How to wash woolen clothes?

Knitted and woolen items are delicate items that require special treatment. If not properly cared for, they can deteriorate. If you know all the secrets of proper care and washing of such things, then they will delight you with their impeccable appearance for a long time.

In the cold season, it is so nice to wear knitted things. They allow you to feel not only warmth, but also incredible coziness and comfort. Like any other clothing, these products also need to be washed periodically. Those who are not the first to come across knitted specimens know for sure that they should not be washed often. Washing is recommended 1-2 times a year. For example, this can be done after the end of the cold season. Let's take a closer look at what other features these things have:

• Do not use long soaking if you want to rid the product of unpleasant odors and dirt. Prolonged contact with hot water can cause your favorite item to become a couple of sizes smaller or larger.
• If the product is delicate and there is a risk of spoiling it at home, then it is better to take it to a dry cleaner, where professionals in their field will perfectly cope with the problem, after which they will return the item to you in its original form.
• It is worth remembering that woolen products do not withstand temperature extremes. Under such conditions, they can be deformed. That is why in no case should such delicate clothes be soaked in hot water, and then rinsed in cold water. From this, the fibers can deteriorate and deform.

Wool products do not need frequent washing, but despite this, it often becomes necessary to rid them at home of a persistent and unpleasant odor or some kind of stain. You can return a clean and fragrant appearance to things without washing.

For example, various stains and dirt are easily cleaned (especially from felted wool products) if they are allowed to dry completely. You can clean the stain with a regular brush, but not too hard.

You can easily get rid of the bad smell. It will be enough that you air a sweater, hat, blanket or blanket in the fresh air. And if a wardrobe item needs to be washed, then this should be done in accordance with all the rules, taking into account the characteristics of the fabric.

A gossamer, a down scarf, a beret or a shawl especially need careful care and more frequent washing, as they are a type of outerwear. I have to wash my socks more often. For products made from camel, sheep or angora yarn, ordinary powders cannot be used. It is better to replace them with shampoo. During washing, you can not twist or stretch the thing, otherwise it will lose its shape and presentable appearance.

So that the wool does not sit down, it is necessary to follow all the rules of washing. Cashmere, for example, should be washed exclusively by hand, otherwise you can greatly damage the product by using a machine wash.

Be sure to check the products for integrity, otherwise after washing, small holes and puffs will become even larger.

If the product is very “fluffy”, for example, from Angora yarn, then before washing it can be pre-combed with a special brush. This will allow you to rid the item of some contaminants, which will facilitate the main wash process. In addition, this method will help rid clothes of pellets and prevent their occurrence.

Many housewives try to remove stains with ordinary washing powder, which is used during each wash. But you absolutely cannot do this:

• Firstly, many powders contain bleach particles that adversely affect knitted and woolen fabrics. And after washing, the thing may change its color - lighter spots will appear that will spoil the appearance of the product.
• Secondly, the powder detergent is more difficult to wash out of a fabric of such a texture and there is a risk that after rinsing, detergent particles will still remain on things.

You can purchase a special gel for washing woolen things or a liquid powder. Consult with the seller or carefully study the composition and instructions of the product. Such mixtures will not only thoroughly cope with pollution, but will not damage the villi, and will also make the product soft and fluffy.

You can try the "grandmother's" method, which helps in many cases. But it is only suitable for dark things. You will need the most common mustard powder:

• 100-150 g of dry mustard must be dissolved in a glass of warm water.
• After an hour, the liquid should be strained to make sure that powder particles do not fall on clothing.
• Then this concentrate should be poured into a basin with warm water and can be washed.

White things can be bleached with a pharmacy product. We are talking about hydrogen peroxide:

• It will be enough to add 1 tsp of peroxide to a basin of water.
• Then you need to immerse a white woolen product there for an hour.
• After that, it should be washed in the usual way.

This method will help not only maintain the whiteness of a sweater or hat, but also save them from yellow spots that appear over time.

During hand washing, remember that the water temperature should not exceed 30°C. You can measure it with a regular baby bath thermometer. If you are using a powder product, make sure it is completely dissolved in the water. Only after that, immerse things in the cleaning compound.

If you decide to wash the item in the washing machine, then you should read the information on the tag. Find out at what temperature in degrees it can be cleaned. It is advisable to wash clothes made of wool at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. Modern washing machines have a “wool” mode that will help you wash things at the correct temperature (without using a strong spin).

