A step - by - step scout for cleaning and maintaining woollen garments .

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Wool is a natural fiber composed of keratin , a protein also bump in human fuzz . The wool is most often derive from sheep but can also be sourced from other animals like rabbits , laughingstock , and alpacas . Each strand has a kink up texture that is excellent for maintaining warmth , but it can put up some challenges when laundering .

stack of wool sweaters in laundry basket

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Special consideration is necessary whenselecting laundry detergentand determine the best wash , drying , and storage methods . However , with proper care , your wool token will remain treasured pieces in your wardrobe for year .

Before Getting Started

Although today ’s fleece fabrics can be more resilient than in the past , it ’s still important to give them right charge , and that start up with take the correct detergent . Opt for a pH - inert variant that ’s barren of stain fighters , brighteners , and material softener , as these could give down the framework .

You ’ll also need touse the correct temperature settingson your washing machine , should you choose to go that road . A delicate cycle with dusty water should be gentle enough to protect your wool pieces , though a woolen cycle is ideal if your machine has one .

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

How to Hand-Wash Wool

Pretreat Stains

Examine your garment and pretreat any stains that need tending to .

Create a Wool Wash

Add wool detergent to a swallow hole or tubful sate with cold water supply . Use the ratios prescribed by the wool detergent manufacturer for best result .

Hand-Wash the Item

Place the detail in the sinkhole or tuband lightly swish the framework through the water to saturate it . Avoid rubbing or aggressively agitating the garment , as this could have pilling . lease the detail soak for 30 minutes .

Rinse

ply the item under coolheaded water until suds no longer appear and all the detergent has been removed .

Remove Excess Water

lightly press the garment to take out superfluous water from the item , take upkeep not to wring , stretch , or crumple the fabric , as this could cause it to become distorted or damaged .

Air-Dry

Reshape the wool items , weightlift away any wrinkles on the cloth . Then , lay them on adrying rackor on top of a clean towel to dry altogether . Hanging fleece items will lead in misshapen and stretch cloth that is likely permanent , so give this step proper care and condition .

How to Wash Wool in a Washing Machine

Washing wool in the washing simple machine is potential , although you need to take special care to guarantee your item is n’t damage in the unconscious process .

How to Spot-Treat Common Stains

Before washing your garment , it ’s best to pretreat any stains . Here are formula for some of the most vernacular stains ; test these remedies on a small , inconspicuous area of the garment before applying them to a larger area .

How to Store and Maintain Wool Garments

Frequently Asked Questions

When determining which wool detergent is best , reckon for wool - specific formulas that are mild and pH scale - achromatic . Avoid harsh chemicals , fixings , or additives , as they can damage the framework .

Because pilling is due to abrasion to the fabric , avoiding pilling is all about keep the garments away from friction . wash out your garments and item inside out and avoid fabrics or textures that can pull at wool . It ’s also best to avoid fabric softener because they can leave behind a residue that make pilling .

Even with the best effort , pilling might still happen . To de - pill woollen , use a sharp razor to trim off the pills while bear the garment taut . practice a lint rolling wave to snaffle the distant pilling .

Your best bet for foreclose woolen from wince is to obviate raging water . Even when wash with dusty water , the fiber by nature tighten , which is why it ’s essential to reshape and press the wool item out before it dry out .

Slight shrinking of wool cloth is expected during the wash physical process due to the nature of the fibers . Gently pressing on the cloth during the reshaping process will help touch on both the size and soma . The fibers will loosen up as the garment dries , and the original size should be doctor .

Wool items , including those that are wool blends , should only be air - dried . Even the low rut arrange on your dryer will cause shrinking .

Wool should never be ironed , which is why the summons of reshaping and press out out any wrinkles before air - dry is so significant . If you wreathe up with tough wrinkles , use steam to smooth them out .