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Knits and sweaters made of wool are indispensable during the cold season. Those made of 100% wool are warm and comfortable even on cold days. However, they are delicate materials, so many people probably wonder how to wash them. We will show you how to choose 100% wool clothing in this issue.
Wool is a warm material that is useful in fall and winter. However, wool tends to shrink quickly and is difficult to wash by yourself. Winter clothes such as wool and coats are often delicate materials, and people tend to send them to the dry cleaners, fearing they will make mistakes if they wash them themselves.
In this issue, we will introduce how to wash wool clothes by yourself, how to dehydrate and dry them, how to deal with shrinkage after washing, and how often to clean them for those who want to “wash them by yourself as much as possible.”
Can 100% Wool Be Washed Usually?
Clothes of 100% wool can be washed at home unless they are embroidered or delicately treated.
First, please check the washing label on the tag.
If there is no “Do not wash in cold water” mark, it is OK; however, wool is a little delicate, so washing it gently by hand is ideal.
Be careful not to wash it in a washing machine, as this will expel the air and cause problems such as shrinkage and stiffening. To maintain the softness of knitwear, try to “hand-wash” it as much as possible.
What Do You Need for Washing?
What to prepare
- Neutral detergents such as Emaar
- Laundry softeners such as Lenore
- Laundry net
Convenient to have
- Washcloth
100% wool clothes should be washed using a neutral detergent such as Emaar for fashionable clothes. Using a neutral detergent reduces irritation to the fabric and prevents problems such as shrinkage.
A fabric softener and a laundry net are also required. To clean your clothes, you don’t need to do anything special.
How to Wash by Hand?
Hand washing” may sound complicated, but it is straightforward. You can clean 100% wool clothes by pressing them into the water with the palm of your hand, then quickly wash them as if you were trying to dissolve dirt into the water. Let’s take a look at the specific order in which to proceed.
(1) Check the material
Check the washing instructions to ensure that it is not non-washable.
(2) Make the washing liquid
Fill a sink or washbowl with water and dissolve detergent according to the volume of water.
(3) Wash by pressing
Turn the clothes out, lay them flat, and soak them in the washing liquid. Wash by pushing and lifting the clothes with your hands. (It is also OK to leave the clothes soaking for about 5 minutes.)
(4) Rinse
Rinse until no more foam appears, changing water 2-3 times.
(5) Drain off the water
Fold, put into a laundry net, and dehydrate in the washing machine for about 10 seconds. In the case of a drum-type machine, a small amount of water may not be appropriately dehydrated, so add one or two bath towels.
(6) Include fabric softener
Fill the sink with fresh water and dissolve a small amount of fabric softener. Soak the clothes and soak them in the fabric softener.
(7) Dehydration
Transfer the clothes to the washing machine again and dehydrate for 1 minute.
(8) Drying
Dry the knitwear horizontally to prevent stretching. The key to preventing damage is to shorten the washing time. The longer it takes, the more the fabric will be damaged, so keep the washing method in mind beforehand and proceed briskly.
Do not worry about sebum and other stains, as they dissolve quickly and can be washed cleanly even in a short time.
How to Wash in the Washing Machine?
Even though “100% wool” is delicate, it is sometimes difficult to wash it by hand. In such cases, washing them in a washing machine is a way to clean them.
The “dry course” and “soft course” of washing machines are designed to wash delicate clothes such as wool. By choosing this course, you can wash the whole garment without worrying about damage to some extent.
You must “fold the garment lightly, put it in a net, select a course, and wash it with a neutral detergent. If you choose the low-flow course, it will clean delicate wool materials without putting too much strain on them.
However, it is a little heavier than hand washing, so we recommend hand washing if you are worried about it.
How to Reduce Washing Time?
Even though stains can be removed by hand, doing so on a regular basis is difficult. Even if you wash your clothes infrequently, the following tips will help you keep them clean.
Always hang dry after wearing
Wool is a highly moisture-retentive material, so after a day of wear, it absorbs a lot of sweat and moisture from outside.
If it remains damp, it can cause odours and damage, so be sure to dry it overnight after taking it off. You can hang them on a chair or something and store them the following day.
Steam for odour and loss of shape
If you become concerned about the smell or the shape of the garment as you wear it, we recommend that you apply plenty of steam from an iron to the garment. Hot steam has the effect of breaking down odours such as sweat.
In addition, wool fluffs up when exposed to steam, so you can kill two birds with one stone and make it beautiful.
What to do if there is a “Do not wash in cold water?
Clothes of 100% wool can be washed by hand, but coats, jackets, and items with delicate embroidery may have a “Do not wash in cold water” mark on the laundry label.
If they have a “not washable in water” mark, do not force wash them because the fabric is so damaged that even hand washing will damage it. Delicate items should be laundered rather than washed at home.
Professionals can remove only stains without damaging the texture of even delicate materials.
Wool Should Be Washed Once During the Season
Washing 100% wool is much easier than you think. Since most of the stains are from sweat and sebum, a gentle, quick wash is enough to get it clean.
You can clean clothes made of 100% wool by washing them once during the season. If you cannot wash your clothes at home, please send them to the dry cleaning service at the end of the season to make them clean.
