Rules for washing woolen items. Washing woolen items Is it possible to wash 100% wool?

Natural wool is very capricious, and sometimes a favorite sweater or jacket turns out to be hopelessly damaged after washing. How to make wool correctly and can it be done at home?

Is it possible to wash wool?

The peculiarity of natural wool compared to cotton or artificial materials is that it does not need frequent washing. Typically, woolen items get dirty a little, and small dirt can be removed from them without washing. It is enough to wait until the dirt dries and then brush it off.

The main disadvantage of such products is that they quickly become saturated with foreign odors. But in this case, you can refresh things by hanging them in the air. But still, you can’t do without washing, and therefore wool is washed, but following certain recommendations. It is important to choose the right cleaning agent, select the water temperature and set the mode on the machine, if not possible.

How to wash woolen items

Before you start washing such a delicate material, you need to study the label on the product and not deviate from the manufacturer’s recommendations.

What means are suitable

Before washing wool, especially capricious white woolen items, you should choose the right powder. It is not recommended to wash products in conventional powders with phosphates. You can use baby powders or special wool products. It is best to use gels that are gentle on the fabric and do not damage the fiber structure.
Especially delicate items can be washed in hair shampoo - mild baby shampoo will do just fine. Washing wool with washing soap is not recommended.

At what temperature should I wash?

To prevent the fibers from shrinking, it is important to choose the right water temperature. Do not wash at temperatures above +40 degrees. It is advisable to take lukewarm water about +30 degrees.

If you immerse a woolen product in hot water, it will inevitably shrink.

How to wash wool in a washing machine

If the tag does not say that it is prohibited, the product can be safely loaded into the washing machine. For example, items made from worn camel wool are perfectly machine washable. But, before loading a blanket or blanket into the drum, things need to be soaked for an hour in a weak detergent solution. Before putting it in the machine, you need to rinse the laundry thoroughly and then let the water drain.

The water temperature when washing in the machine is set to +30 degrees.

Soft, very fine wool is best dry cleaned. If the label says that machine washing is allowed, then you need to select the delicate mode and set the water temperature to +30 degrees.

Sheep wool should be turned inside out before loading into the bin. When washing such material, a softener is added to the washing tray. Be sure to turn off the spin cycle so that things don’t stretch, and set the water temperature to +30 degrees.

Important! Do not load more than 2 kg of pure wool laundry into the tank. The problem is that the fiber becomes very heavy and you can overload the machine.

How to wash woolen items by hand

Delicate threads such as cashmere, angora, mohair and alpaca are washed only by hand. In this case, the water temperature should not exceed +30 degrees. It is advisable to use only liquid gels specifically designed for washing woolen materials.

If you want your laundry to smell nice, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water.

When washing by hand, do not soak the laundry for a long time. It is enough to immerse things in water for only 10 minutes. It is important to ensure that the water temperature is the same at all stages of washing, otherwise things will lose their shape.

An excellent alternative to chemical detergents is mustard. 15 g of mustard powder is diluted per liter of water, and the laundry is washed in this solution. The remaining sediment is another load of laundry.

An excellent detergent for clean wool is soapwort rhizomes. The plant extract can be purchased at a herbal pharmacy. The day before washing, the roots are poured with boiling water. Then the infusion is filtered, diluted with cool water and washed in it.

When washing by hand, it is very important not to overuse synthetic detergents, since it is very difficult to rinse them completely out of pure wool fibers.

Washing wool by hand step by step:

1. Dissolve a capful of detergent gel in a bowl of warm water. The gel can be replaced with regular hair shampoo.
2. Immerse the product in a soap solution for 10 minutes.
3. Gently fingering the item, wash it with your fingers in a soapy solution, slightly washing out particularly dirty areas.
4. Rinse the product in water at the same temperature in the bathroom. It is advisable to rinse with plenty of water.

How to dry woolen items correctly

After rinsing, under no circumstances should the laundry be wrung out, much less twisted. Things need to be placed in an empty basin and wait until the water drains from them. Small items can be wrung out by wrapping them in a terry towel and pressing gently.

Lay out a large terry towel or sheet on a horizontal surface (table or floor). The item is carefully laid out on top of them, smoothing out all the folds and creases. You need to make sure that there are no distortions or folds, otherwise the item will dry out and lose its shape.

