I got this beautiful wool fabric that I can use to make lots of lovely things. But how do I keep it looking great for a long time, with all the washing and wearing I plan to do?.
Hand washing and dry cleaning are both good options for caring for woolen clothes. You can safely hand wash wool garments if the label says ‘washable wool’—just be sure to follow some simple precautions.
If three things are kept out of the purview of wool, you are safe – Heat, moths, and alkali stains.
Pure wool is quite easy to maintain. It is quite resistant to heat, and if the above fabric care label symbols are taken care of, it will remain in tip top condition for many, many years. You just have to hand wash and dry flat.
✔ Empty all pockets and hang for 1-2 hours to shake out the wrinkles and then store flat. You can also make sure that the garment does not get too much dirty with sweat and body oils by wearing a slip/petticoat between the wool fabric and your body.
✔ Keep away from all kinds of alkalic materials like caustic soda, metal cleaners, toothpaste, and baking powder. If there is contact, flush the area immediately with clean water.
CHALLENGES IN TAKING CARE OF WOOL FABRIC
Shrinkage
Shrinking of wool is a pain; You buy a sweater, and after one or two washes, it wouldn’t fit a 10-year younger you. I have read that some wool can shrink up to 50%.
Dry cleaning label
If you are looking at your washing machine and wondering about the symbol of the program to wash wool clothes, it can the image of a yarn or a tub of water with a ball of yarn inside like this :
or this one:
These may be printed on the panel of your washing machine as a wool symbol on a washing machine. This icon is used to indicate that the item can be washed in the machine under the wool or hand wash program of a washing machine. The program associated with this symbol uses a gentle wash cycle with a reduced agitation than usual and a reduced spin speed to protect woolen items from damage and shrinkage.
If you are looking at wool care symbols on clothes, and wondering what they are all about, here is the explanation
- The basin with a single dot inside tells you to wash the wool at a mild temperature.
- The circle with a cross over it tells you not to use the dryer to dry these clothes.
- The symbol of the iron on a stand recommends the use of steam iron. If there is a hand inside the basin, then it tells you only to hand wash these clothes.
- The wringing symbol with the cross tells you not to wring the clothes to prevent damage.
- The square with a flat line tells you to dry these clothes flat on a flat surface to prevent over-stretching.
Nowadays, when I go to a shop for clothes, even the retail salesperson recommends synthetic fabrics in lieu of natural fabrics. This particular salesperson discouraged me from buying wool leggings, saying it is difficult to maintain- maybe she sensed that I am a lazy person. Wool fabric is considered one of the most human-skin-friendly fabrics of all – if all conditions are met. Ie, if it is cared for properly and you are not allergic to wool.
Today, no one has the time to maintain anything properly as they should be. And if they do, that is, if wool is cared for properly, nothing can beat wool – in comfort, insulation, and coziness.
Here are the symbols usually found on wool clothes and the meanings that they represent.
Wool wash symbol
The best way to clean wool is to hand wash. Very delicate wool like cashmere will have this symbol.
Some fine wool cannot be washed – those will have this symbol. They should only be dry cleaned by professional dry cleaners.
You can wash such wool clothes by dipping them in a bucket full of cold water with the suitable detergent dissolved in them. A special detergent like Woolite is preferred for hand washing woolen clothes.
Some wool fabrics will have this symbol which says they can be machine washed.
But this symbol also says that that particular wool garment should only be washed in cold water. Hot water washing can lead to wool fibers felting. Some washing machines may have a wool setting which will have the optimal settings as specified by the fabric care label – minimum spin, cold water.
Drying symbol for wool
Wool should not be dried inside a dryer – the heat inside can felt the fabric.
‘Do not wring’ symbol is understandable – wool fibers can stretch out of shape if you wring to get water out after you have hand washed it. You can lay it flat on a rack to get the water out or if it is too precious, cover with toweling fabric to get the water out. You can roll the wool garment inside the towel to get the maximum water out of it and then lay flat to dry.
For drying it is better to lay it flat. If you dry wool clothing on a clothing line, it can stretch out of shape. Reshaping an already stretched woolen garment is an art and I generally do not recommend this kind of risque activities. Safest is to lay flat and dry.
Using bleach – symbol
Chlorine bleach should not be used on woolen clothes, so the label on most garments will have this symbol of ‘Do not bleach’.
Ironing symbols for wool
Wool should not be ironed directly. When you iron on the surface of the woolen fabric, the beautiful fibers will be crushed flat, so all the manufacturers recommend steaming with an iron.
You can use steam iron to iron out wrinkles on your woolen garment.
On most wool clothes, they recommend dry-cleaning. I do not like dry cleaning because of the chemicals and the money. But with expensive wool clothes, there may not be an option it.
Skin irritation.
Some woolen clothes irritate skin – especially allergic-prone people with sensitive skin. You have to be careful with woolen clothes in this way.
Pilling
The appearance of small wool balls on the surface of woolen fabric – it is also called piling and it is irritating and unsightly – this piling usually goes off after some washes.
