There comes a time when we pull hoodie strings halfway out. We see one end of the string there; the other we don’t. Now, fret not. Because there are a lot of ways by which you can recover the other half. You can use a coat hanger or needle-nose pliers. Using a knitting needle or a safety pin also works. The same is true with a paperclip and a lot more.
Recovering a hoodie string should never be a problem at all.
When you see one end of the string and the other you cannot, the string is somewhere in the middle.
Now, how do you recover the other half? Can you do it without resorting to removing the whole string out of the hoodie?
The risk there is that if you pull it all the way out, can you put it back in?
When in such a situation, fret not.
There are many ways by which you can fix this. Not only are your options many, but they’re also pretty easy.
Read on to find out.
Using a Coat Hanger
This part here is something that you can use to draw the whole string out of the hoodie.
Start by putting a small hook on one end of the metal coat hanger. You can use pliers to do this.
Slide the hooked hanger into the hoodie drawstring channel. This is the hole where the string comes in and out. Next, you slide the hooked hanger in. Slide it until it goes about an inch past the end of the drawstring.
Then you rotate the coat hanger. Make sure that you rotate the hanger a full circle. This is for the hanger to try and grab the drawstring.
Once done, you slide the coat hanger out. This is when you ensure that the end of the drawstring is already attached.
Once this is finally done, make sure that this does not happen again. To do that, tie a small knot on each end of the drawstring. The knot should be tight. And for you not to go through this again, the knot should be bigger than the hole of the drawstring channel.
Using Needle Nose Pliers
This is one of the most common ways to fix the problem.
You start by bunching up the hoodie channel. This, as discussed, is the pathway through which the drawstring goes through.
When doing this, make sure that you bunch the channel up until you feel the end of the drawstring. It may sometimes be in the middle of the channel or towards the end. No matter where it is, do not stop bunching the channel until you feel the end of the drawstring.
Next is to slide the end of the needle nose pliers inside the drawstring channel. This should be something that you use to grab the end of the drawstring. Once you can grab the end of the drawstring, slowly pull it out.
As always, once fixed, make sure to tie a knot on each end of the drawstring. This should prevent you from going through this ordeal over again.
Using a Knitting Needle
In this method, one needs to be careful to avoid pricking.
Start by putting the knitting needle inside the drawstring channel. Bunch up the fabric until you reach the end of the string that you want to pull out.
The next thing to do is to spear the end of the drawstring. Once you can do this, slowly pull the drawstring out.
Once out, tie a knot on both ends to avoid the same incident from happening again.
Using a Safety Pin
This method is one of the most effective around.
To do this, you start by sliding a safety pin from the end of the drawstring channel. You enter from the hole where the drawstring is stuck.
The next step requires you to feel through the material. Make sure that once you can feel the end of the drawstring. Grip the pin flat.
While in this position, hold the pin on the string end. After this being able to hold the pin, slide the string channel material over the pin. Once this is finally done, grab the end of the pin.
When you are already able to grab the end of the pin, draw the hoodie material back. Make sure that you draw it back and over the string.
Do not stop until you already have the string out on the other end of the channel.
And as always, tie a small knot on each of the drawstring’s ends. This should avoid the same thing happening again.
Using a Paper Clip
When using a paper clip, the first thing you need to do is to form a hook on one end of the clip. To do this, you can make use of nose pliers. This should make things easier for you.
Once you have a hook formed, slide the paper clip into the drawstring channel. While doing this, you need to bunch up the material at the same time.
Next, you need to slide the paper clip. Do this until you are about an inch past the end of the drawstring you are trying to pull.
Rotate the clip a few more times. Grab the drawstring.
Once you can grab it, slide the clip out of the hole. Do this slowly. But also make sure that when you are drawing the clip out, the drawstring is also attached.
Once done, tie both ends into a knot.
Using a Drinking Straw
A drinking straw may not sound like much. But you can also use this in getting the drawstring back to where it belongs.
First, slide the straw into the hole where the drawstring should be.
The straw should be able to travel from that hole. This is until you can reach the drawstring that you will be pulling out. Make sure that you slide the straw up until the end of the drawstring in question.
In this step, you have to attempt to stick the string into the straw. Once this is finally done, pull the straw out. The drawstring should go with the straw.
Once the drawstring is out, tie both ends into a knot.
Are you supposed to tie hoodie strings before washing?
Washing can tangle and do wonders to your hoodie’s drawstrings. It can pull the drawstring out as it tangles with zippers and buttons in the wash. To avoid this, one can tie a knot at the end of each string. This should help the drawstring stay in place.
