Caring for woolen fabrics
However, when it comes time to wash, we must remember simple but important rules: when handling wool, we will avoid sudden changes in temperature and friction, because they are harmful and completely unnecessary.
To wash woolen clothes, we only use dedicated detergents - wool washing liquids (they are also perfect for the care of silk materials). There is a large selection of dedicated liquids on the market. Excellent and proven liquids are, for example, Sonett, Winni's, Biały Jeleń, Disana, Ekos. However, supermarket brands known from advertisements may turn out to be too aggressive and I would recommend caution when using liquids such as Woolite or Perwoll.
Moving on to washing - soak knitted or woolen fabrics for 30-60 minutes in a solution of lukewarm water and liquid in proportions according to the detergent manufacturer's instructions. The ideal temperature is 30°C. We wash the textiles soaked in this way by kneading them with our hands for a while, and then rinse them with water at a temperature similar to the one at which we washed them.
Remembering that wool does not like friction, after rinsing it we just squeeze out excess water, absolutely avoiding wringing it out. To get rid of the rest of the water, we can squeeze the clothes or woolen material in an absorbent, clean, dry towel. The most effective method is to "tread" the wool wrapped in a towel. While woolen fabrics can be hung up, knitted fabrics should be dried flat to avoid deformation. We do not dry wool in close proximity to heat sources, remembering that it does not like sudden changes in temperature. It will dry faster than cotton and linen materials, so we will be able to enjoy it again in a short time.
If we want to take even better care of our woolen wardrobe, we can provide it with a small woolen spa. Natural wool contains lanolin in its fibers, which gives it elasticity, durability and increased resistance to dirt and odors. Considering that wool fibers have a structure similar to our hair, we can think of lanolin as a conditioner. Over time, due to use and washing, its amount in the fibers decreases. Sheep produce lanolin themselves, which keeps the fleece in proper condition, but we can also deal with it in our own way. There are wool care products containing lanolin available on the market, such as "Marka" conditioner for regenerating wool fabrics or "Sonett" wool regeneration liquid. Bathing in such a solution will serve woolen clothes and extend their life.
If stains are still visible on woolen clothing despite washing, stain removal may be necessary. It should be mentioned here that many popular stain removers can harm woolen materials, destroy the fibers or felt them. Safe and proven methods are stain removal with soapberry spray, coconut soap or gall soap. Although the names may sound foreign, these products are available in organic drugstores and online stores, and gall soap in many stationary drugstores. Often, wool washing liquid applied directly to the stain and left for a while before the next wash is enough.
To sum up:
- water at 30°C
- liquids only dedicated to wool
- we don't rub
- we won't wring it out
- we squeeze it in a towel
- dry away from heat sources.
Finally, I will add that if our washing machine has a program dedicated to washing wool, and the clothing manufacturer allows machine washing, we can try automatic washing, using, of course, detergents dedicated to wool.
The case of self-sewn woolen clothes will be a bit more complicated. Here, woolen fabric or woolen knitwear will require sample preparation and testing. We wash the prepared piece, preferably 10×10 centimeters in size, in the washing machine, dry it according to art, and then evaluate the effects. If it has kept its dimensions and appearance unchanged or only slightly changed, we can wash our sew-on in the washing machine without fear of damaging it.
Author: Kamila Muszarska-Iwaniczko