Washing woolen items: how to clean without ruining them?

A wonderful cashmere jumper appeared in your wardrobe, and despite the frosty weather, you happily fluttered around in it, collecting admiring glances and pleasant compliments. Now we need to freshen it up, but there are so many chilling stories about how woolen items shrink, stretch, pill and become deformed in the washing machine. How to clean wool products, and what washing products to choose so that they do not lose their beauty and are pleasing to the eye for a long time? Let's figure it out together.

Features of wool fabrics

Since wool is a living natural material, the structure of its fibers looks like separate scales, which, due to their loose fit to each other, form gaps filled with air. It is this air gap that creates the greenhouse effect, which warms a person.

However, when woolen items are exposed to high temperature or moisture, the scales shrink, displace air and the wool turns into one homogeneous lump. The thing sits down and falls off. To restore the original structure requires skill and considerable effort. Considering all the difficulties of using woolen items, it is fair to ask the question: is it possible to wash wool, and if not, how to avoid it?

How to choose a washing mode?

To choose the right program, you need to know how it is designated. A basin with a hand is an international symbol, but each manufacturer may have its own system of signs. These icons are deciphered by the instructions that came with the washing machine. In case you don’t have such a cheat sheet, we have prepared a selection of popular brands. It will help you easily find the desired mode on the control panel. Program parameters may vary slightly for different CM models.

German brands

Trademarks from Germany use various methods of hints - inscriptions, symbols, pictures. A small glossary for owners of German washing machines:

• manual - Handwäsche;
• wool - Wolle;
• silk - Seide;
• delicate - Feinwäsche.

Bosch

To designate the “gentle cycle”, Bosch uses an international symbol - the notorious basin with a palm. The “Wool” program is marked with a symbolic ball. Thin fabrics - with a flower, silk - with a butterfly. Duration: 40 minutes at 30°C. Spiral (twisted snail) is a spin option that can be adjusted.

Hansa

The brand's models are equipped with a Russified panel, which simplifies the search for a program with the same name. The manufacturer recommends filling the drum 1/3 full to avoid damage to the fabric. The machine washes for 1 hour 25 minutes, with cold water. The maximum speed - 600 rpm - can be adjusted or canceled.

Siemens

Siemens also pleases with Russian text and clear signs. Among the delicate ones - “Wool”, “Delicate linen”, “Women’s”. Range - from cold to 40 °C. Number of revolutions up to 800, plus the ability to cancel. Time - ¾ hour.

Swedish Electrolux

Delicate processes are presented in a separate sector, which makes searching easier. The icons are identical.

There are Russian and German inscriptions - it depends on the model. Temperature – “Cold” – 40 °C, no spin. Period - 55–56 minutes. You can organize pre-soaking, additional rinsing, spinning - up to 1000 revolutions.

Korean brands

The pictograms of Korean manufacturers are also quite clear. Names may be in English:

• manual - handwash;
• delicate - delicates;
• wool - wool;
• silk - silk.

Samsung

The drum gently rocks the laundry for about 50 minutes. Adjustment of cycle parameters is outlined in a separate sector.

LG

The gentle process lasts about 56 minutes, temperature - 30, 40, cold water. There is the possibility of additional rinsing, saving time, draining. Maximum load - 1.5 kg.

Italian SM

Guarantees careful treatment of all types of fabrics.

Indesit

“Manual mode” is not represented in the Indesit CM line, but there is a separate panel of delicate programs. Maximum temperature - 40 ° C, time - 55 minutes, without spinning.

Ariston

“Silk/curtains”, “Wool” - 55 minutes without spinning, standard temperature range. Some modifications are equipped with gentle drying.

Hotpoint-Ariston

30 °C, without twisting, loading of things - 1 kg.

Other manufacturers

Equipped with a Russian-language interface, they treat all types of sensitive materials with care.

Beko

Refreshes 1 kg of “capricious” clothes in a quarter of an hour. Other parameters are adjusted as necessary.

Rules of care

So, in order for woolen clothes to last as long as possible and always look attractive, it is important to learn how to use them correctly. First of all, you need to master simple care rules:

• To make woolen clothes less dirty, you don't need to wear them every day. The fact is that wool absorbs all odors well, including those of the human body. In addition, sweat secretions also penetrate the structure of the coat and pollute it;
• It is necessary to air woolen clothes more often. It is advisable to do this after each wear. Ventilation prevents the fabric from caking. In addition, odors accumulated in the structure of the wool disappear;
• use dry cleaning more often;
• It is better to remove small areas of contamination with a soft brush.

