How to properly wash a wool sweater in a machine and by hand

Everyone has woolen items in their wardrobe, but not everyone knows how to properly care for them. Maintaining such clothes in their original condition is a difficult task, since wool is very sensitive to various chemicals.

Careless actions in the wash can cause your favorite sweater to shrink or, on the contrary, stretch out. There is a significant advantage in such things - wool does not quickly become dirty, so it should not be washed too often.

But when it comes to it, the main thing is to do everything according to the rules. This article is intended to answer all questions about how to wash a wool sweater.

Proper washing of woolen items: basic rules

Due to the delicacy of woolen products, they require careful handling to avoid loss of shape or damage to the material itself.

Items made of wool do not tolerate intense and rough impact. Almost all wool fabrics are best suited to hand washing rather than machine washing.

The first thing you need to do is study the information on the item's label.
Woolen items should be exposed to water as little as possible; if contact with water cannot be avoided, then it should be reduced to the shortest possible time.
Any wool item should be turned inside out before washing.
Woolen items should be washed separately from other items. If several items will be washed, they should match each other's color.
The water should be no higher than 30 degrees.
Do not expose the item to temperature changes; the water during washing and rinsing should be at the same temperature. Failure to comply with this rule can simply disrupt the structure of the material and render the item unusable.
When washing a wool jumper, you should use products specifically designed for this material.
Wool is surprisingly elastic, but careless handling during rinsing can deprive it of its shape; the same applies to spinning - it can cause stretching of the fabric.

Washing a sweater: where to start?

First of all, look at the label and determine what material your favorite item is made of. You may have a woolen, knitted sweater or a product made from synthetic fibers in your hands. Each type of fabric requires an individual approach. The color and texture of the product also deserve special attention.

Machine washable

A white jacket requires special care and does not tolerate proximity to colored things. In addition, it must be periodically bleached using special detergents. Refer to label directions as direct care instructions.

Don't neglect sorting things by color and texture. Pay special attention to the temperature conditions and do not machine wash items that are clearly stated to be hand-cleanable only.

Choice of product

If you need to wash woolen products, the question becomes, what kind of powder can you use?

When choosing a detergent, you need to pay attention to the following series of requirements:

the packaging of the detergent must indicate that it is intended for woolen products and does not contain alkali;
the composition should not include various enzymes and bleaches;
If possible, the choice should be made in favor of liquid detergent rather than powder. Powders contain many substances that impart hardness. Liquid, gel-like products are washed out well, have minimal impact on the material and remove dirt just as well as powders;
the use of a stain remover is acceptable if it states that it is suitable for delicate fabrics;
You can wash a mohair jumper using simple shampoo.

How to wash a wool sweater by hand

Hand washing is the most appropriate and optimal method for this material. However, as in washing any things, you also need to adhere to some rules:

a wool sweater should not be soaked;
before washing, the item is turned inside out;
Washing is carried out in a large amount of water because... Woolen items absorb moisture quite a lot;
water temperature no higher than 30 degrees;
Since an alkaline environment is contraindicated for wool, the use of soap is not permissible here. Also, to preserve the item, if possible, you can soften and oxidize the water using improvised or special means;
during the washing process, strong friction and twisting of them is unacceptable, wrinkling is also not advisable, as this may damage the fibers, which will lead to shapelessness of the product;
Rinsing the sweater should be done in water at the same temperature as when washing. Rinse should be repeated several times;
You cannot wring out a wool sweater; excess water should drain naturally. You can also press a terry towel to absorb moisture, and then send it to dry.

Tips for hand washing

The best way to keep your sweater clean and fresh is to wash it by hand. In order for the product to retain its original dimensions, a number of conditions must be met:

soaking the sweater for a long time is unacceptable;
clothes should be washed inside out;
before washing the sweater, the cleaning agent should be dissolved in water;
You should wash the jacket by hand carefully, avoiding excessive mechanical stretching of the fibers;
You cannot twist the product to squeeze water out of it, this will lead to a change in its shape.

Helpful advice! Grease stains from the surface of woolen clothes can be cleaned with mustard. The powder must be diluted with water, the mixture must be transferred to gauze and squeezed into water. During rinsing, you can add ammonia (20 ml per 10 liters of water).

How to wash a sweater in a washing machine

You should immediately warn that frequent machine washing leads to a decrease in the quality of the product and its damage. Let's look at how to properly wash a sweater in an automatic machine:

Machine washing of woolen items should be carried out with the “gentle wash”, “wool”, “delicate fabrics”, etc. program set;
If a sweater or pullover has fasteners or loops, they can be pulled together or sewn with thread while washing - this will prevent them from stretching;
Before washing in the washing machine, the woolen product must be placed in a special bag;
you need to wash the sweater without other things;
the best temperature will be 30 degrees;
The duration of washing should not exceed forty minutes;
It is prohibited to use the spin mode, since the risk of stretching and damage to the fibers is quite high.

