Important rules on how to wash woolen items so as not to spoil them

Almost every person has woolen items in their wardrobe. They warm well in the cold season, are pleasant due to their natural composition, and are practical.

Items made from wool require regular care, including washing. How to carry it out so that the thing does not deteriorate and does not lose its appearance?

Let's look in more detail at whether and how to properly wash woolen items in a washing machine and by hand, at what temperature and in what mode, and how to dry items made from merino, camel, and dog hair after washing.

Is it possible?

Features of caring for a woolen product, in particular permission to wash, must be indicated on the label of the product.

Some items are dry clean only, others are hand wash only.. And only a small amount of wool jacket And sweaters can be processed in a machine.

Such restrictions are associated with the peculiarity of the yarn from which warm clothes are knitted. Wool is sensitive to wet handling and mechanical stress - it can easily stretch or shrink.

To preserve the item, you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations and follow the rules of hair care.

Processing in a washing machine: at what temperature, mode?

Automatic washing requires compliance with certain factors, which relate to:

• processing conditions;
• choice of detergents.

Washing process:

1. Turn the item inside out and place it in a laundry bag.
2. Place the item in the drum of the machine.
3. Pour a portion of washing gel into a special container.
4. Select the “wool” or “delicate” mode.
5. Set the water heating temperature recommended by the manufacturer or +30? C if there is no label.
6. Turn off drying and spinning. If there are no prohibitions on the label, you can set the minimum spin - 400-500 rpm.
7. After finishing washing, it is advisable to wring out the product a little. To do this, place it in a terry towel and wring it out without any effort.

The porous structure of wool tends to be difficult to rinse out from detergent, so choosing it must be taken seriously. Powdered preparations are not only less soluble in water, but also less easily washed out of the fibers.

How to wash by hand, at what degrees?

Most often, hand washing is used to care for woolen clothes. With this treatment, the item is washed delicately, without intense mechanical impact.

Procedure:

1. Prepare a woolen item. If it has pockets, they need to be emptied.
2. Turn the product inside out.
3. In a large basin, dilute detergent in warm water (+30? C).
4. Wet the product by completely immersing it in water.
5. Washing is carried out by lightly squeezing and turning the item, paying attention to those areas that were most dirty. You can't rub the thing.
6. After washing, the water is drained and clean water is collected for rinsing.
7. You should rinse things several times, replacing the water.
8. Wring out the woolen item through a terry towel.

Coat type: what does it affect?

There are several types of wool. Each of them has its own characteristics. Knowing what kind of wool was used to create the item, you can select the optimal care for the products.

Mohair, angora and llama wool should not be soaked or rubbed too hard.. Contaminants from such materials are washed off with purified gasoline. Excess is blotted with a rag, and the item itself is washed in slightly cool water.

Sheep

This material is the most common and unpretentious in processing. Its washing should be carried out with water at a temperature of up to +35? C, without sudden cooling.

Both soap shavings and gels can be used as a detergent. Powders should not be used.

If soaking is required, it should not be longer than 10 minutes. Twisting is prohibited. The item should be rinsed very thoroughly.

camel

Things knitted from camel wool are light and soft. Washing is in many ways similar to processing items made from sheep yarn, but with some differences:

• water heating temperature – up to +30? C;
• It is advisable to use less detergent than usual;
• Soaking is not long.

Cashmere

This type of wool is distinguished by its delicacy and low wear resistance. Processing such products requires great care:

1. Hand wash at +30?C.
2. A small amount of detergent is used.
3. Any force on the product is prohibited (friction, crushing, etc.).

Read about washing a cashmere coat here.

This video will show you how to wash cashmere:

Mohair

Lightweight and durable mohair thread is used both independently and as part of mixed fabrics and yarns. In this case, both synthetics and wool can serve as an addition. The washing method is similar to cashmere.

Vigogne

This type of wool is thin and very delicate. This is a subspecies of camel hair, but requires more careful handling:

• dry only in a horizontal position, as the material stretches easily;
• ironing possible;
• use of special washing gels;
• do not squeeze too hard;
• water heating - up to +40? C.

Some items made from vigoni are prohibited from washing - they must be dry cleaned.

Alpaca

This type of wool is one of the most popular. Due to its subtlety, manual processing is recommended, in water with a temperature of no more than +30? C.

It is advisable to use a special detergent marked “for wool”.

Angora

Angora is a delicate material, which in most cases the manufacturer prohibits washing. For such items, only dry cleaning may be acceptable.

