How to care for wool knits

Wool and Animal-Hair Fibres

Wool has always been seen as a delicate material to clean. Everyone has heard those horror stories of ruined sweaters that shrank during washing. But with following some simple steps of proper care, your favourite woollen knits will stay beautiful for years.

Wool is naturally resistant to stains. It also doesn’t pick up dust as it is static-free. Therefore your woollen knits need to be washed less frequently and rarely need ironing, as wool is naturally resistant to wrinkles. So really, less washing and ironing means less work for you and less impact on the environment.

HOW TO HAND-WASH YOUR WOOL KNITS

A short guide

What will you need?

a basin or a laundry bucket
a mild hair shampoo without conditioner or a wool friendly detergent (a regular dish detergent will also do the job
two clean towels

Follow these easy 9 steps:

Turn your knit inside out.
Fill a basin or a laundry bucket with lukewarm water.
Squirt in some detergent or shampoo and leave to dissolve.
Give the knit a little soak for a couple of minutes.
Gently squeeze the suds through, without twisting or wringing the knit.
Rinse in water of the same temperature until the water is clear.
Softly press the excess water out, gently lift the knit and lay it on a dry towel.
Ease the knit back into original shape and roll up the towel. Press lightly to remove the excess water.
Finally lay down the knit on another fresh, dry towel. Leave it to dry naturally, away from direct sunlight.

Machine wash your wool knits

Use a gentle detergent for wool. Set the washing machine on a short, low temperature wool or hand-wash cycle. If possible machine wash your knits in a protective laundry bag and always turn the garments inside out to prevent peeling. Lay down the knits on a dry towel and let them dry flat, naturally away from direct sunlight.

DRY CLEANING

For dry-clean only items take your woollen knit to a reputable dry cleaner.

IRONING

Always use steam for pressing wool. Set your iron on low temperature and avoid ironing when it is totally dry. Give your knits some time to cool down before removing them from the ironing board. Or even better yet, simply hang your woollen garments in a steamy bathroom and let the moisture from steam remove all unwanted wrinkles.

FUZZ BALLS

After some time of wearing and washing, fuzz balls may appear on your knitwear. Those nasty little buggers happen because the soft short wool fibres emerge on the surface and then rub their way into unwanted little balls. First, lay your knit flat and smooth out any wrinkles. Then shave the fuzz balls with an electric sweater shaver. Remove the loose fuzz with a lint roller or sticky tape. Your knit will look like new again!

REFRESH YOUR KNIT

Give your knit some fresh air. Lay it outdoors for some time and it will sort out those undesired odours, it might have picked up with time.

IN THE WARDROBE

Fold your woollen knit nicely and lay it in a drawer or a shelf. It might stretch out of shape if you keep it on a hanger for a long time. To protect your precious garment from moths, we suggest using natural moth repellents. Place lavender or rosemary sachets or cedar chips in your wardrobe. Replace every few months or refresh them adding some drops of essential oils.