How to wash wool items?

Everyone knows that wool is a whimsical fabric and needs special care. Woolen clothes can only be washed in cool water, otherwise they will deteriorate - stretch or sit down. In addition, it is important to dry them in a special way and use special washing agents. If you follow all the rules, the products will last a long time and will look like new.

Features of woolen fabrics

It is right to start with the fact that wool is of different types. This is cashmere, angora, merino, sheepskin, mohair, etc. Each fabric has its own requirements for washing and leaving in general. Only one thing unites them - the natural structure. Wool, like hair, is covered with keratinized scales. Under the influence of water, temperatures, chemistry, these flakes open, and the villi become especially vulnerable. They are easily compacted and interlocked like hooks. As a result, the woolen thing can be strongly deformed and it will be impossible to restore it.

The whimsicality of the wool depends on its variety, the method of dressing, the presence of synthetic impurities, the cut of the finished thing. To increase wear resistance, flakes on woolen threads are often burned with hypochlorous acid, and then treated with a special composition (dressing). From this, woolen fabrics acquire shine and stop sitting during washing, but fully retain heat-saving properties.

How to wash wool - 5 general rules

As already mentioned, the coat is different. Therefore, it is correct when guided by the information on the label of a particular thing. It is forbidden to wash some products at all, and the only thing that the manufacturer admits is dry cleaning (of course, not at home).

If for some reason there are no labels with recommendations for washing on a woolen thing, you should follow the general rules:

1. Wool is soaked for a maximum of half an hour.
2. Use warm water for washing.
3. Detergents - liquid (powdery must first be dissolved).
4. Several rinses, in a large amount of warm water.
5. Woolen clothes only slightly wring out without twisting or allow water to drain.

What is the temperature for washing wool?

In hot water, wool loses its strength and slowly breaks up into fibers. Therefore, wash wool products at a temperature of 30-38 degrees. This is quite enough for soft pollution to soften and easily fall behind things. If washing is necessary for refreshment, you can not heat the water at all, but use it immediately at cold or room temperature.

Wool is not afraid of cold water, unless it stays in it for a long time. So, with a 20-fold finding for 24 hours, its slight hydrolysis (decomposition) begins. But in general, low temperatures can only hurt during sudden changes. For example, a wool sweater was washed in hot water, and rinsed in cold water - then the product will sit down.

How to wash woolen things?

Conventional laundry detergents are harmful to wool. They contain a lot of alkali, which is able to dissolve natural fiber without residue. If you leave a woolen thing in a 5% solution of caustic soda, there will be no trace of it. The fact is that the coat is of animal origin and consists of 75-85% keratin protein. Alkali is designed to dissolve protein pollution, so it spoils animal fibers.But at the same time, the wool fabric is resistant to acids.

In industry, to remove vegetable litter (burdock, etc.) from the wool, it is washed in a 5% sulfuric acid solution. And for the purification of natural tissues from cotton, flax and other plants from protein impurities, a 5% sodium hydroxide solution is used.

For washing products from wool at home, a separate line of detergents is produced. They have the following notes:

• “Phosphate-free”
• “For delicate things”
• "For products from wool and silk."

Special gels and powders are available from Perwoll, Royal Powder, Laska, Sonett, Frosch and others. As for folk remedies for washing wool, experienced housewives are advised to use:

• shampoo;
• liquid soap with the addition of 1 tbsp. l boers (for 5-7 kg of woolen things);
• grated laundry soap;
• mustard powder (30 g per 2 l of water).

To prevent the wool from cracking and falling off, it is recommended to use an additional conditioner and rinse aid when washing. Purchased product can be replaced with a homemade composition. To do this, hair balm, vinegar and water are mixed in a ratio of 2: 3: 6. For 5 l of water, the flow rate is approximately 120 ml. Alternative recipe: for 5 liters of water you need to take 5 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of glycerin.

