HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR JOE?
Watch this short animation and learn in one and a half minutes how you can best maintain your Joe.
WASHING
Merino wool is antibacterial by nature. This means that it will not give off bad smells easily. Just air overnight, and Joe will be nice and fresh again. Still, it’s important to wash your Joe on a regular basis. Not just to remove problem stains, but also to get rid of moths. Moths are attracted to stains (proteins), including stains that you can’t see.
Washing Joe is easy. Just select the wool program on your washing machine (30°C) and check that spin speed is not higher than 600 rpm. Use a (little) detergent for wool. Do not mix woollen clothes with other materials when washing – jeans and zippers are very dangerous for Joe!
But don’t think you have to wash Joe by hand. That’s way too fussy and your washing machine will do a much better job anyway. After washing it is best to dry Joe flat. If you iron your pullover, it will be like new, see IRONING. And if you want your Joe to have a spa day, take it for a dry-clean.
Specific and stubborn stain in your Joe that you can't get out? Have a look at this handy and extensive stain removal guide from our partner The Woolmark Company.
BE CAREFUL WITH ZIPPERS
To avoid holes, close zippers and buttons before washing. And ideally, wash your woollen garments featuring buttons and zippers together in a separate load.
DEPILLING
We make every effort to prevent pilling: We use long-fibre, low-pilling yarns, maintain good tension during production, use as few chemicals as possible, and spend a great deal of time on the washing. This means that Joe will not pill easily, only if rubbed against raw materials, like your seatbelt, desktop, backpack, or the rough inside of a coat.
If this happens, you can depill your pullover by using a lint shaver. Or you can drop in at one of our stores, and we’ll do the job for you. If you think that your pullover should be depilled all-over, call or e-mail us, and we’ll talk it over.
Watch here to learn how to shave your Joe:
MOTHS
Moths like Merino wool just as much as you do. But there is a widespread misunderstanding about moths – they are not attracted by the Merino wool, but by stains (proteins). This includes stains that you can’t see or smell. They lodge in your pullovers and feast on the stains. Actually, it’s their larvae that eat the wool. To keep moths away, it’s important to wash your Joe’s regularly. See WASHING. To protect your pullovers even better against moths, store them in airtight plastic sleeves, or other closable bags or boxes. This is advisable especially if you know that you won’t be wearing your Joe for some time. If you wear your Joe regularly, it’s better to hang your pullover instead of keeping it folded. Moths like neat stacks in dark wardrobes.
IRONING
Wool has a curly structure. When washed, wool tends to spring back to its natural state. This could give you the impression that your pullover has shrunk, but a little ironing does wonders. Make sure that your iron is set to ‘wool’. If your iron does not have a wool setting, simply turn down the temperature, and use steam if possible. The steam reshapes your pullover. You can iron Joe just like your other clothes, there’s no need to be extremely careful. The only thing you should not iron, are your Joe’s hem and cuffs.
STORAGE
How and where you store your pullovers is important to their survival. If you wear Joe regularly, it’s best to air your pullover outside overnight. Fresh air is good for Joe and makes Joe less attractive to moths. Hanging your sweaters is better anyway than keeping them folded in a dark corner of your wardrobe. Put a bar of soap in with your Joes, as moths don’t like strong smells. And if you know you won’t be wearing your pullovers for some time, in summer for example, wash your Joe’s and put them away in a covered box, like the one from IKEA. This is a very effective way to keep out moths. Never leave your Joe’s unwashed in a corner for long periods - you can bet on it that moths will be having a feast in your wardrobe!
REPAIRS
Accidents happen, and so will holes in your Joe. The good news is that we will be happy to mend your Joe.
But – and this is an important but: We cannot mend Joes with more than three holes (chances are you have moths living in your wardrobe);
worn elbows; and Joe shirts and polo shirts (the yarn is just too fine to mend).
If you would like us to mend your Joe, please get in touch first, by email at [email protected] or by phone at +31(0)20-8208080. We will always try to find a solution that suits you.