Stretching out of shape
After washing, most woolen clothes stretch out of shape; though it is relatively easy to bring it down to its original shape with some manipulation. Washing by a washing machine is mostly out of the question because of this stretching.
Laundry label for woolen clothes
The washing care labels on most woolen clothes ask you to –
☝ Hand wash.
☝ Wash in mild temperature water.
☝ Do not wring or machine dry.
☝ Dry flat.
☝ Use steam iron.
Detailed look at wool care labels: The time to remove stain from wool is as soon as the stain occurs. Do not wait. Blotting the area with a clean towel by dabbing the area gently (never rub) works for removing fresh stains. If you are using a spot cleaner or detergent, remember to take it off by blotting with a wet cloth. But do not rub too much or too long. Always brush the wool garment after each and every wear. This will remove small dirt. Handwashing is preferred for woolen clothes made of 100% virgin wool yarns or 100% animal yarns. If the woolen clothing is made of synthetic blend yarns you can put those into a mesh washing bag (net laundry-washing / lingerie-washing bag) and choose a wool detergent and a gentle/wool cycle. Never ever think of using the 100% dryer. There are just one or two brands of dryers that are certified safe for wool, but I would question that too. Why take a risk? When washing woolen clothes (which is marked ok to hand wash) if I am sure that the garment is going to bleed, I set the colors with a small soak of water mixed with some vinegar. Some people also recommend salt solutions. I always use cold water for washing woolen clothes. Also, give a final rinse with water and a few drops of hair conditioner. Remember that, like hair, wool is a natural fiber and will shine with this pampering. But if you want to remove the oily residue (lanolin) use lukewarm water. I once had a blanket that dripped this oily residue. Use an extra gentle liquid ph-balanced liquid detergent (designed for woolen fabric), not the generic all-purpose detergent. You will have to ensure that your wool detergent is phosphate-free – phosphates are not good for wool fibers. And stay away from detergents that have fillers – these fillers stick to wool and look very unattractive. Wool fibers are generally weaker when they are wet. I never ever stretch woolen fabric or clothes made of them when wet. They have an elasticity that stretches the fibers and are very susceptible to damage when they are wet. They may permanently remain stretched. So no wringing or twisting of woolen clothes to remove water after handwashing. Woolen clothes stretch which is bad when storing it. Hanging wool garments inside a cupboard for a long time also will stretch the fabric fibers permanently. The edges of the hangers will distort the shoulder area. Fold and lie flat for storage. Never ever hang the wet woolen cloth for drying after a wash or hold it by the shoulder area. Lay down flat to dry after the wash after absorbing extra water with a clean towel. This will prevent stretching somewhat. You will get special mesh screens to lay the woolen clothes to dry so that they can dry from the top and underneath. Towel racks can manage if you do not get these. A quality dry cleaning center can be your ally in keeping premium woolen clothes in excellent condition. Ensure that they do not come out with that chemical smell. That means that the dry clean shop is not up to the mark. A good quality place will clean your woolen clothes with enough steam and appropriate cleaning solutions making them clean and smell good too. One easy hack to take wrinkles out of woolen clothes is to hang them in a shower area overnight. The humidity in the place will naturally iron out the wool fabric like magic. I always keep small moth balls and nice-smelling herbs inside a perforated pouch and keep this near my woolen clothes (without touching the clothes of course). Exposure to sunlight (not too long) can also prevent mildew growth and kill moth larvae. I have read somewhere that keeping the garment in the fridge for some time (48 hours or so) also can kill the larvae. Sunlight will do for me. My fridge is overcrowded as it is. Some have success with storing wool with cedar chips/blocks or the items themselves in cedar chests. Do not despair when you see tiny holes in your woolen garment made by those disliked moths (insects). They are repairable. You probably have some spare thread with the garment that matches the thread. With some practice, you can repair the hole by weaving it into the fabric with thread and filling the hole. It will look almost as if the hole is not there. The woolen cloth was made by weaving – so repairing by weaving is an easy and understandable solution. Check out this related post on repairing holes in clothes. Performance wool – Garments made of this blended wool should never be exposed to high heat from an iron – it will end up looking shiny. Wool is a fabric that should be drycleaned if it is mentioned so in the labels, but this should be done carefully on this wool. Or use clothing patches on the holes (Checkout the tutorials to make the clothing patches and the different ways to sew the clothing patches ) For most of us, wool is not just wool. Wool is warmth as well as style – the ultimate in cozy, comfortable, trendy everyday wear. Do you know that the wool keeps you warm by trapping the warm air inside; it can even feel warm when it is wet. This insulating quality makes it the must-have fabric in a cold climate. And, Interestingly, wool can keep you cold in warmer climates. So, with all these advantages, no one will blame you if you have lots of woolen clothes – just take care of them right, and you have a winner dressmaking fabric. Related posts : Different names of wool fabric ; How to sew wool – tips.; How are wool fibers made into fabricSpot cleaning wool
Washing woolen clothes
✔ Can you machine wash wool?
Detergent for wool
Prevent stretching
Drycleaning wool
Storage of woolen clothes
Special care for special wools
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Author: Sarina Tariq
