How to wash woolen items correctly?

As the cold weather sets in, you start thinking about buying warm clothes. These include not only the usual jackets and hats, but also sweaters, cardigans, and even wool dresses. Wool is incredibly warm in the most severe frosts, and most importantly, it's a natural material.

These items never go out of style and truly do keep their owners warm. However, caring for wool items is not easy. Many people wonder how to wash wool items.

All items require proper and careful care if you want to preserve their beautiful and perfect appearance. Therefore, it's important to pay attention to the washing method for each specific material. For example, It is advisable to wash a wool sweater by hand or in a washing machine on a special setting and at a certain temperature. Any type of washing, whether by hand or machine, has its own subtleties that every caring housewife should know.

Washing wool items by hand

Hand washing requires care, especially for woolen items. Before washing, prepare all your dresses, cardigans, sweaters, and so on. To prevent lint from pilling after washing, comb the garment against the grain. Afterward, you can immerse the garment in water. Unless absolutely necessary, do not soak the garment. Follow these guidelines when hand washing:

• The water should not contain alkali. The water should be slightly warmed. It should be warm or slightly cool;
• maximum water temperature up to 38 degrees;
• do not wash sweaters made of natural materials in contaminated water;
• try to change the water as often as possible;
• Choose a washing powder specifically for wool items, or use a mild detergent with fabric softener. It's best to wash sweaters in liquid detergent;
• Angora wool items wash beautifully in shampoo, especially if it contains glycerin;
• You shouldn't use soap, as it will ruin the products.

Important: After washing, rinse the items gently in cool water to thoroughly remove any remaining detergent. Washing wool items in hot water can cause them to shrink. To prevent fading of your favorite dress, add a little ammonia or vinegar to the rinse water. This will preserve the colorful patterns.

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Natural items should be washed with care. After all, clothes are valued not by their design, but only by their appearance. For those who don't use chemicals, you can try some folk remedies for washing these items. Some tips may be unusual, but they always have a positive effect.

Bean infusion

One common method for washing wool is a white bean infusion. Add a kilogram of beans to five liters of water, boil them, and let them steep for a while. Then strain the water and let it cool. The water shouldn't be completely cold, but slightly warm. At this optimal temperature, you can safely begin washing. Don't soak or rub the items thoroughly with your hands. Lightly blotting and wringing them is sufficient.

Sometimes items become heavily soiled, in which case they are soaked in the bean solution again, using freshly brewed infusion. After this wash, all the dirt is removed, the items are not damaged, and the wool does not pill. There is no need to rub the item with soap.

Potato broth

Potatoes can also effectively wash items made from such delicate fabrics. To do this, you'll need to brew a potato infusion. Take a kilogram of potatoes and boil them in at least ten liters of water. After boiling, strain the water and let it steep. Follow the same washing procedure as with the beans. The result will be unpredictable. Your sweater or dress will instantly be clean, smooth, and pleasant to the touch. They won't stretch or fade.

If you want your favorite sweater not only to be clean but also to smell nice, you can add a little fabric conditioner to the rinse water. This won't harm the threads. After drying, comb the sweater with a comb. This will also make it soft and smooth against your skin.

Mustard for dark items

To thoroughly wash dark items, you can use dry mustard. Mix it with a certain amount of water, preferably cool. Then, mix this mixture with hot water and strain the resulting mixture into a washing bowl. No need to use soap. Rinse the items in the remaining water.

Washing woolen clothes in an automatic washing machine

Everyone should know how to properly wash woolen items. There's not always time to hand wash them, so you have to use a washing machine. It does all the work for you. However, keep the following in mind:

• choose a washing powder that states that it is suitable for washing wool items;
• the water temperature should not exceed 30 C so that the fabric does not lose its elasticity;
• You need to select a special washing mode. In some cases, a delicate or quick wash is used. Try not to use the spin cycle.

Important: Regardless of the washing method, do not wring out natural items to avoid stretching them. It's a good idea to roll the item in a terry towel to absorb moisture or lay it flat.

Drying natural fabric items correctly

Washing clothes carefully isn't the most important thing. They also need to be dried properly to keep their shape. Dry them on a table or chair. The surface should be perfectly flat to avoid stretching the wool. If you hang the sweater on a hanger right away, not only will it stretch, but the marks left by the clothespins will be visible. After placing the sweater on the table, straighten out all the folds and leave it there until completely dry.

To ensure quick drying, place regular newspaper or other thick paper underneath the item to absorb moisture. Once the sweater or cardigan is dry, you can iron it. Iron it from the inside out using a low temperature setting.

Sometimes, items shrink. Don't worry. When ironing, spray the fabric with water and smooth it out. Use an iron to stretch the item to the desired size. The key is to let it dry completely to prevent it from shrinking again.

As we can see, washing woolen items isn't easy. It requires real skill and effort. The effort is worth it to keep your items in good condition and wear them for a long time. After all, wool never goes out of style, and most importantly, it's a natural material, which is doubly valuable. By following all the right tips, you can avoid unforeseen circumstances and carelessness. You need to love and care for your clothes if you want to always look neat and tidy.

   

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