Wool mode in the washing machine: what kind of washing program is it, what is it for, stages and duration of processing, water temperature, operating instructions

Woolen items require special care, which is why many people refuse to buy them.

In fact, such restrictions are unnecessary, because almost every modern washing machine has a “Wool” mode.

Read the article about what it is, how to use it correctly, at what temperature it is washed and more.

What kind of washing program is this?

The “Wool” mode belongs to the category of additional programs, so you can find machines that do not have it. Although most modern units are equipped with this function.

The main feature of this program is the gentle treatment of fabric by reducing the water temperature and reducing the drum rotation speed during washing and spinning. This treatment allows you to get rid of dirt and keep the item in its original form.

The drum gently rocks from side to side, simulating hand washing . As a result, the fibers do not roll down, the product does not stretch or shrink.

Some washing machines may not have a “Wool” mode. In this case, select the “Delicate Wash” or “Gentle Wash” program.

Handwash

Whether you have a washing machine or not, it is important to know how to hand wash woolen items. For many of them, machine washing is contraindicated. First you need to prepare the sweater for washing. To prevent pilling, comb the pile, starting at the bottom and moving up. How to hand wash a wool sweater:

Fill a basin with water at a temperature of up to 38 degrees, or better yet, up to 30.
Load things up.
Do not wash clothes in contaminated water. It's better to change it several times.
How to wash wool? Liquid products are suitable.
To avoid ruining your clothes, do not use soap.

The temperature of the rinse water should be identical to that for washing. This is how you need to wash woolen items to prevent them from shrinking. Recommendation! To protect clothes from staining, you can pour a glass of wine vinegar or a little ammonia while rinsing!

What is it needed for?

This mode is suitable for washing items made from any wool. You can find out what material the item is made from using the information on the label.

The “Wool” program can be used to wash items with the following symbols:

Wolle (pure wool);
New wool, schurwoll, virgin wool, lana vergin (wool mixed with other fibers, but not more than 7%);
Lambwool;
Merinowalle;
Camello, camel, kamel, alpaca (camel hair);
Kashmir, Cashemire (cashmere);
Mohair (mohair - wool of Angora goats) and more.

The gentle treatment of fabric also allows you to use this mode to care for items made from other materials that require careful handling. It is used when washing light and medium soiled items. If the stains are complex, it is better to treat them in advance, for example, use a stain remover.

How to wash wool in a washing machine

Many housewives have difficulty washing complex and voluminous woolen textiles, but there is nothing difficult about it, since you can wash a blanket made of sheep and camel wool in a machine using the delicate cycle. But if the dirt and stains are insignificant, then you should not use a machine - it is enough to remove them manually. If you just want to choose and buy such a blanket, then use our tips given in a separate article.

If you are using a washing machine, then you need to select a mode for woolen items, since wool can only be washed in a washing machine if there is such a program. If there is no such program, then the best option would be to use the mode for delicate fabrics with a minimum temperature. It is worth turning off the spin completely (even at minimum speed).

After the machine has finished washing, you need to carefully remove the clothes and textiles, removing any remaining moisture from them with gentle smoothing movements or using a regular terry towel.

The following recommendations can also be highlighted:

It is better not to use standard detergents, since it is correct to wash wool items (hat, sweater, coat, etc.) using high-quality powders that are marked accordingly. If you need to wash it urgently, but you don’t have such powder at hand, then you can use regular women’s hair shampoo.
At the same time, it is best to dry-clean a coat, down jacket, or jacket made of camel wool, if they are seriously soiled, rather than try to wash the stains yourself by hand or in a machine. Look for specific recommendations on how to care for acrylic.
In some cases, it is not possible to go to dry cleaning. But you can do it yourself, since you can clean a wool coat at home using a soft velor brush and a solution of table vinegar and alcohol (1 to 1). The material is not at all afraid of these substances.

Stages

The “Wool” program includes the following stages:

Clean water flows into the tank.
After a few minutes, water with a detergent dissolved in it is poured into it.
Scroll the items slowly to distribute the detergent evenly.
The movement slows down. From time to time the drum turns 1-2 turns. Washing goes as smoothly as possible. Most of the time the products just sit in soapy water.
After 20-25 minutes the drain occurs.
Several rinse cycles are started.
The water is drained, and conditioner or balm, if it was poured into the compartment, enters the machine.
The final stage is the final spin, if it was specified in the settings.

Processing time

The washing time when the “Wool” mode is selected differs depending on the brand and model of the washing machine. Its increase is affected by water temperature and spin speed. The higher these indicators, the longer things will stay in the drum.

What matters are the options that the user selects when setting up the program. For example, “Extra Rinse” may be set or the “Express Wash” function may be selected. On average, the entire process takes 45-55 minutes.

Although there are SMAs in which the washing time in the “Wool” mode is 1.5-2 hours. If possible, avoid leaving delicate fabrics in water for such long periods of time. Recommended washing time is 40 minutes .

Features Features

When activating the “Wool” mode when washing, you must take into account the following features:

Do not fill the drum completely. Things should not occupy more than 2/3 of its volume. Otherwise, the quality of the wash will be reduced.
The water temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. Washing in boiling water will cause irreversible damage to the product.
It is recommended to use liquid detergents.
Gels are better rinsed from fabric fibers, dissolve faster and wash out pigment less. It would be good if the packaging was marked “For washing woolen items.” Such gels contain additives that improve the appearance of the product, for example, prevent lint from caking or have an antistatic effect.
You need to make sure that the detergent you choose is designed for use in washing machines.
The default spin speed in most SMAs is 800 rpm. It is recommended to reduce it to 400-500 rpm, or turn it off completely.
On most SMA models, the modes are labeled with words. Images of a ball or skein of yarn, or a box of wool can be used as symbols.

