How to wash woolen items?

In the wardrobe of any modern person, both adults and children, there is sure to be at least one woolen item. As a rule, these are favorite clothes because they are warm and cozy, they are comfortable to wear and are always in fashion. But sooner or later there is a need to wash it. How to do this so as not to spoil the material and keep the thing “in service”? Let's try to answer this question by summarizing the experience of housewives and the recommendations of specialists.

How does wool behave when washed?

Washing woolen products is a labor-intensive and somewhat risky process, since wool is a delicate material and requires special attention. Under unfavorable conditions, woolen fabric can become deformed, shrink and stretch.

Important! Since water does not have a very good effect on wool fibers, in order not to spoil your favorite clothes, the entire washing process should take no more than 45 minutes.

What does she “not like”?

Woolen items require special care, so fans of clothing made from this natural material should know what not to do with them. So, they don’t like wool products:

• high temperatures and their changes;
• aggressive influences, such as creases and friction;
• direct sunlight;
• powder detergents.

By the way, Wool “doesn’t like” wet cleaning, so try to wash such clothes as rarely as possible. To refresh your favorite sweater, sometimes it is enough to ventilate it well, and local dirt can be cleaned with a solution of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide without exposing the entire fabric to moisture.

How to properly wash a woolen item?

If you do not follow the recommendations of specialists, you can cause irreparable damage to your favorite thing. Therefore, carefully follow the tips for washing woolen items.

Preparation

1. First of all, inspect the item for stains so that you know what places to pay attention to when processing.
2. Clothing made from mohair or angora should be combed before washing to remove surface dirt.
3. Study the label on the clothing, where the manufacturer indicates the permitted means and effects, so as not to cause harm to your favorite clothes.
4. To ensure that the front side of the item is less exposed to negative influences when washing, turn the garment inside out.

Important! Do not forget that woolen items should be washed separately from others, as lint easily sticks to other items and these wool particles are then very difficult to remove.

Machine washable

The bravest housewives prefer to wash woolen items in a washing machine. If there is no prohibitory sign on the label, then this is completely acceptable.. Once the product has been properly prepared for processing, proceed as follows:

• pour wool detergent into the special compartment;
• add a little special conditioner to another compartment;
• set the “wool”, “delicate” or “hand wash” mode;
• set the temperature to 30 degrees;
• make sure that the spin is either turned off completely or does not exceed 400 rpm;
• Before putting it in the machine, place the sweater in a special laundry net, which will prevent it from deforming.

After the wash cycle is complete, remove the item, leave it for a while to drain off excess water, and send it to dry.

At what temperature?

You can wash woolen clothes only in lukewarm water at about 25–30 degrees. Increasing the temperature to 40 degrees or its changes during the washing process lead to deformation of wool fibers, as a result, the item stretches or shrinks.

Important! Washing in hot water is allowed only if it is necessary to shrink the item. However, you should resort to this method only as a last resort, after other, more gentle measures have been tried: ironing through a damp cloth or stretching a slightly damp product with your hands.

What products are suitable?

When you are going to wash your favorite sweater or hat, stop using powder products – they are difficult to rinse and can damage the structure of the fabric. There are special liquids or gels for washing woolen items that contain lanolin. This substance envelops the fabric fibers and protects them from breakage and deformation.

In addition, you can use home remedies, which we will discuss below. They do not spoil wool fibers, while carefully cleaning items from dirt.Experienced housewives advise using regular shampoo to wash products made from mohair and angora wool.

Important! Do not add a lot of detergent to the water, as the soap solution is difficult to rinse out of loose wool.

It is allowed to use a small amount of industrial conditioner and bleach, which are designed specifically for woolen fabrics, or “homemade” analogues of such products.

How to wash by hand?

Hand washing is less aggressive than machine washing, therefore it is more preferable for woolen items. If you follow just a few simple rules, you can wash your favorite clothes without harming them:

• adhere to the recommended water temperature no higher than 30 degrees;
• the difference in water temperature during washing and rinsing is unacceptable;
• When washing, use special liquid detergents for wool products;
• do not rub or twist things, as wool fibers are easily damaged; only active rinsing and light squeezing are allowed.

Important! Since wool is a porous material and absorbs a lot of water, when washing such items, pour more water into the container than for washing ordinary textiles.

Differences in washing light and dark wool

Before washing, sort woolen items: white and dark items should be washed separately from each other.

Light-colored items made from natural wool may turn yellow over time; in this case, gentle bleaching of the item is required. Since wool is a delicate material, most industrial bleaches can damage it, so for bleaching it is better to use improvised means that you always have in the house:

• hydrogen peroxide, diluted in the proportion of 1 tbsp.a spoonful of the product per 1 liter of warm water, can be used for briefly soaking yellowed items, then the clothes should be washed and rinsed well;
• Crushed chalk will also help to whiten the product, 1 kg of which should be diluted in 3 liters of warm water, hold the woolen item in this solution, periodically stirring the solution, rinse and wash.

When machine washing, it is allowed to use industrial bleaches designed specifically for woolen fabrics..

For woolen items of dark shades, dry mustard is sometimes used: 1 glass of powder is poured with cold water, infused, filtered, the infusion is poured into a basin of water, where your favorite sweater is washed. As a conditioner, you can use ammonia, previously diluted in water at the rate of 1 teaspoon per liter of water, which softens wool very well.

Important! To prevent the color from washing out of woolen items, add 1-2 tbsp to the water. spoons of table vinegar. This method is also good for colored items to prevent shedding.

For that to determine whether the fabric is shedding or not, moisten a small area of ​​it with hot water and press a white cloth against it for a short time: if the white surface is stained, then adding vinegar when washing this item should be the rule, otherwise you risk “discoloring” your favorite clothes.

Drying rules

The process of drying woolen items requires an equally delicate approach:

• remember that the water from clothes after washing should drain on its own, so either leave it to lie directly in the bathtub, or on a stool in the bathtub;
• Roll the item neatly laid out on a terry towel (without tightening it!) and press lightly - the remaining excess water will be absorbed into the towel;
• Place the product on a dry towel and leave to dry on a horizontal surface.

It is unacceptable to dry woolen clothes on hangers, as in this position they will probably stretch out in the area of ​​the shoulders and sleeves.

Important! Woolen items should be dried in a well-ventilated area at room temperature. Do not allow the item to be in close proximity to heating appliances or expose the item to direct sunlight.

If you follow all the above instructions, you will be able to maintain the decent appearance of your favorite clothes for a long time.