Items made from
natural fabrics such as wool are a luxury that we all love. However, whether
you have a fine cashmere sweater, a merino wool onesie or you own a wool doona;
you’ll need to know how to look after it to keep it at its best.
We take a look
at how to care for this beautiful fabric to ensure that it gives you good
service for years to come. It’s much easier than you think.
1.
Airing
One of the best
ways to keep your woollies fresh is to let them air, either indoors or
outdoors. Never put a woollen jumper away immediately after wearing it. It’s
much better to put it in a place where air can circulate around it before you
stash it away. Airing is an extremely effective way to remove sweat odours from
wool and to allow moisture to evaporate. It’s a good idea to air your woollen
quilts regularly too.
2.
Stain Removal
If you spill
anything onto a woollen garment or quilt, remove the stain as soon as you can
to avoid it being absorbed into the fibres. If the stain has dried, run
lukewarm water over the affected area.
3.
Washing
Woollen fibres
are able to keep themselves clean by using moisture control to remove odours.
It’s also naturally wrinkle-resistant and stain-resistant, which means that you
shouldn’t have to wash woollen items quite as often as you would those made
from synthetic fibres.
Many woollen
items can now be machine washed which makes it easier to care for them. If you
are putting them into the machine, be sure to select the wool/silk program or a
delicates or handwash cycle. With the advent of the washable wool
doona, it is possible to wash these at home, but only if your
machine has the capacity.
If you don't
have the correct program you can wash your garments by hand in lukewarm water.
Don’t scrub or wring the wet garment but move it gently through the water.
Rinse it thoroughly and roll the garment in a dry towel to absorb excess water.
It’s always best
to use a detergent that’s designed for woollen garments; however, if this is
not available, you can use hair shampoo when handwashing.
4.
Drying
Woollen garments
should be gently pulled into shape before air drying. Try to avoid the use of
tumble driers as they are likely to shrink woollen items. Big and heavy items,
such as quilts should be laid flat, preferably outside.
5.
Storing
When you pack
away woollen items you will need to protect them from moths, so keep your
woollies in cotton bags together with some cedar balls. And always fold jumpers rather than hanging
them.
Caring for
woollen items is easy when you know how and when they are properly looked after
should last you for years to come.