We know how much of a struggle it is to find the drawstring halfway out of the hoodie. And this can happen. It can be because of accidentally pulling the string out. Or it can also be because the drawstring got tangled in the wash.
Yes, it can hold on to buttons. It can get itself tangled in zippers and other pieces of clothing.
And once you get it out of the wash, you would find the drawstring already halfway out.
Now, there are ways by which to avoid this.
The simplest of all is to tie a knot at the end of each string.
Tying a knot would ensure that the drawstring does not get pulled out of the channel. This is critical, especially during the washing process. This should keep the drawstring in place from washing until drying.
When doing this, however, one should be wary of the size of the knots.
This is because some holes may be bigger than the knots.
You need to make sure that the knot is actually bigger than the hole of the drawstring channel. This should prevent the drawstring from going through the hole.
Another way you can ensure the drawstrings do not get pulled through is to use a safety pin. Attach a safety pin at each end of the drawstring in the hoodie. Do this before putting the hoodie in the wash.
No matter how the drawstrings get twisted around, they will remain in place. They don’t get caught on zippers and other pieces of clothing.
This should be able to solve your problem.
How often do you wash hoodies?
You can wear a hoodie many times before washing it. In fact, the rule of thumb is that you can wear it about five or six times before washing. This is, of course, as long as the hoodie is not stained. This is provided that the hoodie does not accumulate enough dirt. You can still wear it five to six times before it hits the washing machine.
Now, if there comes a time when your hoodie gets minor stains, you don’t necessarily have to wash them right away. If these are smaller stains, you can do something about it to remove the stains. There is no need to put it in the washer.
Hoodies are mostly cotton.
Cotton is a fabric that is actually made of fibers. This makes it hard for you to remove the stains. This is especially true if you are not careful.
When removing stains, follow these few simple steps.
Removing Stains
When a hoodie gets its fair share of stains, make sure to spot treat the stain right away. You can do this right after the hoodie gets stained. You can also do this as soon as you realize there is a stain.
Now, once you can identify the stained parts, you need to discover what caused it. This should prevent you from getting additional stains into your hoodie.
Start by rinsing it. As much as possible, use warm water.
The next step may be a bit weird, but home remedies dictate that you should put white vinegar on the stain. This should wet the area. This should also wet the stain.
Leave it for about an hour.
Next, wash the hoodie through a cold-water wash cycle. Once done, try to check if the process got rid of the stains.
If it is still there, dab it with a bit of hydrogen peroxide. This should bubble. When this happens, it means that the chemicals you put into the stain are showing its reaction.
Leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes. Finally, rinse with warm water.
If there is one thing you should be careful about, it is hot water.
Hot water and hoodies do not mix well together. Hot water, in fact, can worsen the stain. Also, it can result in your garment shrinking.
Washing Without Pilling
Most of the hoodies that we see in the market today have anti-pilling characteristics. But even with this type of technology, one would still see pilling happening. This is especially if the hoodie had been in use for many years.
But fear not because you can actually prevent pilling from happening.
When washing your hoodie, turn it inside out.
Make sure to wash the hoodie in a delicate mode. Another option is to hand wash it.
Finally, do not ever use a dryer. When drying, lay your hoodie flat on a surface.
At times, you may be in a hurry. Should this be the case, use the lowest heat setting possible. But as much as you can, avoid using this. Letting the hoodie dry naturally is the best recourse.
Removing Pilling
Pilling happens only in older hoodies. This may not be something you would encounter with newer ones.
And so, if you have an old hoodie, you still would like to wear, this may be a challenge. But know that you can actually have the pilling removed.
There are a few simple ways to do that.
One of these ways is using a fine-toothed comb.
When doing this, lay the hoodie on the surface. Gently comb against the pilling. This should remove them.
You can also use a pair of scissors to remove them.
When using scissors, you only need to cut off the pilling. Just make sure never to go too close to the fabric of the hoodie.
Note, however, that this may take a while. You would need to exert more effort with this method. Especially when there is too much pilling, your patience is needed.
Finally, you can also use duct tape to remove pilling.
Start by dabbing the hoodie with duct tape. You should, of course, use the sticky part of the tape.
The pilling will go with the sticky part of the duct tape. This should remove the pilling from the hoodie.
And if there are a few more that remain, you only need a pair of scissors.
Carefully cut them through until you got them all gone!
Easy, right?