Hope you’re staying cozy in the cold weather, Droppers! We wanted to share some of the best tips and tricks for you when it comes to caring for wool, as we are sure those precious pieces have been well worn as we are nearing the end of winter. Learn more about washing, storing, and preserving wool below.
How to Wash Wool
Luckily, you don’t need to wash wool often as the fiber naturally keeps itself clean. (It’s also stain and wrinkle resistant. Something to celebrate!) If your wool starts to get musty, just lay it out on your bed for about an hour to let any lingering odors release. However, once the season is ending, or if you have some wool that is particularly stinky, we recommend hand washing.
Start with treating small stains by rinsing them with cold water or seltzer and then blotting them dry with a clean cloth.
Put your wool item in a bowl with cold water (to prevent shrinking) and a Small Loads Sensitive Skin & Baby Detergent Pod. Swish it around for a few minutes, then properly rinse. Lay the item on a towel and roll it up to get out the excess water, then lay flat to dry.
If your wool is particularly sturdy, you can wash it with other wool items on the gentle cycle in your washing machine. Don’t use fabric softener, as this can weaken the fibers, and lay out to dry!
Avoid traditional dry cleaning! Many think that wool needs to be dry-cleaned, but this process is chemically intensive and can have a negative impact on the environment, textile fibers and your skin. If dry-cleaning is required, look for an eco-friendly service such as BLANC.
How to Preserve Wool
The biggest threat to your wool clothing is moths! These little buggers love to munch on wool so it’s important to protect it from them. Keep your wool garments in cotton bags or use cedar wood balls to help keep moths at bay. If worst comes to worst and a moth friend makes a home in your garment, pop it in the freezer for 24 hours and it should be good to go! Whenever there are holes found in these items we urge you to mend them, or donate them to a shelter or a friend in need, as opposed to throwing them out. Extending its life by an extra nine months can reduce carbon, waste and water footprints by around 20-30% each.
After wearing your wool, brush it lengthwise to remove surface soil so it doesn’t stain. It’s also best to let your clothing rest for 24 hours before wearing again. This gives the wool fiber time to recover and return to its original shape. To freshen a wrinkled garment, hang it in a steamy bathroom.
How to Store Wool
The best way to store these items is on padded hangers (to retain their shape). Remember to empty any pockets to avoid sagging. If you don’t have space for that, we recommend folding them gently and keeping them in a cedar chest, with a lined barrier.
And there you have it! Stay cozy, preserve your wool, and cross your fingers that you can tuck it away for the year very soon. Warm weather is on it’s way!