How do I launder a hand knit baby sweater?

Dear Nanny,

My sister gave me a delightful Nannygram (the knit sweater) for my baby girl and I absolutely love it.
The only problem—the baby spit up and I am afraid it will stain!
What should I do?

--Emma’s Mom

Dear Emma’s Mom,

Not to worry. First, the yarn used in our Nannygram sweaters is completely washable. But as I have learned over the years, the primary rule in stain removal is stain prevention. So, try to rinse out the spit-up, dribble, baby spup, or what have you, as soon as it happens. If, however, that is impossible (for whatever reason: sleep deprivation, feeding crisis, crying jag----yes, these things happen when a new little one comes to town), the following has always worked for me. Take about a ¼ of a cup of Snowy Bleach (the flakes) and dissolve it in a basin of luke warm water. Submerge the sweater in the water. Gently rub the stain. Leave the sweater soaking for anywhere from 1 to 24 hours, depending on how set the stain is. I generally check it after about an hour and then leave it soaking, if needed.

Good luck with the stain removal and Emma!

--Nanny

p.s. Feel free to send in a photo of little Emma in her stain-free Nannygram! We’d love to add her to our photo gallery!