Careful attitude and careful care, or how to wash a goat down shawl at home
A warm winter shawl, knitted from goat down, requires careful handling when worn and no less careful care.
The correct choice of detergents and adherence to washing, bleaching, and fluffing technologies allow you to preserve the shape and heat-saving qualities of an openwork item.
There are several technologies for cleaning and drying knitted products. Read the article on how to properly wash and dry a down shawl at home.
Content
How to choose the right detergent?
Not all products containing a soap component are suitable for washing. downy scarf. Regular washing powder is not used in this case, as it negatively affects the quality of the fluff. This is especially true for a shawl made of white thread.
Knitted fabric may lose volume or turn yellow when exposed to microbeads of powder. Aggressive stain removers and bleaches used for everyday clothes are also taboo.
The most suitable detergents are:
- shampoo for hair (preferably for dry hair);
- liquid soap without dyes and fragrances;
- soap solution made from hypoallergenic baby soap;
- liquid detergent for delicate laundry;
- gel for washing woolen or down items.
When choosing a foaming liquid, you should consider the washing method.
If you plan to wash the shawl in an automatic machine, then the product must be suitable for this application. Hand washing allows you to use any of the possible options.
When do you need dry cleaning and when do you need a full wash?
With frequent wear, the down covering and the wool thread itself can become covered with dust and dirt. The shawl actively absorbs all kinds of odors, so It is recommended to protect it from cigarette smoke and strong perfume.
Clean the scarf from light dirt with a soft sponge. It is gently passed along the canvas, without strong pressure.
Suitable for deeper dry cleaning:
- bran (rye, wheat);
- cereals;
- potato flour;
- talc.
The natural product powder is heated in a water bath until hot. Then the bran or powder is carefully rubbed onto the scarf.
The remaining cleaning agent is shaken out or removed using a vacuum cleaner. It is advisable to repeat cleaning the most contaminated areas twice.
If the “cobweb” is very dirty and the fluff is matted, then dry cleaning may not cope with the task.. A soap solution will help solve the problem. Washing is also used if local contamination appears on the item.
It is recommended to wash a shawl only when absolutely necessary, as too frequent washing deteriorates its quality.
Preparation for the process
Before you begin wet cleaning, the product must be prepared. First, the scarf is shaken to remove all the particles that have not yet become embedded in the down layer.
Then the item is combed with a wooden comb with sparse blunt teeth. This procedure allows you to preserve the fluffy cover of the shawl. Next, using a dry sponge, remove dust and fine dry dirt from the canvas.
If there are stains on the web, they are bleached before general washing. The method of removal depends on the type of pollutant.
To remove colored marks, use an aqueous solution of high concentration aspirin.. Of the ready-made chemical preparations, oxygen stain remover intended for children's things is suitable.
Step-by-step instruction
If dry cleaning a warm scarf cannot remove dirt, you should use a soap solution.
It is recommended to wash the shawl by hand, as machine washing runs the risk of stretching the shape and deforming the design. Both washing methods have general rules and individual nuances.
Manually
Warm water is poured into a basin or any other container. The volume should be large enough, since a wool stole absorbs a lot of water. The optimal temperature for washing a down jacket is 30-40 degrees.
One of the suitable detergents is added to the container. The scarf is soaked in soapy water for about 10-15 minutes. After this, the product is washed with gentle squeezing movements.
After washing, rinse the shawl until the soap suds completely disappear. During the last rinse, conditioner intended for woolen items is added to the water..
It can be replaced with a small amount of vinegar (without coloring), lemon juice or hair conditioner. Squeeze out the web very carefully, squeezing and unclenching the lump.
When washing by hand, you cannot:
- stretch the scarf by the ends;
- pour detergent onto the shawl;
- rinse the cobwebs under the tap;
- rub the canvas holding it in your hands;
- remove dirt with a brush;
- unscrew in the usual way.
Making water colder is not advisable, as it will not cope with contaminants. High temperatures can damage the down.
