How to care for wool
How to care for wool
- Wool has amazing properties
- Wool is sustainable
- Wool is biodegradable
- Wool is a natural super fibre
WE LOVE WOOL
- Wool naturally shirks dirt and stains
- Wool does not retain odours
- Wool naturally wicks away moisture
- Wool keeps you cool in summer, and cozy in winter
With just a little bit of attention to care, wool jumpers will last for many years and retain these wonderful properties.
Our range of Merino wool slippers will also benefit from the same care:
Don’t be daunted, it’s really very easy to care for your treasured wool jumper as only a very occasional wash is necessary!
Hand washing is the gentlest way of washing wool at home, and takes just a short time. Caring for your wool by hand washing allows you to ensure water temperature is correct and only gentle agitation of the wool fibres takes place.
Remember that wool does not need washing anything like as often as synthetic materials in fact we recommend that once a year for a full jumper wash is probably overdoing it .
Spot washing
If there is a small stain to remove, spot/dab wash by putting some gentle cleaner in some luke warm water, and using a cloth dab it onto the stain then rinse just the area you have treated under a cold running tap to remove the detergent. If you haven’t got a specialist wool fabric cleaner with you, use a tiny amount of hair shampoo which will be kind to the wool.
After rinsing, dab the damp area with a towel, and let the garment dry flat and naturally.
Does your jumper really need a full wash?
To air a woolly jumper simply hang up in a breeze and let it blow through.
If you feel that the collar or wrist areas need a clean then wash just that area for a quick and easy solution
Each time a wool item is washed, you are washing away the lanolin and the good properties contained in the wool, therefore washing sparingly is key to the longevity of your jumper
How to do an occasional full hand wash of your item:
- Use luke warm water with a mild wool detergent – you only need a small amount to mix with the cool water. If you don’t have a specialist wool shampoo then use a small amount of hair shampoo as it is milder than standard detergents
2. Immerse the item and gently manoeuvre around in the water
Leave the item to soak for 30 minutes,
3. Rinse well by running cool water through the wool until the detergent is rinsed out completely
NEVER USE FABRIC CONDITIONER – IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE ON WOOL
4. Do not wring, press the water out of the item by folding over and pressing down
5. Lay the woollen item onto a dry towel, and roll up the towel then press down to remove
as much water as you can
6. Reshape by gently pressing on the wool and dry flat away from any unnatural heat source
Machine washing of wool:
Please only decide to use the wool cycle on your washing machine to wash your lovely wool jumper if you have tested this on a 100% wool item before and please place the item into a mesh bag to ensure the wool cannot snag,
The water will need to be cold with a low wool spin.
There is always the danger of felting (shrinkage) with a machine so if you are not confident that your machine wool wash operates as it should, we would advise to hand wash instead.
It really doesn’t take long to hand wash and your wool jumper will thank you for your care
To dry your item, always flat dry. Never put wool items into a tumble dryer, or spin dryer . Lay your item on a towel, and reshape your wool item . Roll the item up in the towel and press out excess water. Wool tightens in water, and will gently relax during the drying, so reshaping is important to achieve a good looking finish to the drying. Gently press out the wool, do not pull . Should creases remain after drying, steaming is recommended.
We suggest with something like a wool Guernsey jumper that it will likely only need washing a couple of times a year – certainly do air it through or wash it before storing it for any long period of time.
If you need to de-pill your woolly jumper, which can occur with friction, use a pill comb.
Storage of Wool items
Fold jumpers rather than hanging. If your storage area is prone to moths, we recommend storing in a folded over bag made of cotton or linen. Plastic bags are not recommended.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I not use a regular laundry detergent?
Regular detergent contains things that are too harsh for wool fibres and can therefore strip the wool of all the natural goodness that keeps it feeling soft, supple and to an extent water repellant
Why is it Ok to use a hair shampoo if I haven’t any specific wool detergent?
Hair shampoo is naturally much gentler as it is used on your own hair, so has similar mild properties to a dedicated wool shampoo
Why can’t I use fabric conditioner after washing ?
Fabric condition would lag/coat the individual wool fibres and interfere with the natural moisture wicking properties of wool. Conditioner would leave a coating on the fabric and affect the
performance of the natural wool fibres.
Why does my wool jumper ‘pill’ ?
Pilling happens through wear/friction, and is the appearance of little balls (pills of wool) and so the more an item is worn, the more you may find that you get pills. Looser weave knits such as an Aran jumper are more likely to pill than tighter weave ones such as a Guernsey or Nordic jumper as there is more movement of the yarns.
Why did my item shrink (felt)
Either the water used was too warm, or too much agitation/friction or heat was applied
It is not possible to shrink (felt) wool without one of the above being present