Caring for Wool – A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

Something that I think needs to be ‘brought back’ is the special interactions of caring for fabric that nurture strong relationships between garment and wearer. It has always been a huge aspect of many cultures. Yes, our lives are busy in the modern world, and being a mother myself I understand the stress of juggling lots of jobs! Nonetheless that is why I love wool even more because it can be so quick and easy to care for.

Wool really doesn’t need to be washed very often – seriously! Freshening up usually just involves a bit of rest time and some natural air – so get it out on the washing line, or on a hanger by an open window, and let the magic happen. Washing will only be required for stubborn marks, and even then, when this happens always try to spot clean first!

When you eventually come to the time where you do want to give it a full wash though, here’s how:

Washing with Care

We always suggest hand-washing our items, here’s a quick step by step –

• Fill a tub or your sink with lukewarm water
• Add a wool specific detergent, or a mild general use one
• Turn the item inside out
• Leave it to soak for 10 minutes
• Rinse in a fresh tub of lukewarm water, followed by another rinse in cold water
• Lay flat on towel to dry

If machine washing, make sure to set it to ‘delicate’, ‘cold-wash’ or a dedicated wool setting if you have one and don’t forget to turn it inside out. Also, make sure to keep dark and light colours separate when they are wet, both during and after washing.

Drying with Care

Tumble drying is NOT suitable for woollen items. The best thing to do is to lay the item flat on a towel and dry at room temperature, away from direct sunlight or heaters. This process also helps remove odours from things like food and smoke.

Iron with Care

Ironing wool is not usually necessary, but if you want to, always use steam. Most irons in the modern age will have a wool specific setting, but if not then you can place a damp cloth on the item and iron over it. Please never iron directly onto wool that is totally dry.

Rest with Care

The fiber structure in wool works very hard when you are wearing it; constantly reading the temperature of your body and regulating it, and absorbing pollutants from the air. With all this graft it needs time for rest and rejuvenation just like we do! Therefore, after washing we suggest you rest garments for 24 hours before wearing again to let it recover.

Refresh with Care

Has your garment wrinkled at all after being packed in a suitcase or worn? No worries, simply hang it in a steamy bathroom after showering and the moisture will smoothen it out!

Store with Care

As well as storing in the dark to deter moths, there are a few other tips to help keep your woolly garments looking and feeling their best. We don’t include zips and buttons in the design of our items for environmental purposes, however if you have clothing with these it is best to store with zips…zipped up, and buttons…buttoned up! This helps avoid any sagging.

The vibrancy of a woolly garment can be dulled by a build up of dust and/or dirt, so to avoid this between washes it is best to give them a quick brush with a soft bristled garment brush.

With that, I hope you enjoy the process of caring for your woollen items and see how, when given the love they deserve, they love you right back ten-fold. They will last not just your lifetime, but that of the generation that follows you

If you haven’t already, visit our ‘Wonders of Wool’ page to learn about all the incredible aspects of wool that make it the original, natural powerhouse across the entire textile spectrum. There are abundant reasons why humanity has been using it to dress bodies and homes as far back as 230AD!

Clare

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