Do not dry wool near heating devices, much less use a hair dryer for drying.

How to iron woolen items correctly

If the iron has a “Wool” mode, the ironing process will be as easy as possible. You will also need white cotton fabric.

Iron woolen items only from the inside out and only through slightly damp fabric, otherwise the wool will shrink. During ironing, you must ensure that the material does not stretch, otherwise the jacket or sweater will become deformed.

It is generally not recommended to iron embossed woolen items. You can simply steam a fairly thick sweater using the “Steam” function on the iron.

Terry items can be ironed the old-fashioned way using a terry towel and a rolling pin. To do this, place a towel evenly under the item, cover it with a second towel on top and iron it with a rolling pin, as if rolling out dough.

During the ironing process, it is important not to deform the structure of the fabric or knitwear.

You can refresh woolen items without washing, if the scale of contamination allows this.

For example, a woolen coat is hung on a hanger and sprinkled with washing powder. Then the fabric is wiped with a slightly damp sponge, and the remaining detergent is removed with a clothes brush. All that remains is to dry the coat.

If paint stains appear on the material, it can be removed safely with household gasoline. It is important to buy highly purified household gasoline at a hardware store, since regular car fuel is not suitable for such purposes.

If traces of juice or berries appear on the wool, you can wash them off by first sprinkling them with salt and then treating them with a soap solution.

Traces of lipstick on clean wool are wiped off with medical alcohol, and scorch marks are removed well with fresh onion juice.

If your clothes begin to smell unpleasantly from sweat, then it is enough to wipe the sweat-soaked areas with a solution of table vinegar. To prepare the solution, use 1 tsp. Dissolve vinegar in 100 ml of water. Lemon juice also helps get rid of sweat odor.

And finally, if you want your woolen items to smell nice after washing, then place them on your closet shelves with paper napkins soaked in a few drops of lavender oil. This will not only give your laundry a pleasant aroma, but will also reliably protect it from moths.

In the section on the question Washing 100% Wool asked by the author Mikhail ----- the best answer is Woolen items shrink when washed and are difficult to iron.
Woolen items are washed in warm water without alkalis. The best temperature is considered to be 38 C. Products made of woolen fabric become stiffer not only from hot water, but also from sudden changes in water temperature.
Unless absolutely necessary, it is not recommended to soak woolen items before washing. It is advisable that they be washed and rinsed as quickly as possible.
To wash woolen products, more water is used than for products made from cotton fiber. It is preferable to wash wool by hand. During washing, woolen fabrics should not be vigorously rubbed; they should only be wrung out and handled by hand. Wash them in soapy foam or using special detergents. To remove excess moisture, they are only slightly squeezed with your hands, but not twisted. It is good to use rain or snow water to wash these items. They should be rinsed thoroughly, adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar per bucket of water to the final rinse water.
Heavily soiled knitted woolen items, shake thoroughly, are soaked in water at room temperature, softened with ammonia (2-3 tablespoons per bucket of water). After 1-2 hours, the item is immersed in warm water for washing, to which washing powder or soap foam is added. Knitted items are not rubbed, but only squeezed with your hands.
If there are stains of grease on things, they are kept in a stronger solution of powder for 30 minutes, then rinsed first in warm, then in cold water.
There is also a recipe for washing dark woolen items: grind 100 g of dry mustard, adding a little cold water; dilute with hot water and strain half the solution into a bowl of warm water; wash things in this solution without soap; then, having changed the solution, wash the same items again and rinse, as usual, first in warm, then in cold water.

Natural wool is a capricious material that requires careful handling. You need to wash woolen items following all the manufacturer's recommendations, otherwise they may shrink, stretch, or lose their presentable appearance.

Wool can be washed using scrap materials or store-bought products. Home methods will be relevant if you are prone to allergic reactions or save money. Folk remedies:

Dry mustard will be beneficial when washing woolen items. You will need:

• 1 tbsp. l. mustard;
• 1 liter of water.

Stir the ingredients until a lump-free liquid is obtained, leave to stand for 2-3 hours. If the stains are light, one wash is enough. The items need to be rinsed well, and finally add a couple of drops of ammonia, then the clothes will become softer.

