Taking Care of Wool Garments
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Congratulations,
you've just purchased a real wool garment! These garments can last
you many, many years with proper care. Back in the days before our
throw away society, many wool sweaters, hats, shawls and other garments were
passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Wool is extremely
durable and worth the little extra effort to keep it looking and wearing
it's best. You will also find that wool does not collect dirt and/or
need washing as frequently (under normal conditions) as cottons and synthetics.
Washing Wool Garments:
The washing machine is a disaster waiting to happen for your wools. Hand washing takes only a few minutes and keeps your garment(s) the size and shape it was intended to be. Fill your sink with lukewarm water and a healthy squirt of your favorite dish soap. (Please do not use Woolite, it is formulated for synthetics, despite the name.) It is best NOT to run water on top of a wool garment(s), but to add the garment(s) to the filled sink. So push your garment(s) down into the soapy water and make sure it all gets wet with this pushing down action. DO NOT SCRUB or AGITATE the wool garment(s)! Scrubbing and agitation produce felt, which means shrinking and hardening your wool garment. Let the garment(s) rest in the soapy water for at least 10 minutes. Let the water run out and gently squeeze out the water in the garment(s), but do not wring, just squeeze.
Remove the garment(s) from the sink, refill the sink with lukewarm rinse water to which you may add a small squirt of hair conditioner if you like, and when the sink is full, add your garment(s). Let rest about 10 more minutes. Let the water run out and gently squeeze the excess water out, enough should be squeeze out that the garment(s) will not drip. You can roll the garment(s) in a large towel to remove even more water if desired.
Now lay the garment(s) out on a flat surface to dry. Pat the garment(s) into shape and let dry at least overnight. Thick wools can take a full day or two to dry completely.
Storing Wool Garments:
Moths are the age old enemy of wool clothing. You should protect your wools from moths, especially during the summer months. Grandma's old cedar chest is a wonderful place to store wool clothing. If Grandma didn't leave this treasure with you, however, you can still safely store your woolens in other ways. A cheap substitute for a cedar chest is made by purchasing those clear plastic storage containers that are big enough for folded sweaters yet short enough to slide under the bed. Most will hold a couple of sweaters or many pairs of socks, mittens, hats, etc. Near the moth ball section in your local grocery or department store, you can find products that either smell like cedar or are made of cedar to pack into these containers and will create the small that moths hate. There are other herbal products out there sold as moth repellants as well, a quick Google search will bring up many. But be sure to store these bins where they will be out of direct sunlight! Sunlight can cause condensation and water collecting in the bins with no opportunity to escape can rot your clothing over time.
Simple sachets made up of herbal mixtures that repell moths can be added to your chest of drawers as well. Cedar "eggs" that you can buy and add are also good, but be sure and take them out a couple of times a year and run sandpaper over them to keep them nice and smelly.
I personally do not like moth balls. They are nasty things and the odor is hard to remove. But if you find that your wool garments have been invaded by moths, moth balls will kill the little buggers. Cedar and other herbal mixtures repell moths, but do not kill them. Another way to kill moths effectively is to freeze them. Put all your garments into your freezer for 24 hours and let the moth balls kill off any bugs left in your storage area. That way, the moth ball smell is not in your clothing.
Washing Wool Garments:
The washing machine is a disaster waiting to happen for your wools. Hand washing takes only a few minutes and keeps your garment(s) the size and shape it was intended to be. Fill your sink with lukewarm water and a healthy squirt of your favorite dish soap. (Please do not use Woolite, it is formulated for synthetics, despite the name.) It is best NOT to run water on top of a wool garment(s), but to add the garment(s) to the filled sink. So push your garment(s) down into the soapy water and make sure it all gets wet with this pushing down action. DO NOT SCRUB or AGITATE the wool garment(s)! Scrubbing and agitation produce felt, which means shrinking and hardening your wool garment. Let the garment(s) rest in the soapy water for at least 10 minutes. Let the water run out and gently squeeze out the water in the garment(s), but do not wring, just squeeze.
Remove the garment(s) from the sink, refill the sink with lukewarm rinse water to which you may add a small squirt of hair conditioner if you like, and when the sink is full, add your garment(s). Let rest about 10 more minutes. Let the water run out and gently squeeze the excess water out, enough should be squeeze out that the garment(s) will not drip. You can roll the garment(s) in a large towel to remove even more water if desired.
Now lay the garment(s) out on a flat surface to dry. Pat the garment(s) into shape and let dry at least overnight. Thick wools can take a full day or two to dry completely.
Storing Wool Garments:
Moths are the age old enemy of wool clothing. You should protect your wools from moths, especially during the summer months. Grandma's old cedar chest is a wonderful place to store wool clothing. If Grandma didn't leave this treasure with you, however, you can still safely store your woolens in other ways. A cheap substitute for a cedar chest is made by purchasing those clear plastic storage containers that are big enough for folded sweaters yet short enough to slide under the bed. Most will hold a couple of sweaters or many pairs of socks, mittens, hats, etc. Near the moth ball section in your local grocery or department store, you can find products that either smell like cedar or are made of cedar to pack into these containers and will create the small that moths hate. There are other herbal products out there sold as moth repellants as well, a quick Google search will bring up many. But be sure to store these bins where they will be out of direct sunlight! Sunlight can cause condensation and water collecting in the bins with no opportunity to escape can rot your clothing over time.
Simple sachets made up of herbal mixtures that repell moths can be added to your chest of drawers as well. Cedar "eggs" that you can buy and add are also good, but be sure and take them out a couple of times a year and run sandpaper over them to keep them nice and smelly.
I personally do not like moth balls. They are nasty things and the odor is hard to remove. But if you find that your wool garments have been invaded by moths, moth balls will kill the little buggers. Cedar and other herbal mixtures repell moths, but do not kill them. Another way to kill moths effectively is to freeze them. Put all your garments into your freezer for 24 hours and let the moth balls kill off any bugs left in your storage area. That way, the moth ball smell is not in your clothing.
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