Tips for care and use

It is very important to properly care for woolen items so that they last as long as possible. Here are some recommendations:

1. A woolen item that has shrunk after washing should be slightly wetted, ironed through gauze at a low temperature, smoothing it, and given the desired shape.
2. You should not try to pull out the pills from a sweater with your hands, much less cut them off with scissors. There are scallops and electric machines for this.
3. You should not overuse dry cleaning, even if dirt can only be removed with its help. The substances used in the cleaning process gradually corrode and thin the fibers.
4. The ties can be removed using a crochet hook: with the tool you need to pick up the loop that has come out from the inside and carefully pull it back.
5. Woolen clothes should be stored on a shelf or in a drawer; they may become deformed on hangers.
6. Moisture is the enemy of wool, so you need to avoid damp areas when choosing a storage location.

Basic rules for washing woolen products

If trouble happens and the clothes become dirty to such an extent that other cleaning methods do not help, then it is important to adhere to the following rules:

• carefully read the information on the label attached to wool clothing. It should contain information about methods for removing contaminants;
• There are very fluffy products, then first you need to lightly comb them. This procedure can slightly comb out surface dirt;
• For any type of washing, the product must first be turned inside out;
• Try to wash it no more than once every six months. This is the optimal frequency. The fact is that woolen items do not get dirty as intensely as those made from other materials. And if you consider that many contaminants can be removed by dry cleaning and airing, then the frequency can even be increased. This is especially true for white things. They may appear yellowish;
• It is recommended to wash by hand. If machine washing is allowed for some woolen items, then the type of work switch should be set to “wool mode”;
• the water should be warm, within 30-35 degrees. At temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, clothing may deteriorate. For example, a wool coat can stretch and lose its elegance;
• Do not change the water temperature during the washing process. For example, use cold water to rinse. A sharp change in water temperature leads to the destruction of wool fibers and holes may appear in clothes;
• no need to use conventional washing powders. A number of special products have been developed for wool;
• woolen items do not need to be soaked;
• wool should not be rubbed. This can lead to fiber breakage and hole formation.

Special Recommendations

In addition to proper washing and drying, you should also properly maintain the item:

1. Don't leave it on your hanger. This can result in fibers being pulled out.
2. Place moth repellent in your chest of drawers with your clothes. Tablets: “Antimol effect”, “Clean House”; sections from moths “Armol Expert”; “Raid” moth pendant.
3. At least once a season, air woolen items outside, especially coats, hats, and blankets.
4. Washing should be done quickly so that the item is in contact with water for a minimum amount of time.
5. Dry clean your items more often so you wash them less often.

Removing stains

Oily marks from the coat are removed with tooth powder or talcum powder. Sprinkle the desired area and leave to act for 3-5 hours. Get cold feet.

Fresh oil stains can be removed with purified gasoline mixed with potato starch. Apply the mixture to the stain, rub it, first placing a rag or paper under it. Wash the area in soapy water.

Chocolate traces are removed with a saline solution in which the soiled item is washed.

Fish stains will be removed with 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar diluted in a glass of water. Using a cotton swab soaked in the solution, treat the desired area until the stain becomes discolored.

Glycerin fights stains from milk, coffee or tea. Rub the contaminated areas and leave for a quarter of an hour. Treat areas with soapy water.

Whitening

You can also bleach wool products using improvised means:

1. Rinse the item that has lost its whiteness in a medium concentration saline solution. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
2. Place the product in water with diluted hydrogen peroxide (8:1) for a long time. Rinse.
3. Rinse the laundry in a solution of water and ammonia (6 liters to 10 ml). Then soak for 30-40 minutes in water (1 l) with peroxide (5 ml) and ammonia (1 ml). Rinse in water with a spoon of vinegar.

Important! When bleaching, also remember the temperature conditions and never use chlorine stain removers.

Getting rid of unpleasant odor

Bread soda (100 g) is poured into the first compartment of the automatic washing machine.

Bringing freshness back to clothes

The next compartment is filled with the selected detergent, and the last one is filled with fabric softener. Wash in the recommended cycle, but with an additional rinse.

The “aroma” is removed from coats or bulky items made of wool as follows:

1. Having placed the item in a vertical position, wipe the lining with a soft sponge or natural bristle brush dipped in vinegar and ammonia.
2. Treat the front side with a soft cloth and concentrated soap solution. Remove soap residue from items with a weak vinegar solution.
3. Dry for 2-3 hours.
4. Use a spray bottle to spray vodka or mouthwash onto your clothing.
5. Dry for 2 days in frosty air or in the shade (in hot sunny weather).