Beans. The water that remains after soaking beans is suitable for washing wool products. Need to:

• 200 g beans;
• 1 liter of water.

Cook the beans until fully cooked, drain the water, strain through cheesecloth or a strainer. Place into the container in which you plan to wash and beat the foam. Then the material is rinsed by adding vinegar (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water).

Potato. Peel the potatoes, grate them on a fine grater, squeeze out the juice. Add it to a bowl of warm water and form foam. Rinse 2-3 times with vinegar.

This method is not suitable for white woolen items!

Chestnuts. The kernel is ground into powder; the peel can stain clothes. For one time, 3-5 chestnuts are enough.

There are separate methods for white woolen items. If there is a need to bleach a product, chalk tops the rating among available means. Take a small container of water (3-4 liters), dilute 1 kg of chalk in it. Leave the clothes for 15-20 minutes, periodically stirring the water, rinse, and wring out.

Hydrogen peroxide is considered a homemade stain remover. Soak the items in water with peroxide (1 tsp per 1 liter of water), wash the clothes.

If you don’t have the time or desire to use traditional methods, you can resort to specialized store-bought products.

Detergents for woolen items	Action
Gel for woolen items “Organics Wool”	Use for hand and machine wash. Does not contain phosphates, has protective and softening properties, eliminates odors, and disinfects.
Gel for washing black fabrics “Black Line Feinwaschmittel”	Effective in fighting stains and dirt, ideal for dark coats.
Organic liquid detergent for wool and silk Sonett	Natural olive soap in the composition gives the wool elasticity, has a gentle effect, and is hypoallergenic. Suitable for hand and machine wash.
Liquid "Denkmit Wollwaschlotion"	Gentle care, smoothes fibers, restores tissue structure and protective layer.
Baby fabric softener “Eared Nyan” for woolen items with cashmere	Softens things, eliminates electricity, suitable for allergy sufferers, children, pregnant women, suitable for preventing pilling.
Fabric stain remover VANISH Oxi Action	Active oxygen in the composition effectively removes stains from woolen products, preserving the color, universal for white and colored.

Temperature

Wool is a finicky fabric when choosing temperature conditions. It should not exceed 30-35°C. It is correct to wash dirty woolen items by hand, using hair shampoo or special products. If you decide to machine wash, the delicate cycle is optimal. To be on the safe side, it is better to set the temperature regulator to the minimum level.

If the main wash was at 30-35°C, then rinsing should be done at the same temperature. The item can easily shrink or stretch.

Instructions for washing woolen items

For many, washing wool causes difficulties, but knowing a couple of secrets of handling such things, you can forever forget about the problem of caring for them.

Hands

Woolen items must first be prepared for washing. General rules:

• before lowering into water, the material must be smoothed, this prevents the appearance of pellets;
• before washing, turn the product inside out and study the information on the label;
• things need to be sorted by color, wool is washed separately from the rest of the clothes;
• When choosing detergents, you should choose specialized ones.

When hand washing woolen products, you need to follow some rules:

1. Pre-soaking clothes is not recommended.
2. The container should be spacious, you will need a lot of water, wool absorbs moisture.
3. The water temperature should be close to body temperature (maximum 35 degrees).
4. Woolen products do not like an alkaline environment; using laundry soap is not recommended.
5. Rinsing will require a lot of water; detergents are washed out from the material with great difficulty.
6. Rinse the wool material in water at the same temperature in which it was washed.
7. To prevent the products from losing their shape or damaging the fibers, you should not act on them physically roughly, rub them hard, crush them, squeeze them, twist them.
8. An alternative to squeezing is a terry towel, in which the item is wrapped and pressed to absorb moisture. Before drying, the products are shaken, straightened, and given the desired shape.
9. If you use wool conditioners, you can soften things and they will not itch when worn.

Machine washable

• make sure that the tag on the product indicates that it can be washed in an automatic machine;
• select the desired mode – “Delicate wash”, “Wool” or “Hand wash”;
• It is advisable to cut off the buttons to prevent stretching;
• It is recommended to soak the product for a short time in warm water to avoid shrinkage of the product, because the water is supplied to the drum cold and heated up gradually;
• turn off the spin function;
• Do not use synthetic detergents or soap.

