Can I wash wool in the washing machine? Yes! If you’ve avoided cleaning those woollen jumpers in the past it’s time to learn how to care for your woollen clothing properly. ‘Can you machine wash wool’ is a thing of the past, and here we teach you how to machine wash and look after your designer wool jumpers to make sure they last a lifetime.
HOW DO YOU WASH WOOL IN THE WASHING MACHINE?
1. Turn your wool garments inside out before you wash them. This is the first and most important step and will protect your clothes.
2. Empty pockets and remove any pins that are attached before washing, as woollen clothes can be easily stretched out of shape.
3. Wash wool less frequently. Wool does not actually need to be cleaned as frequently as the rest of your clothes. The self-regulating fibre means you can get away with only washing your wool clothes every now and then.
4. Soak in cold water! Remember to soak your woollen clothes in cold water before putting them into the washing machine. This will help prevent shrinkage. If you feel like being fancy and want things to be extra clean, then you can add a small amount of detergent to your pre-wash water.
5. Always use a cold water cycle and use a wool, delicate or handwash setting on your washing machine. If you don’t have those options, then just ensure it’s a cold wash with the gentlest spin available and you should be fine – do not spin any wool items over 800, a no-spin cycle would be better if this isn’t an option.
HOW DO YOU DRY WOOLLEN JUMPERS?
After each wash, wool garments should be dried on a flat surface. Ensure any buttons are done up to help your woollen jumpers dry in their natural shape. Do NOT put wool into the tumble dryer.
A good tip is to lay the jumper flat on a dry towel, then place another towel on top. Now you can roll both towels and squeeze any excess water out of the jumper.
HOW DO YOU STORE WOOLLEN CLOTHES?
In your wardrobe is the simple answer (duh), but there are a few extra things you can do to make sure your wool clothes last as long as possible.
Wool fabrics fall into two categories. Woven and knitted. Knowing the difference between the two is essential for storing your garments. Woven items tend to crease but do not stretch easily.
It is recommended to use a padded or structured clothes hanger for woven garments, small wired ones may cause the garment to become misshapen.
Knitted items are the opposite, they are harder to crease, but are prone to stretching out of shape. Folding or rolling knitted garments is the best option to keep your clothes looking fresh and new.
For both knitted and woven items, make sure any buttons are done up before storage to make sure the shape is kept as pristine as possible.
HOW DO YOU IRON WOOL?
If a garment becomes creased for any reason, simply hang or place in a steamy bathroom, away from direct heat or light. Some irons may have a wool setting which you can use but make sure not to iron when the wool is dry.
CAN YOU MACHINE WASH WOOL COATS?
For coats, it is not recommended to wash too frequently and to take your wool coats to a dry cleaner. However, for simple stains, make sure to dab them out of the fabric with a mild detergent rather than scrub, and again, dry flat.
Similar steps to regular garments for removing creases can be taken for coats by hanging them in your shower room.
Keeping these tips in mind, wool suddenly becomes a much less scary fabric to work with, and definitely, one everyone should be rocking this winter.