Wool may seem like a complex fabric to maintain, but it’s actually quite the opposite. Wool is naturally resistant to odor, stains, and mold, so washing it is easier than washing many other fabrics. Still, wool care does involve a few small steps to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
How to Wash Wool: General Care and Maintenance
Though wool care is easier than most fabrics, improper washing can cause a lot of damage to your wool products. Here’s how to clean wool safely.
How to Wash Wool in a Washing Machine
You can wash many wool products in a washing machine, but it requires a few special steps to stay safe and avoid shrinkage.
- Use the wool setting on your washing machine. If your machine doesn’t have a wool cycle setting, use cool or warm water and choose the delicate wash cycle.
- Only use mild detergents specifically made for wool products.
- Avoid putting your wool products in the dryer. Instead, lay them flat after washing to let them dry.
Washing your wool properly is the key to longevity, and there are some specific care and maintenance steps that you need to follow.
How to Wash These 4 Specific Wool Items
Wool care can vary slightly depending on the item. Below are some tips on how to care for specific wool items.
1 - Wool Sweaters
Before you wash a wool sweater, check the label to ensure it can be safely machine-washed. If it can, turn the sweater inside out and add a wool-specific detergent. Then set your machine cycle to the wool setting or use the delicate cycle and cool water.
If you need to hand wash your sweater, fill a tub with lukewarm water, add a wool-specificdetergent, and soak your sweater for 10 minutes. Then, rinse it with lukewarm water.
Don’t dry your wool sweater in the dryer. Instead, lay it out to dry and avoid placing it in direct sunlight or near heat sources.
2 - Wool Pants
Wool pants don’t usually have to be washed after every use because wool is odor and stain-resistant. For a quick refresh, try hanging them in a steamy bathroom. This will also help remove wrinkles.
Check the label before starting if you feel it’s time to wash wool pants. To clean them in the washing machine, turn your pants inside out and use cool water and the wool or delicate setting. Use a wool-specific detergent or a mild soap.
For hand-washing, turn your pants inside out, and fill a container with lukewarm water and gentle soap. Soak for 10 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water, and finish by rinsing in cold water.
Lay wool pants flat to dry and avoid direct sunlight or heat sources.
3 - Wool Blankets
Wool blankets are probably the most forgiving of all wool items when it comes to care and maintenance, because there's not a specific fit required like clothing. However, there are still some key steps that you should follow when washing and drying your wool blankets and throws from Woolroom.
Here are steps to care for wool blankets to ensure they last as long as possible.
- Step 1: Give your blanket some air. Air ventilation is often best for freshening wool blankets. Take your blanket outside, shake it out, then hang it in an area with good airflow.
- Step 2: Brush your blanket. Lay your wool blanket flat on the ground and gently brush it along the grain with a soft-bristle brush.
- Step 3: Remove stains. Though wool is naturally stain-resistant, liquids will begin to set into the fabric after several minutes. You can remove liquid stains by using warm water and mild soap to spot clean. Avoid scrubbing the fabric and blot it clean with a soft cloth instead.
- Step 4: Wash. Heavily soiled wool blankets can be washed by following the wool care instructions on the label. If it’s machine washable, use wool-specific detergent and a gentle wash cycle.
- Step 5: Dry. Avoid tumble-drying wool blankets because this can destroy the shape of the blanket. Instead, hang your wool blanket flat over a clothesline to dry. Keep it out of direct sunlight.
4 - Wool Socks
You don't need to wash wool socks as regularly as socks made from other fibers. If you let your socks air out overnight, you’ll probably be able to wear them the next day, as they’ll remain fresh and free of odors. However, when it’s time to wash wool socks, turn them inside out, use the wool setting or a gentle cycle setting on your washing machine, and add wool-specific detergent.
You can hand-wash wool socks by filling a container with lukewarm water, adding gentle detergent, and soaking them for 10 minutes. After soaking, rinse them in lukewarm water.
Drying Wool: The Do's and Dont's
Tumble-drying wool can cause it to shrink, so it’s better to air-dry your wool products. To air-dry:
Do:
- Place your wool product on a clean towel, sheet, or blanket and lay it out to its normal shape.
- Let it lay until completely dry.
- If you hand-washed your item, roll it in a towel and squeeze out extra water before letting it air-dry.
Don't:
- Use a heat setting during the tumble, no-heat or heat-free or air dry only are often naming conventions used on dryers.
- Fold or put away damp.
- Add fragrances, fabric softeners, starch or quick-dry chemical agents.
Repairing Wool Fiber
Try these additional wool care tips to keep your products looking their best.
Pilling
If you want to fix pilling on your wool item, lay it flat and pull the sides so it's taut. Pull the pills up as far as you can before stretching the fabric. Cut them off with a sharp pair of scissors. Continue this process until you’ve cut off all of the pills.
You can purchase a de-pilling comb to make the process quicker. When using a de-pilling comb, lay the wool item flat and spread the sides out so it’s taut. Run the comb gently across the pilled area. If your comb gets stuck, make sure not to pull too hard, as this can stretch your fabric. Instead, remove the pills from the comb's teeth and try running the comb across the pills from a different angle. If you don’t have a de-pilling comb, you can also use a sharp razor to cut across the pilling.
Tears and Rips
You can fix minor tears and rips with a simple needle and thread. Find a thread color that matches your wool item and use a single or double stitch to repair small holes.
Shrunken Wool Fabric
If your wool product has shrunk, here’s how to care for the wool and shape it to its original size.
- Fill a container with enough clean lukewarm water to fully submerge the wool item.
- Add in a wool conditioner following the product’s instructions.
- Let the wool item soak for 10-30 minutes.
- Remove the item and gently squeeze out excess water.
- Roll it up in a towel to absorb excess water, then remove and lay it flat.
- Gently stretch the wool item in small sections until it has reached its original size.
- Let the wool item completely dry on a towel.
From sheep to sleep, the wool harvested from our sheep farmers in the UK, is graded, sorted and crafted into wool bedding that deserves the best care and maintenance.
Can You Dry-Clean Wool?
For proper wool care, avoid dry-cleaning. The enzyme-rich detergents and solvents dry-cleaners use can damage the wool fibers and shorten the wool’s lifespan.
Get the Rest You Deserve With Wool Bedding
Wool care is pretty simple, thanks to its natural resistance to dirt, odor, and mildew, which is one of the many reasons we recommend wool bedding. Not only is it super easy to care for, but it’s also temperature-regulating, hypoallergenic, and breathable, helping you get the restful sleep you deserve.
Visit Woolroom today to learn more about wool’s many benefits and to find the right wool bedding for your home.