweater with your hands after you fold it.
- This method can be used for both cardigans and pullovers.
2
Place the hanger on top of the sweater with the hook under the armpit. Lay the hanger down on the folded sweater. Then, move the hanger so that the hook of the hanger is situated in the open space between the sleeves and the torso of the sweater. Depending on which way you placed your sweater, this might be on the left or the right side.^{[2]
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- The open part of the hook can be facing upwards or downwards, as long as the hook part of the hanger is in the right place.
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3
Fold the sleeves over the shoulder of the hanger. You can fold them both together at the same time, or do them one at a time to make them easier to maneuver. Make sure the sleeves are as close to the hook as possible when they’re folded.^{[3]
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- If you’re using a hanger with a bottom bar, you can tuck the sleeves through the hanger and under the bar once you fold them over the shoulder. This will help keep the sleeves in place while you hang the rest of the sweater.
4
Wrap the body over the other shoulder of the hanger. Hold the torso of the sweater, and fold it over the other shoulder of the hanger so that it lays over top of the sleeves. This will create a sort of triangular shape, with the sweater wrapped around the hanger.^{[4]
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- You can also tuck the torso of the sweater under the bottom bar of the hanger if it has one to help keep the sweater on the hanger.
5
Hang the sweater in your closet. Lift the hanger by the hook, and carefully transfer the sweater to the closet. When you hang it up, make sure the sleeves and torso of the sweater are still in place and not scrunched up.^{[5]
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- If you’re using a plastic or wooden hanger, be aware that the sweater might slip off of the hanger, especially if the sleeves and torso aren’t tucked into the bottom bar of the hanger.
- To prevent slippage, you can use a felt-coated or velvet-coated hanger which will hold the sweater in place.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preventing Hanger Bumps and Wrinkles

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1
Lay the sweater face-down and place a piece of tissue paper along the back. Place the sweater on a flat surface, and use your hand to smooth any wrinkles along the back of the sweater. Remember to cut or fold the tissue paper so that it fits on the back of the sweater with no overhang.^{[6]
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- The tissue paper keeps the fibers of the sweater from molding to the hanger, which causes bumps and hanger marks. Additionally the paper prevents the fibers from catching on each other and bunching, which can cause wrinkles.
- The tissue paper should touch just below the collar and reach all the way to the bottom hem of the sweater.
2
Fold the sleeves in on the paper so they're crossing over each other. Take one sleeve and place it across the back of the sweater so that the cuff touches the opposite side of the sweater. Do the same with the other sleeve, forming an “X” on the back of the sweater with the sleeves.^{[7]
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- Be sure to smooth the sleeves as well to keep them from creasing when you hang the sweater.
3
Place the hanger upside down at the bottom hem of the sweater. Use a hanger that has a bar across the bottom connecting the two sides. Position it so that the bar is on top of the bottom hem of the sweater, with the hook facing away from the sweater.^{[8]
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- Make sure the tissue paper is also under the bar, as this will also be folded and hung up with the sweater to keep the fibers from rubbing against each other and molding to the hanger.
4
Pull the bottom of the sweater through the hanger, stopping in the middle. Grasp the bottom hem and work it through the middle of the hanger, under the bar. Make sure the sleeves move through the hanger, and then position the hanger in the middle of the sweater, with the hook on the front side of the sweater.^{[9]
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- Once the bottom hems and the sleeves are through the hanger, it may be easier to slide the hanger up to the center of the sweater, rather than pulling it through. Test both techniques to see which one works best for you.
5
Fold the sweater in half over the bar and hang it in your closet. Lift the bottom hem of the sweater and the sleeves, and fold them over the bar to rest on the top half of the sweater. Then, lift the hanger by the hook and carefully place it in your closet.^{[10]
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- Make sure the sweater doesn’t become wrinkled when you put it in the closet.

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Tips

Avoid hanging your sweaters by the shoulders like you would a regular shirt. This can cause shoulder dents in the fabric which are quite difficult to remove.

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