What household products to use

You should not use universal powder; it must be replaced with a liquid product or a special powder for woolen items. For sensitive products (mohair, alpaca), it is better to use shampoos and soap foam (shavings), mainly from baby soap. To soften water, it is recommended to use vinegar, glycerin or a spoonful of ammonia. When washed in hard water, wool threads may change size (shrink, stretch) and begin to ripple.

Instructions for washing woolen items
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It is not recommended to use soap or other chemicals to wash dark items. It is necessary to use mustard powder or mustard diluted with warm water. To prevent a white item from turning yellow, 2 methods are used before washing:

1 kilogram of chalk crushed into crumbs is dissolved in 3 liters of cold water. After 20-30 minutes of soaking, the item must be removed and rinsed.
Add 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide per liter of water. Soak clothes for 2-3 hours, then rinse thoroughly.

You can soften the wool and remove stains using a folk remedy - a decoction of white beans. You need to cook the beans for several hours, strain the water and soak the clothes, then wash them as usual. Lemon juice will help remove stubborn stains. It is necessary to hold the dirty item in lemon water for half an hour and then rinse.

How to wash a wool sweater to make it shrink

If a situation arises in which you need to shrink things, you can deviate somewhat from the washing recommendations and reduce the sweater to the required size.

The trick is the temperature of the water in which the item will be washed. Depending on it, you can seriously affect the size or simply adjust the size.

In order for the sweater to become smaller thoroughly, machine washing is suitable for this. A water temperature of 60 degrees will cause the sweater to shrink significantly in size. It should be borne in mind that it will become denser, warmer, but more harsh.
You can wash a sweater so that it fits a size two using the temperature contrast of the water. To do this, the recommended temperature is increased by 15-20 degrees, the product is soaked in hot water for 30 minutes. Rinse in cold water. After soaking in a warm environment, placing the sweater in a cold environment will cause the fibers to shrink and the overall size of the item to shrink.
Another way is to dry the sweater on a heating device. By placing it on the battery you can be sure of a reduction in size.

Wash by hand

By refreshing your sweater using a gentle manual method, you can control the procedure at every stage:

First, inspect the product for defects and eliminate them.
Dilute a suitable detergent in a large container of warm water.
Immerse the product in the solution and leave for 10-15 minutes.
Remember the thing carefully.
Drain the dirty liquid.
Rinse the sweater several times in clean water.

Adding conditioner at the last stage will make the fabric soft and pleasant to the touch.

Do you wash by hand?

Oh yes! No

Drying Features

Drying has an important impact on the further appearance and shape of the woolen product. Drying features are as follows:

Having taken the sweater out of the water, you can only slightly squeeze the moisture out of it, not by twisting it. The main water should drain on its own;
After a few hours, when the water has gone, towels will help to quickly dry the jacket, on which the product should be laid out and rolled up. Once the towel gets wet, it should be changed;
To prevent the sweater from stretching under its own weight, you need to dry it horizontally, laying it on the surface until completely dry.

Ironing Features

Typically, woolen products are not ironed, and ironing is recommended in very extreme cases. If the manufacturer provides ironing, it should be done this way:

iron the item only when it is completely dry;
Turn the product inside out before ironing;
you can use slightly damp gauze, this will help avoid shine;
the iron should slide without pressure, gently and without pulling the material;
The ironing temperature should be observed; modern models of irons are equipped with functions such as “woolen items”, which sets the device to a certain suitable temperature. If the iron does not have such modes, you should look at the hint on the label of the item you need to iron.

If you lay out your sweater correctly while still drying, you will most likely not have to iron it.

Some tips

In order to check wool for color fastness, you just need to cut a piece of thread and soak it in warm water and blot it with a light cloth.
To prevent possible shedding, add 2 teaspoons of table vinegar to the water before washing.
Delicate items such as angora wool, alpaca wool or mohair items are best washed with shampoo and rinsed very well and repeatedly.
When washing wool, the water needs to be changed much more often, and not when it gets dirty.
There is no need to use chemicals to bleach or remove light stains on wool items. By pouring citric acid onto a certain area, leaving it for 40 minutes and moisturizing it, you can achieve the desired result.
To soften hard water, add a couple of teaspoons of baking soda and the same amount of vinegar. Avoid getting these substances in pure form on your fur.
If you need to stretch a shrunken item, you need to sprinkle it with water and use an iron to gently stretch the fabric and smooth it out. Treatment with a steamer can also help, giving the product the required size at the same time.
Woolen items should not be washed for more than 40 minutes.

How to remove pellets and is it possible to do this?

Knitted items are prone to pilling. The main reasons for fabric pilling:

natural wear and tear;
increased friction;
yarn is too fluffy;
improper care;
dirt sticking.

The pills from the sweater can be carefully removed. Before doing this, you need to check the item for elongated loops so as not to accidentally cut them off.

Methods for removing pellets:

special machine;
safety razor (not new, slightly dull, but clean);
nail scissors;
soft toothbrush.

Lay out the sweater on a flat surface, straighten it, remove all folds and creases. When cutting the pellets, do not put too much pressure on the fabric. You need to move along the fibers.

Methods such as cleaning with adhesive tape, chewing gum, and sandpaper are not suitable for woolen items. They are ineffective and will lead to even more pile shedding.