Washing frequency

Wool does not like water and chemistry, so it is advisable to wash products from it as little as possible. If the item is not contaminated critically, it is recommended to use alternative cleaning methods:

• Unpleasant odor is easily removed from the wool when airing for 24-48 hours.
• Stains from food, drinks, lipstick are wiped with a damp cloth or a solution of alcohol.
• Salted areas are cleaned with ammonia and a soft brush.
• Oil stains and traces of paint are removed with turpentine or gasoline.
• To remove coffee, tea, milk from the wool, you can use glycerin slightly heated in a water bath.

We wash the wool with our hands: step by step instructions

Washing woolly items by hand is the best option. This requires more time and effort, but eliminates the risk of damage to the product. All you need is to follow a simple instruction:

1. Fasten the product on all buttons (lock) and turn inside out.
2. Pour warm water into a large basin and control the temperature (30-35 degrees).
3. Add the detergent to the water according to the instructions on the packaging and mix thoroughly until a foam appears.
4. Lower the woolen thing and leave it in the basin for 5-30 minutes.
5. Rub the spots of dirt with stroking movements (you can use a soft brush).
6. Rinse the product in a large amount of warm water, draining it at least 3 times.

If the label on things is cut off and there is no certainty that it is made of wool, you can check this as follows. From the inside, you need to find the free end of the woolen thread, which is swept over the edge of the product (you need quite a bit, 3-4 mm). Next, you need to carefully cut it, without damaging the integrity of the product itself, and burn it with a lighter. The smell of a singed feather will mean that the thread is woolen. Moreover, if it is 100% natural, it will burn without residue and turn into black ash, and if mixed with synthetics, it will leave a solid charred head.

Instructions for washing wool in a washing machine

Automatic washing is permissible if a certain percentage of synthetics is present in the product or if it is processed with a special compound. You need to look for relevant information on the label. If the manufacturer permits, you can safely get down to business.

How to wash wool in a washing machine?

1. Prepare products for washing: inspect for damage, fasten and turn inside out.
2. Pour detergent into the powder compartment, and conditioner in a small container with an asterisk (flower).
3. Select the Wool program.
4. Wait until the wash is complete.

If there is no special program in the machine, you can use “Hand wash”, “Delicate wash” or set the appropriate parameters yourself:

• temperature - 30 degrees;
• washing time - 30 minutes;
• remove the spin;
• add rinse.

How to dry woolen things?

Drying woolen products is no less responsible process than washing. So that things do not deform, they can not be hung on clothespins or ropes. Wool is dried only horizontally (with the exception of coats and jackets). How to do it right?

1. Lay the wet item horizontally on a terry towel, flatten and allow moisture to drain. A woolen sweater, blanket or other product of a simple shape (except for a beret) can be covered with a second towel, rolled into a roller and squeezed lightly.
2. If you have an oven at home, set the temperature to 100–105 °.
3. If there is no drying, put things in a well-ventilated room on moisture-absorbing material (towel, sheet). Make sure they lie flat, seam to seam.
4. Be patient. You need to dry the coat for about a day. Periodically, the fabric under it needs to be changed, and the product itself is turned over.

Woolen things will dry faster if the room will have air conditioning or a heater. You do not need to direct them or bring them closer to the product. It is enough to make the air warm and dry.

Shrink wool

All of the above recommendations help maintain the original appearance of the product. But sometimes you need to wash a thing - for example, a wool sweater - so that it sits down. To do this, use the following technology:

1. Dip the sweater in soapy water, heated to 50-60 degrees, for 10 minutes.
2. Erase it as usual.
3. Rinse in cool water (15-20 degrees).

It is important not to arrange too sharp temperature changes, otherwise the shrinkage will exceed all expectations. A woolen jacket can be reduced by 3-4 sizes and turn from excessively large into small. In addition, care should be taken when spinning and drying. In hot water, the pile fluffs and is especially easily deformed.

Woolen clothes require careful handling and additional energy costs for washing. But on the other hand, they reliably retain the heat of their master's body and look beautiful. Therefore, it is worth trying to remember simple rules for grooming. It’s easy - there are only 5 most important points!