If you wash things with your hands, then remember that you can not soak them for longer than 10-15 minutes. During washing, do not twist the product, do not rub it too aggressively, so as not to damage the delicate fibers. Try to handle clothing as gently and carefully as possible. Keep in mind that such woolen things “drink” water a lot, so you need to soak clothes in a lot of it.

After washing by hand, also rinse things in water of the same temperature (that is, warm). If you do this in cold water, then the product will deteriorate from the temperature difference. Remember that from If the liquid is too cold, the knitted items are strongly stretched, and if the liquid is too hot, they shrink.

Rinsing should take place in several stages. The final option should be in barely cool water, which will help to finally get rid of the detergent on the fabric.

You need to wash things in the machine if you have a delicate mode. You can find out information about this on the machine, near the settings or in the manual. If your technique does not have a delicate spin and a mode that will allow you to wash clothes at low temperatures and low speeds, then it is better not to risk it and clean the item by hand.

A lot also depends on proper drying. You can wash things according to all the rules, keeping their shape and color, but ruin them during drying. To avoid trouble, it is worth remembering all the rules for drying woolen things:

• Lay out a large towel on a flat surface. It is better to use terry cloth (it absorbs moisture better).
• Carefully place the washed item on it. Flatten it, but do not stretch or fold it so that it dries properly.
• As soon as the towel becomes wet, it can be changed with another one. Repeat these steps until the product is completely rid of excess moisture and dries completely.
• The thing must be periodically turned to the other side.

In no case should things be hung on a rope or hanger during drying. Because of this, wool clothes are easily deformed and will have to be washed again to restore their original appearance.

Try not to dry things on radiators and batteries. Do not rid them of excess water and outdoors in direct sunlight. Choose a cool but windy day.

In order to properly dry the gossamer or downy scarf, you will need a wooden frame:

• First, rid the washed product of excess moisture, as described above.
• Stretch it on the frame, gently nailing it.
• It is better to put the frame in a draft, and then leave it like that until it dries completely.
• After that, you can iron the thing on a weak mode.
• Be sure to iron through gauze.

It is best to dry the hat on any object. Each hostess comes up with something of her own. Someone dries on a vase, someone on balls. The main thing is to dry the hat in such a way that it does not lose its shape.

And a few more secrets that will help you extend the "life" of your favorite things:

• To prevent the item from shedding before washing, you can safely add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar (no more than 25%) to the basin with the prepared soap solution.
• Angora wool products are best washed with shampoo. And don't forget to rinse your clothes more thoroughly. It's better to do this several times.
• If the thing is too dirty, then during the hand wash, you should change the water several times.
• Dark spots from a white product will help to remove ordinary citric acid. Wet the problem area, sprinkle powder on top and leave for an hour. After that, you can start the normal wash.
• If after washing your favorite thing has sat down, then the right method will help bring it back to its previous state: moisten the wardrobe item with water using a spray bottle, iron it thoroughly, gently stretching it.
• Also, shrunken things can be restored to their previous appearance with the help of a home steamer.
• To make sure that the colored thing will not shed, just dip the thread of the product in hot water, and then wrap it in a cotton cloth. After some time, it will either stain the fabric or not.
• Be sure to use a conditioner to soften the fabric and also restore its original appearance.

• Delicate shawls and knitted scarves should be stored in linen bags so that they do not deteriorate over time. The storage of other wool products also needs to be stored especially delicately.
• To keep your sweater or cardigan in shape, keep it folded in your closet, not on a hanger. Remember that heavy things should not lie on top of them.
• If the item is washed in the washing machine without turning it inside out, the pile will be damaged and the product will become untidy.
• Never pour powder or pour gel on problematic, contaminated areas.Detergent must be dissolved in water, otherwise the wardrobe item can be spoiled.
• Woolen garments should only be ironed on the wrong side. Be sure to see the recommendations on the tag (regarding the ironing temperature).
• Before storing winter clothes in a closet for the summer, be sure to clean them, air them, and wash them if necessary. Never dispose of them when they are dirty.
• Before washing in the machine, make sure that the buttons are well attached to the garment.
• Gossamer and other light items should never be placed down (under a pile of other clothes). Under weight, the thing will deform.
• Be sure to lay out a special tool in the closet that will prevent damage to woolen items, as well as protect them from the appearance of moths.

How to wash woolen things by hand, see the following video.