The first thing you need to do before laundering your knits is to check the yarn label
for indications about laundering. Most hand knitting yarns can be dry-cleaned. Exceptions
to this include some of the synthetic and/or metallic yarns, which could melt during the
dry cleaning process.
If you don't have a yarn label and are unsure of the fiber content of the yarn, you can
check to see if has synthetics by doing a burn test. NO, you will not set your sweater on
fire: you will use a spare piece of yarn about 10" long.
1) Hold the yarn over the kitchen sink.
2) Light a match and hold it to the other end of the yarn for a minute.
Watch your fingers!
3) Blow the match out.
4) Wait a minute until the yarn has a chance to cool.
5) Check the yarn end that you just lit. Does it crumble in your fingers like ashes? Then it is a
natural fiber such as wool or cotton.
6) Does it seem to have formed a hard plastic ball? Then it is a synthetic yarn
and probably should not be dry-cleaned.