Woolen items require delicate handling. How to keep the original look - we will tell in the article.

How to wash things made of natural wool: 9 tips

Reasons why wool shrinks after washing and at what temperature to wash a wool sweater

Many are faced with the fact that their favorite thing sat down after washing. 

There are three common reasons why this happened:

  • Using a detergent that is not suitable for wool - due to aggressive action, natural fibers can shrink, so it is worth using mild liquids designed for wool. 
  • Spinning and rinsing at high speed - the threads are covered with keratinized scales, during the rotation of the drum they cling to each other. It is recommended to wash on delicate mode. 
  • A sharp change in temperature - it is optimal to wash at 30-40 degrees, with drops the natural fabric is deformed. 

Tips on how to clean wool items after washing so that they do not shrink
A new item always has a label that contains basic care instructions. If the label is lost, follow the general rules. 

1. Preparing clothes and accessories

Before washing, you need to properly prepare the product:

  • Too fluffy can be combed, this will save you from litter and dust particles. 
  • If integrity damage is found, repair. Even a small hook during washing can turn into a hole.  
  • Rip off or remove jewelry with sharp edges, they can damage the fabric.

2. Hand wash wool

Can wool be washed
Yes, you can and should wash it. But it is important to follow the rules that can keep your favorite thing in an attractive condition. 

Clothes are often washed by hand. This allows you to pay attention to dirty parts, adjust the temperature of washing and rinsing, at which the item is not deformed. 

Instruction:

  • Pour warm water into a bowl, add a mild detergent (marked “for woolen items”), dissolve completely. 
  • Immerse the thing in a container, leave it alone for a while so that the fibers are well saturated. Soaking longer than 60 minutes is not recommended. 
  • Lightly rub with your hands, not squeezing too hard, not a lumpy thing. 
  • Take out, let the liquid drain, squeeze lightly.
  • Immerse in clean warm water, rinse. Repeat until the water is clean and clear. 
  • Twist, leave on a wire rack to drain excess water. 
  • After the drops stop dripping, wring out with a towel and lay flat to dry on a horizontal surface. 

3. Washing wool in the washing machine

Can be washed in the washing machine
Woolen clothes can be machine washed if you don't want to wash them by hand. 

Machine wash

You need to select a program for delicate and hand washing, set the temperature to no more than 30 degrees. New colored items should be washed separately and rinsed with vinegar (one glass is enough for one cycle).Wring out large woolen items at a speed of no more than 400, small ones - manually. Small items can be immediately placed in the drum of the machine. If you plan to clean mohair, openwork weightless things, immerse it in a special mesh bag. Other things should not be pawned along with wool. 

It is best to choose products that contain lanolin. This substance makes the fibers soft, strong, retains the structure. If there are no special products, instead of the usual powder, it is better to use a balm or hair conditioner.. It is allowed to use only children's washing powders that are completely soluble in water.  

What else to wash, so as not to spoil:

  • liquid products and gels;
  • baby or special soap that knitters use (it needs to be rubbed);
  • soap nuts. 
If there is heavy pollution, then you need to use gentle stain removers without chlorine. Oxygen fit. From folk remedies - hydrogen peroxide (for white things), lemon juice mixed with soda. 

With such a feature as causticity, a hair balm or a freezer does a good job. Clothes become softer, do not irritate the skin. 

4. Drying woolen clothes

Woolen items need to be dried depending on the type of yarn and knitting characteristics. But you should not wring out, from this product are deformed. 

Mohair things after washing become shapeless, so they are dried strictly in a horizontal position and straightened. If you hang it on a coat hanger, it will stretch. Do not speed up drying with a hair dryer, battery or direct sunlight. 

Knitted clothes can be dried by hanging them on a classic dryer. But if in doubt, it is better to lay horizontally. Lay a towel down, it will absorb moisture and prevent the canvas from taking on a ribbed shape.in those places where it hits the bars. 

5. Ironing 

You can iron wool, but with an iron with a Teflon sole or a special nozzle. This material will not burn the villi and will not allow the hairs to shine. The smoothing process must be carried out from the wrong side, dousing with steam. Usually these irons have a special mode for wool. If there is no such mark, then use the temperature information on the product label.   

6. Washing fluffy and fleecy things

Clothes made from angora, rabbit and other fluffy yarns are washed separately from other things. During washing, the fibers will begin to come out and settle on other clothes. You can use a washing machine with a hand wash program. Cleaning takes place in cold water. Use detergents with glycerin and lanoil in the composition. Do not soak such products, but put them in a drum in a special mesh bag. 

During hand washing, do not rub the fabric against each other, you can only gently wring it with your hands. It is better to rinse colored ones with vinegarso that the shade is fixed and does not fade. After rinsing, remove excess water with terry towels. Wet pile can be carefully combed with a soft brush. 

7. Pill removal

Over time, spools appear on woolen clothes. But with an expensive canvas, they are easily separated from the base, and the product looks like new again. Cashmere items and clothes, which include 70% merino wool, alpaca, will roll up, but not much. 

Products made of acrylic, viscose will be glossy, fluffy and covered with spools. In this case, it will not work to return the clothes to their original appearance, no matter how hard you try. And if you make an effort, then the machine can tear or deform the fabric. Therefore, it is better not to save on woolen things. You can remove the pellets not only with a special machine, but in other improvised ways. 

8. Storage

Storage is an important step in hair care. Even if washing, drying were done correctly, the thing may be deformed in the closet . To prevent this from happening, products must be hung on soft hangers so that sharp corners do not stretch the canvas. If there are wrinkled areas, then you need to hang the clothes in the bathroom or hold them over the steam.

9. How to stretch a shrunken wool sweater after washing 

In no case can not stretch the fabric in a dry state. The thing is lowered into cold water, allowed to absorb a little liquid. Detergents do not need to be used. Then the sweater is wrung out with a terry towel and straightened on a horizontal surface. 

In the process of drying, you need to very carefully stretch the shrunken areas. TYou can also attach the desired places with pins to the fabric. It will take a lot of pins so that there are no distortions and deformations. If it has become short, then the product is placed on the shoulders, but in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe shoulder seam, a fabric folded several times is placed. 

If you are not confident in your abilities, you can contact a dry cleaner. But you need to do this as soon as the changes were noticed.