What's prohibited

We will tell you what is strictly forbidden to do when washing a woolen product. This will help avoid mistakes.

Do not change the temperature of the washing water - a sudden change will damage the fabric.
Do not wash items at temperatures above 40 degrees, otherwise the sweater will stretch, lose its shape and look awkward when worn.

Under no circumstances rub the item, even if it has a deeply ingrained stain. No rinsing or squeezing. When machine washing, do not set the spin cycle.
The use of washing powders and detergents is prohibited. You can use them only if this is provided for in the instructions.
Wool sweaters or dresses should not be hung to dry - forget about hangers and clotheslines.
Do not dry clothes using a hair dryer - they should dry naturally.
Ironing such material is strictly prohibited.

If you neglect these rules, then after a few washing cycles the woolen jacket will lose its shape, become covered in pellets, become wrinkled and fade.

User manual

The procedure for washing woolen items should be as follows:

turn things inside out;
place them in the drum, close the hatch;
pour the gel into the detergent tray - in most SMAs there is a section for the gel, which is located in the center;
select the “Wool” mode;
set the desired spin speed - the more delicate the fabric, the slower it should be; if necessary, the spin can be turned off completely;
set the water temperature - by default it is 30 degrees, you can also turn off the heating completely and wash in cold water;
start the wash cycle, wait for it to complete4
if the spin was turned off, after removing the items, wrap them in a terry towel and lightly squeeze them to remove excess water, after which you can send them to dry.

Before putting things into the drum, you need to fasten all the fittings, remove stretched loops, and turn things inside out. This will avoid damaging things.

Products used for washing wool

Considering the fact that woolen items do not tolerate external influences. They are easily damaged during the process of caring for them. To avoid troubles and prolong the life of woolen clothes, it is necessary to use special detergents. The chemical market is saturated with a variety of powders and liquids that create gentle conditions during the wool washing process.

Liquid products that are designed only for washing wool have proven themselves well. These can be gel-like substances or special shampoos.

You can also use powders consisting of small granules. It is also important to take into account the temperature conditions at which it is recommended to use liquid or dry detergents.

For example, liquid products remove dirt well at low temperatures (+30°C). For powder products it should be within +80° – 90°C.

However, in any case, when choosing a liquid or dry product, you should make sure that its composition does not contain alkali or other aggressive substances. Many people recommend using traditional methods. For example:

stains are removed very well with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide or ammonia;
Wool fibers can be easily cleaned using powdered chalk or mustard.

Drying woolen items

Features of drying woolen items:

Before you start drying, you need to read the information on the product label.
If drying is allowed, spinning should be done at a speed no higher than 400 rpm. As a rule, this applies to felt and baize.
If drying is prohibited, to remove excess moisture after washing, wrap the item in a terry towel and gently press it without twisting it.
Dry fabrics on a flat surface. To ensure that the water evaporates faster, things are left in a warm room with good ventilation.
From time to time the products need to be turned over.
In a vertical position, you can dry flannel, cloth and drape coats.

Designations in SMA of different brands

Depending on the brand of the washing machine, the settings for the “Wool” mode will differ:

Bosch . Default settings: spin – 800 rpm, duration – 40 minutes, water temperature – 40 degrees. Heating can be reduced to 30 degrees or turned off completely.
. Default settings: spin – 800 rpm, water heating – up to 40 degrees. If necessary, all listed options can be reduced to zero. The average duration of the program is 1 hour.
Samsung . The mode in the SMA data is literally called “Hand washing wool”. Default settings: water temperature – from 30 to 40 degrees, maximum spin speed – 800 rpm. The cycle lasts from 40 to 50 minutes. Maximum drum load is 2 kg.
Indesit . Default settings: water heating – 40 degrees, spin speed – 800 rpm, cycle duration – 55 minutes.
Candy . Default settings: water heating – 30 degrees, spin speed – 800 rpm. The cycle duration is half an hour.

Advice from professionals

Washing in potato broth will help soften a wool sweater:

To do this, place a kilogram of peeled or brushed potatoes in a 10-liter bucket of water;
drain the boiled water and cool to 40 degrees (the temperature is checked with your elbow, which can comfortably withstand a temperature of 36–40 degrees);
after washing the product in the machine, rinse it in this broth;
dry in natural conditions on a flat horizontal surface;
Brush the sweater with a soft brush to create a low, even pile.

And a few more tips:

Before washing, remove all accessories if they can damage the product or cause a change in its color;
on the blouse, use a regular seam through the top to sew up the button holes to prevent the product from being pulled out in these places;
try not to wash the wool for a long time; it should not be in water for more than 40 minutes;
If you are not sure about the quality of wool dyeing, then cut a small piece of thread from the inside and soak it in warm water . After this, wrap and dry with a light cotton cloth. This is a color fastness test. If there are no marks left on the fabric, then everything is in order - the wool does not shed;
Do not place things made of angora, alpaca, or mohair in an automatic machine. If dry cleaning is not possible, wash them very carefully by hand.