If there is no washing prohibition on the label, the treatment should be as delicate as possible:

1. Manually.
2. No more than +30?C.
3. Virtually no detergent.

Doggystyle

Dog fur has healing properties and retains heat well. These items can be washed by soaking.Processing in a washing machine is allowed, but without spinning and in non-hot water.

Wool requires very careful processing, which is recommended taking into account the type of wool.

What does improper care lead to?

The difficulty in caring for woolen items is due to several factors. Among them:

• yarn sensitivity to high temperatures and temperature changes;
• texture of the material (looseness, peculiarity of the weave of threads, etc.);
• the tendency of wool to deform when wet;
• the ability of the material to absorb a lot of water and release it poorly;
• poor rinsability of wool after soaping;
• significant weight gain as a result of getting wet.

Any violation of the technology of washing, drying and storing items can lead to rapid damage to the product. But with proper care, the item will last for years, keeping you warm and pleasing in appearance.

Product village: is there a way to fix it?

This effect can lead to:

1. Wash in hot water.
2. Abrupt change from hot water to cold.
3. Using the wrong detergent.
4. Wash together with items made from rough fabrics, etc.

There are several techniques you can use to try to return things to normal. One of them is to wet it without detergent and try to stretch it a little by placing it on a horizontal surface.

Read about how to stretch a shrunken wool sweater here, about returning the original shape of a wool sweater - Here.

Stretched out

Stretching of the fur is caused by:

• storing loose-knit items on hangers;
• twisting after washing;
• long soaking;
• spin at high speeds;
• drying in a vertical position, etc.

If a sweater, pullover or cardigan is stretched too much, it will not be possible to completely restore its original size.

Simple techniques will help you try to reduce the length and width:

• giving the item the desired shape after getting wet, laying it out on a horizontal plane;
• shock methods (for example, washing at a high temperature of +50? C), etc.

You can find out more about the full range of possibilities Here.

Frequent or rare washing: what to choose?

Frequent washing is undesirable for wool. If the item is not dirty, it can be dry cleaned, which allows you to maintain the shape and texture of the item. This can be done with a soft clothes brush.

The frequency of washing an item directly depends on the intensity of wear. If worn rarely, such a thing can go without washing for several months. But if the product is sweaty or very dirty, you cannot do without high-quality washing.

Even gentle washing will wear out the material., loss of softness and deterioration of shape.

How to dry it properly?

Natural wool becomes heavy and plastic after washing. Improper drying can significantly damage the shape of the item and disrupt the texture of the product.

Procedure:

1. After washing, the wool item must be gently wrung out, wrapped in a large terry towel.
2. Prepare the place for drying - lay out a second terry towel on a horizontal plane.
3. Carefully place the wrung out item on the prepared area. It is important to immediately straighten all folds and creases.
4. Leave the item to dry, ensuring good ventilation.
5. Turn the item over during the drying process to ensure even drying. As the towel on which the woolen item is laid out gets wet, it is replaced with a dry one.

You need to move woolen clothes very carefully before they are dry, first rolling them into a roll and then unrolling them again. This must be done to avoid deformation.

The optimal drying option is in natural conditions on a horizontal plane.. If possible, it is better to use not a table, but a special drying rack with a mesh base. Using such a device, the item is provided with air access both from above and from below. This gives faster and better drying.

Recommendations

Washing wool products will be easy if you put the following tips into practice:

1. During the washing and rinsing process, a sudden change in water temperature should not be allowed, since the woolen item may respond to it with deformation.
2. When washing wool, you can use conditioner. It will make the item softer and help fluff up the threads and make the item softer.
3. During the drying process, you should pay attention so that the item does not stretch. If necessary, it should be slightly gathered with your palms, restoring its shape.
4. Most wool knitted items are not ironed, as such an operation can ruin the texture of the material. For some types of products, the ironing ban is strict. There should be information about this on the label.
5. Any vigorous physical impact on the coat is prohibited.
6. White woolen clothes are washed separately from the rest, even if the items do not fade. This is due to the fact that when processed together, colored fibers may stick to a white product, which will be difficult and time-consuming to remove, and without this, the appearance will be spoiled.
7. Proper storage is one of the components of caring for things. Woolen clothing should be stored neatly folded. In this case, you need to take care of special moth repellents. During long-term storage, items must be periodically removed, ventilated and rearranged.
8. You cannot soap the product itself or pour washing gel on it. Preliminary dilution of all drugs in water is mandatory.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Conclusion

Washing items made of wool must be carried out taking into account all the requirements for caring for the material and following the manufacturer's instructions.

Increasing the soaking time, water temperature or amount of detergent is not advisable, since it can cause harm and lead to damage to things.