How to care for a wool jumper?
First of all, wool does not need to be washed very often because the lanolin oils in wool make it naturally antimicrobial.
So, as long as your wool garments are only subject to moderate wear and tear and you allow them to air out, you won't have to put them in your washing machine or hand wash them as often as a conventional garment.
In situations where you think a wash would be useful, resist the urge to take them to the dry cleaners. The solvents used in dry cleaning are very aggressive to wool fibres and will definitely damage them.
Resting woolen clothes between portages
It is important to let wool garments rest between uses for at least 24 hours. This gives the wool fibre strength and bounce and time to recover and regain its original shape.
Keeping your wool jumper in good condition
Wool jumpers should be stored folded flat but avoid folding and storing your wool jumpers directly after wearing them. It is best to hang them on the back of a chair to air them out before folding and storing them in a drawer or cupboard. Also make sure you don't fold them too much, as this can crease them. You should not hang woollen jumpers on hangers as this will stretch the garment. And if you are hanging a woollen jumper - never pull the hanger through the neckline - pull it out from underneath.
Wash wool as little as possible
When someone asks us how to wash their woollen jumpers, our best advice is simply that you shouldn't! Or at least you don't normally have to. It may sound strange and unhealthy, but wool has natural antibacterial and odour-fighting properties that make washing largely unnecessary - sometimes even bad for the fibre itself.
Simply hang your woollen clothes in the open air or spray them gently (or hang them in the bathroom while you shower a little of both) to refresh them again.
Between uses, you can clean your wool clothes with a soft cloth, a clothes brush, brushing lengthwise to remove dust and dirt that can dull the appearance of wool fabrics and even become stains later on.
Wash the wool thoroughly
When you need to wash your wool garment, say if there is a stain or smell that won't go away, make sure you follow the instructions on the care label. It's best to hand wash in cold water and make sure you use a gentle detergent suitable for wool.
Some woollen garments are machine washable at a low temperature (30°C). In this case, just make sure you wash separately and with similar coloured woollen clothes.
Handling tasks
If you have a stain on your garment, treat it immediately with the solution recommended for the specific stain and let it air dry. By doing this, you don't have to wash the whole garment, which will save both energy and material.
Wool clothing: flat drying recommended
After washing, it is imperative to dry your clothes flat on a towel to keep their shape. Hanging them to dry can cause stretching and drying will cause severe shrinkage and dry out the fibres.
Once you have placed the garment on the towel, be sure to stretch your garment to its original shape. Finally, make sure the garment is completely dry before storing it.
Avoiding moths
Since wool is a protein fibre, this makes it attractive to moths that can destroy your clothes. Food stains and body oils attract moths even more, so make sure that woolen clothes are clean and dry before storing them.
It may even be worth investing in mothballs or cedarwood to place in your drawers or cupboard to keep moths away.
When storing your wool jumpers for the summer, make sure you store them in a natural material that breathes and avoid plastic bags as they can attract moisture, build up static electricity or even discolour the clothes.
Peeling of woolen clothes
It is natural for a wool product to ply at first. When wool is spun into a yarn, the lengths of the fibres may differ in length. The shorter fibres tend to stick out on the surface in certain areas exposed to friction after use.
You can easily remove pilling with an anti-pilling comb or gently run a fabric razor over the fibre. Be careful not to rub too hard against the fabric as this could damage it and create more pilling.
Avoid using a dust roller for wool garments, the sticky side can pull the fibres and cause further pilling, instead use a clothes brush to get rid of dust and dirt.