If you need to wash something made from camel wool, it is better to use dry cleaning services, the material is delicate and expensive. You need to wash dirty wool in the washing machine at the minimum temperature, turning off the spin and drying functions. Shampoo or gel is added as a detergent.

A woolen blanket or plaid is washed by hand. Take a lot of water, add a suitable product and wait for it to dissolve. Wash the product, rinse thoroughly, and leave to drain in the bath. Roll the blanket into a large piece of thick fabric and wring it out, drying it horizontally.

They try to clean the coat rarely, resort to dry cleaning, and air it out. If you cannot do without washing, use cool water. Dry on horizontal planes on a terry towel, changing it periodically. An under-dried coat should be ironed at a minimum temperature through a cloth, then dried on a soft hanger.

Cashmere is washed by hand using mild detergents. The fabric is thin and light, machine wash is contraindicated.

Hand-knitted woolen items are cleaned by hand; coarse items with admixtures of artificial materials (acrylic, polyester) are trusted to the machine.

Drying rules

In order not to spoil woolen clothes, it is important to know the nuances of drying them:

• spinning and twisting are contraindicated; the water must drain naturally;
• do not dry in direct sunlight, it is better in the shade, where they are well blown by the wind;
• clothing may become deformed under its own weight;
• Optimal drying is in a horizontal position on dense fabrics that are changed periodically.

What methods will harm a woolen product?

1. Wool does not tend to get dirty easily, unpleasant odors disappear in the fresh air, and stains are easy to remove with a brush. The frequency of washing should ideally not exceed twice a year. Products become deformed, fall off and lose their softness.
2. Long period of stay in water. Long soaking causes the product to stretch or shrink. The entire cleansing process should take a maximum of 45 minutes.
3. Sudden temperature changes are contraindicated for washing wool.
4. Incorrect drying. Direct exposure to the sun, drying on hot radiators, near heaters are prohibited, as things may lose color and shape.
5. Overloaded washing machine. The material absorbs water and becomes heavy; load a maximum of 2 kg of dry clothes at a time, otherwise they may become deformed and stretched.

In the wardrobe of any modern person, both adults and children, there is sure to be at least one woolen item. As a rule, these are favorite clothes because they are warm and cozy, they are comfortable to wear and are always in fashion. But sooner or later there is a need to wash it. How to do this so as not to spoil the material and keep the thing “in service”? Let's try to answer this question by summarizing the experience of housewives and the recommendations of specialists.

Washing woolen products is a labor-intensive and somewhat risky process, since wool is a delicate material and requires special attention. Under unfavorable conditions, woolen fabric can become deformed, shrink and stretch.

Important! Since water does not have a very good effect on wool fibers, in order not to spoil your favorite clothes, the entire washing process should take no more than 45 minutes.

What does she “not like”?

Woolen items require special care, so fans of clothing made from this natural material should know what not to do with them. So, they don’t like wool products:

By the way, Wool “doesn’t like” wet cleaning, so try to wash such clothes as rarely as possible. To refresh your favorite sweater, sometimes it is enough to air it well, and local dirt can be cleaned with a solution of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide without exposing the entire fabric to moisture.

How to properly wash a woolen item?

Preparation

1. First of all, inspect the item for stains so that you know what places to pay attention to when processing.
2. Clothing made from mohair or angora should be combed before washing to remove surface dirt.
3. Study the label on the clothing, where the manufacturer indicates the permitted means and effects, so as not to cause harm to your favorite clothes.
4. To ensure that the front side of the item is less exposed to negative influences when washing, turn the garment inside out.

Important! Do not forget that woolen items should be washed separately from others, as lint easily sticks to other items and these wool particles are then very difficult to remove.

Machine washable

The bravest housewives prefer to wash woolen items in a washing machine. If there is no prohibitory sign on the label, then this is completely acceptable.. Once the product has been properly prepared for processing, proceed as follows:

After the wash cycle is complete, remove the item, leave it for a while to drain off excess water, and send it to dry.

At what temperature?

You can wash woolen clothes only in lukewarm water at about 25–30 degrees. Increasing the temperature to 40 degrees or its changes during the washing process lead to deformation of wool fibers, as a result, the item stretches or shrinks.

