What happens if wool is washed

According to Lindsey J. Martin Greenfield, owner of custom tailor shop Martin Greenfield Clothiers , told us wool rarely needs dry cleaning. They go out in the rain. Hand washing is simple and cheap—you likely have the supplies on hand.

For best results, use a detergent for delicates many all-purpose cleaners can be rough on wool and silk. We like no-rinse formulas like those we recommend in our guide to the best detergent for hand washing.

Just fill your basin with tepid never hot! Then carefully squeeze out the water and air dry. Similarly, keep wool away from hot water and agitation unless you want to make felt. If your care labels states that machine washing is OK, you should always soak your wool in a bucket of cold water before popping into the machine. Allow to soak for roughly one hour or until you are sure that the fibres have absorbed the water — the garment should look a little puffy. Soaking in cold water can help protect the wool from shrinking in the washing machine.

Wool fibres are very delicate, and they can easily become damaged through the use of harsh chemicals found in some laundry detergents. The more natural and gentle the detergent the better.

Do you know how much laundry detergent you should be using? It can be easy to use more than the recommended amount, and this could make our clothes feel stiff and rough. With wool, using too much detergent can leave a residue which could damage your garment. Always check the recommended dosage on your OMO detergent, and add the correct amount.

If you prefer to add your detergent straight into the drum of your washing machine, rather than using the detergent drawer, make sure you pick up a machine-safe detergent ball. This is because you should never add undiluted detergent directly to a wool garment, as it could encourage the wool to felt. Machine washing wool Your garment needs to be washed on a gentle wash programme — so ensure you select the wool cycle on your washing machine.

Double check the temperature cool wash e. Ensure you use the correct washing detergent see advice above. Do not spin very delicate woollens, such as angora. Instead, follow the instructions above for removing the excess water. Drying wool It's best to dry wool flat — gently pulling the garment to the correct size this is called blocking. Pressing woollen garments You may not need to iron your woollen garment again, check the care label to make sure.

Do not iron your woollen garment when it is wet. Have the garment right side out. Press the garment while it is still slightly damp or use a low temperature steam use the wool setting on your iron if you have one. Use a clean pressing cloth between the surface of the iron and your garment.

If the garment is already dry, use a clean, damp pressing cloth. Gently press the garment lifting and lowering the iron onto the garment rather than moving it across the fabric surface rather than ironing it in the usual way. Tip posted by Penny Mar 30, Related content.

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