In the washing machine
To wash a heavily soiled knitted shawl using an automatic washing machine, you need to select a mode for woolen items or a delicate wash at 30 degrees.
The whole process should include only two stages - washing and rinsing. The spin stage should be disabled. There is also no need for automatic drying.
The shawl cannot be washed in the washing machine at the same time as other items. It is first placed in a special mesh bag of a suitable size..
The detergent is selected from the list approved for down products. At the same time, it must be suitable for use in an automatic car.
After the end of the operating cycle, the tippet is left in the drum for some time to completely drain the water.
How to bleach white?
Washing solves many problems with cleanliness and color, but it is not able to return the original color to the snow-white web. A faded shawl must be bleached.
You can choose any of the recipes:
The first recipe consists of 10 liters of warm water and 2 tablespoons of hydrosulfite powder. Keep the scarf in this solution for 30 minutes, turning it over periodically.- The second recipe is calculated by the weight of the shawl. For 100 g of product, take 10 liters of warm water, 5 tablets of hydroperite and 10 teaspoons of ammonia. Soaking time is 12 hours.
- According to the third recipe, you need to take 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide per 100 grams of product. A six-hour soaking is also carried out in warm water.
- The fourth recipe is to use 5 tablets of hydroperite and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. This amount is calculated for 7 liters of water. Exposure time – 30 minutes.
- The fifth recipe requires the use of soda (baking or soda ash). The powder is dissolved in water and the shawl is soaked for 2 hours.
To prevent the water from cooling down during prolonged bleaching, place the basin on a warm heating pad.
Liquids based on hydrogen peroxide can be used. It is not recommended to bleach the web too often, since any reagent thins the thin downy thread.
How to dry?
The drying stage is no less important than the washing itself. This penultimate stage of work should take place in a room without foreign odors. The drying down scarf should not be exposed to direct sunlight or heat from radiators.
Since the shawl cannot be twisted either by hand or in a centrifuge, we have to use more gentle methods. They allow you to maintain the volume, shape, and knitting of the scarf.
Naturally
After manual or automated washing, the stole is placed in a mesh or gauze container and hung over the bathtub.
After the excess water has drained, the openwork item is laid out on a fabric that absorbs moisture well.. This can be a terry towel or a cotton sheet folded in several layers.
In this state, the shawl dries naturally. Shake it periodically, and replace the cotton base with a dry one. You cannot hang a knitted scarf on a rope, as this will cause it to lose its shape.
On a towel
A wet down scarf is spread on a terry towel of a suitable size. Then both products are rolled together.
After the bundle gets wet, the damp terry base is replaced with a new one.. This procedure is done two to three times.
On a frame or hoop
Stores sell a special frame (or hoop) for drying down scarves. To use it, a nylon fishing line or thick thread is threaded along the edge of the shawl.
Then, using pushpins or small nails, the product is fixed to the frame. After one or two hours, the buttons and fishing line are removed, and the shawl is left to dry naturally.
It's easy to make a frame yourself. To do this, a shape is made from wooden slats that follows the perimeter of a square scarf, triangular scarf or rectangular stole. The sides of the frame should be slightly larger than the length and width of the shawl.
How to fluff after drying?
To restore the pomp and volume of a woolen scarf, it needs to be fluffed. This is done after rinsing and lightly spinning.
After freezing, the scarf is allowed to completely thaw and then dried using a frame.. Next, the fluff is carefully lifted with a comb or a massage comb with blunt teeth. This is done only after the fabric has completely dried; a wet shawl cannot be combed.
Another way to fluff is to hang a dry shawl in the wind. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that when worn, the scarf will naturally become fuller. This is why knitters recommend wearing a knitted puffball as often as possible.
Video on the topic
This video will show you how to wash and dry a down scarf:
Conclusion
To ensure that the down scarf retains its pristine beauty and does not lose its warming properties, it is important to follow consistent cleaning technology. It includes pre-cleaning, washing, drying and fluffing.
For snow-white shawls, delicate bleaching is also important. If all rules are followed, the shawl retains all its qualities and aesthetic appearance.