You can also remove the smell by placing the item in the freezer and leaving it overnight or overnight. There should be no foreign odors in the freezer.

By freezing it is easy to remove chewing gum and smeared plasticine from clothes.

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.

Folk remedies

Mustard powder is used to wash dark clothes. 1 glass of dry matter is dissolved in a small amount of water, filtered and allowed to brew, then added to a basin and washed. An alternative to industrial air conditioners is ammonia. 1 teaspoon of the substance will soften the fabric.

Washing white wool items is a separate issue. When machine washing, bleach may be added. Hydrogen peroxide refreshes yellowed clothes: 1 tablespoon of peroxide per 1 liter of water. Soak the clothes briefly in this solution, then wash and rinse well.

Another effective folk method is crushed chalk. You will need 1 kg per 3 liters of water. Soak the yellowed wool item in the solution, then wash it. The canvas will bleach.

Washing in a washing machine

Woolen items should be machine washed separately from other clothes. The fact is that during machine processing, individual fibers may come off. They stick to other things and will not be easy to remove. To prevent clothes from fading, they must be sorted by color. This section will provide recommendations on how to wash wool in a washing machine.

To do this, it is important to remember three basic rules:

• Choose your detergent carefully. To do this, you need to study the instructions and make sure that it is intended specifically for wool;
• do not make a mistake in choosing the operating mode of the machine. This could be the program function “wool” or “delicates”;
• The machine must have the spin function turned off. If this is not done, woolen clothing may stretch.

Washing in an automatic machine does not take much time. To ensure that woolen items retain their attractive appearance for a long time, it is recommended to follow these rules:

• select the required washing mode, which would ensure slow rotation of the drum and prevent sudden fluctuations in water temperature. To do this, the mode switch should be set to the “Wool” or “Delicate Wash” function;
• disable the “spin” function;
• pour the selected detergent into the cuvette;
• turn on the car;
• After the end of the machine's operating cycle, open the drum door, but do not remove the contents. This is done so that the woolen clothes “rest” and the water drains from them. After this, the contents should be laid out on a terry cloth and the water should be squeezed out with stroking movements of the hand;
• dry.

Before washing, a blanket, pillow or blanket made of wool can be soaked for 20 minutes in an aqueous solution with a small amount of detergent. Before loading them into the drum, they must be rinsed and then allowed to drain.

How to wash a wool coat

Needless to say, before washing a wool coat, you should study the label on it. Today, in addition to wool, other raw materials are used to make such products.

Please note that the more wool there is in the fabric, the less chance you have of maintaining the shape of your favorite coat using an automatic machine.

Do not neglect the basic principles of how to wash a coat made of wool:

• Temperature up to 30°C;
• Turn off spin;
• Use only those cleaners that are intended for woolen products;
• Program the device for “Hand Wash”.

Drying

Woolen items can be damaged not only during washing, but also if dried incorrectly. If you do not follow the drying rules, the clothes may become deformed and it will be impossible to restore their original appearance.

First of all, it is important to remember that you should not hang dry woolen items. You need to forget about hangers and clotheslines. The fact is that under their own weight they can stretch out and lose their original size. Air heaters, hair dryers or other heating devices are also excluded.

It is necessary to dry only in a straightened form on a flat surface in a warm and ventilated area. For example, on a glazed loggia or balcony. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the sun's rays do not fall on your clothes. For better drying, woolen items are turned over from time to time.

A few tricks

Before washing woolen items in a washing machine or by hand, learn some tricks that will help make the process easier and preserve the properties of these clothes:

• Better than washing delicate woolen items (angora, alpaca, etc.)? For them, you should not use powder that contains a lot of alkali. After drying, the product may become harsh, and you can even feel the residue of the cleaning product on your skin. Regular hair shampoo is perfect. Soak the item in it, then rinse at least 4 times.
• Even the most unpretentious product made from natural fiber will shrink if you overdo it with the water temperature. We have already mentioned how to wash woolen items by hand or in a machine to prevent them from shrinking. If the clothes are dirty, it is better to pre-treat them with peroxide, lemon powder, mustard water or vinegar, but do not clean them with high temperature.
• All types of woolen clothing can be soaked in warm water. Add a little soda (2 tablespoons) or vinegar. Ammonia also works well as a softener.

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