Important! Washing in hot water is allowed only if it is necessary to shrink the item. However, you should resort to this method only as a last resort, after other, more gentle measures have been tried: ironing through a damp cloth or stretching a slightly damp product with your hands.

What products are suitable?

When you are going to wash your favorite sweater or hat, stop using powder products– they are difficult to rinse and can damage the structure of the fabric. There are special liquids or gels for washing woolen items that contain lanolin. This substance envelops the fabric fibers and protects them from breakage and deformation.

In addition, you can use home remedies, which we will discuss below. They do not spoil wool fibers, while carefully cleaning items from dirt. Experienced housewives advise using regular shampoo to wash products made from mohair and angora wool.

Important! Do not add a lot of detergent to the water, as the soap solution is difficult to rinse out of loose wool.

It is allowed to use a small amount of industrial conditioner and bleach, which are designed specifically for woolen fabrics, or “homemade” analogues of such products.

How to wash by hand?

Hand washing is less aggressive than machine washing, therefore it is more preferable for woolen items. If you follow just a few simple rules, you can wash your favorite clothes without harming them:

• adhere to the recommended water temperature no higher than 30 degrees;
• the difference in water temperature during washing and rinsing is unacceptable;
• When washing, use special liquid detergents for wool products;
• do not rub or twist things, as wool fibers are easily damaged; only active rinsing and light squeezing are allowed.

Important! Since wool is a porous material and absorbs a lot of water, when washing such items, pour more water into the container than for washing regular textiles.

Differences in washing light and dark wool

Before washing, sort woolen items: white and dark items should be washed separately from each other.

Light-colored items made from natural wool may turn yellow over time; in this case, gentle bleaching of the item is required. Since wool is a delicate material, most industrial bleaches can damage it, so for bleaching it is better to use improvised means that you always have in the house:

• hydrogen peroxide, diluted in the proportion of 1 tbsp. a spoonful of the product per 1 liter of warm water, can be used for briefly soaking yellowed items, then the clothes should be washed and rinsed well;
• Crushed chalk will also help to whiten the product, 1 kg of which should be diluted in 3 liters of warm water, hold the woolen item in this solution, periodically stirring the solution, rinse and wash.

When machine washing, it is allowed to use industrial bleaches designed specifically for woolen fabrics.

For woolen items of dark shades, dry mustard is sometimes used: 1 glass of powder is poured with cold water, infused, filtered, the infusion is poured into a basin of water, where your favorite sweater is washed. As a conditioner, you can use ammonia, previously diluted in water at the rate of 1 teaspoon per liter of water, which softens wool very well.

Important! To prevent the color from washing out of woolen items, add 1-2 tbsp to the water. spoons of table vinegar. This method is also good for colored items to prevent shedding.

In order to determine whether the fabric is shedding or not, moisten a small area of ​​it with hot water and press a white cloth against it for a short time: if the white surface is stained, then adding vinegar when washing this item should become a rule, otherwise you risk “discoloring” your favorite clothes.

Drying rules

The process of drying woolen items requires an equally delicate approach:

It is unacceptable to dry woolen clothes on hangers, since in this position they will probably stretch out in the area of ​​the shoulders and sleeves.

Important! Woolen items should be dried in a well-ventilated area at room temperature. Do not allow the item to be in close proximity to heating appliances or expose the item to direct sunlight.

If you follow all the above instructions, you will be able to maintain the decent appearance of your favorite clothes for a long time.

Clothing made from natural materials, in particular wool, is a beautiful, warm, comfortable and relatively inexpensive pleasure. That is why the happy owners of coats made of natural wool really want to preserve the appearance of the product and be able to use these clothes for as long as possible. Proper care and washing of a woolen product directly determines its service life and preservation of attractive external qualities.

Material

Wool products are made from different types of this material. When processing wool raw materials, various technologies and methods of felting, weaving and processing of wool fiber are used. Thanks to this, wool coats come in several types:

• Products made from 100% natural wool. These clothes contain only natural materials. Wool can be goat, camel, or sheep. Models in this category are the most expensive. The quality of this material is very high, however, the care requirements are quite specific.

This category includes, for example, cashmere coats. They are made from the valuable undercoat of rare breeds of high-mountain goats. Collecting and processing the material is very labor-intensive and requires delicacy and accuracy.

• Drape coats are made made from natural felted wool. This material consists of two layers, which provides it with special strength and gives high thermal insulation properties to the product. For additional insulation, there may be down filling between the layers of material. Coats made of drape are the warmest and are acceptable to wear even in frosty weather.
• Products from boiled wool During the manufacturing process they undergo unusual processing. Linen made from natural wool fibers is boiled in boiling soapy water. Hence the name of this material. After boiling, the fabric is cooled, dried, and goes through the dyeing process.
• Products from mixed material. Often, the manufacturer adds artificial wool and synthetic materials to natural wool fiber. The most common combination is wool and polyester. Clothing made from mixed materials is somewhat more affordable and less demanding to care for.

Do you need to wash?

To be honest, it is better to avoid frequent and unjustified washing of products made from natural wool. No matter how gentle the detergent, the process of wetting and subsequent drying significantly affects the structure of the fabric. With frequent washing and drying, woolen fabric loses density, and the shape of the product may begin to deform.

Look at your coat and assess how dirty it is. If there are individual small contaminated areas on the clothing, for example in the form of stains from coffee or other products, then it is better to focus on local washing of a separate area. This procedure is more gentle and will affect a minimum of material.

Depending on the nature of the stain, you can try to wash it at home, or take the product to the dry cleaner. The second option is more preferable, especially for very delicate fabrics made from fine wool, such as cashmere.

Washing

If you decide to wash small stains on your wool clothes at home, you will need a soft sponge or piece of cloth. As a stain remover, you can use laundry soap, hair shampoo or special detergents for washing woolen products.

Remember, it is not the product itself that is applied to the stain, but a thick foam obtained from dissolving the selected product in water. The dirty area to which the foam has been applied should be rubbed very carefully and gently with a sponge or cloth. Do not scrub the stain too vigorously or press the sponge too hard. After removing contamination in this way, the area of ​​fabric should be washed with warm water and blotted with a dry terry towel or thick cloth.

Wash

Of course, it is simply impossible to use local removal of stains and dirt all the time. When wearing clothes for a long time, washing them completely is inevitable. Here are a few rules to follow if if you decide to wash your wool coat at home:

• Before you start washing, you need to prepare your product for it. Empty all pockets of clothes and small items, unfasten decorative trims, brooches and clips. If the coat has a collar or hood that can be detached, it is better to remove it too.
• Be sure to fasten zippers, buttons, and rivets, including on pockets.

• Turn the product inside out, with the lining facing out.
• To wash a wool coat by hand, fill a large basin or tub with the required amount of water. Any washing of woolen clothes should be carried out at a water temperature of no higher than 40 degrees. For products made from particularly delicate 100% natural wool, the maximum temperature is 30 degrees. To find out the composition of the material of your coat, study the product label.
• Dilute the detergent in prepared water until foam forms. Immerse the coat in the solution and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes. Soaking for too long is not advisable. If there are stains or dirt on the product, they should be washed separately before soaking in the manner described above.

After soaking, drain the water and rinse the coat several times in warm water. Rinsing is carried out until foam stops forming in the water.

• It is also possible to wash woolen products in an automatic machine. To do this, you need to set the washing mode to gentle. If your washing machine has a “Wool” program, select it. Remember, you can only machine wash items made from mixed materials. For 100% wool, only gentle hand washing is suitable.
• To better wash out foam from the fibers of the product, it is advisable to install an additional rinse cycle.
• You should be very careful with the spin mode. Undoubtedly, it is much more convenient to remove a wet product from the drum rather than one soaked in a large amount of water. But, nevertheless, it is better to exclude machine spinning. If its use is still necessary, you need to set the minimum speed for the drum.

Drying

Under no circumstances should a wool coat be wrung out or twisted. After washing (if the spin mode in the washing machine was not used), the product should be laid out horizontally on a large thick blanket or towel. Gently wrap the coat in the fabric and press it lightly. This will allow excess water to be absorbed into the towel. Then you should replace the wet towel or blanket, placing a dry one under the coat, and repeat the procedure again.

After blotting with a cloth, the product is also laid out horizontally on a flat surface, on a dry cloth. Periodically, the coat should be turned over, and the blanket or towel should be changed as it gets wet.