It’s no secret, as a family, we love wool clothing (and bedding). We all use it and can’t rate it enough. However, this blog post isn’t about the benefits of wool(!), but about how to wash a delicate fabric. Here is a step-by-step guide to how I wash and care for wool. (please always read your care labels).

1. Do you need to wash it?

Wool is a self-regulating fibre and therefore doesn’t need to be washed as often as other clothing. It is also extremely delicate, so washing less often will increase the longevity of your clothing. So, before you throw your wool clothing in the wash basket, ask yourself if it really needs washing today.

At an extreme level: When my daughter occasionally leaked through her nappy at night and her merino wool sleeping bag was damp, I would often leave it to air dry (wool dries incredibly fast), and found that there were no marks or smell in the morning. I could then use it again without washing it. It doesn’t sound very appealing, but wool is moisture wicking, hypoallergenic and mould and mildew resistant. So, why bother washing it if you don’t need to?

But of course the time will come when your wool clothes do need washing. This is the process I follow to keep my wool clothing in the best condition, to allow for optimum performance and ‘shelf life’.

2. Pre treatment and soaking wool.

My top tip: Relax, go with the flow and don’t break out a sweat!

Unfortunately, babies and toddlers have accidents and clothes get stained. If you want to ensure the longevity and best performance of your wool clothing, then you are going to have to get on board with the fact that stains are a part of parenting. I suggest you resist the urge to vigorously remove them, as this can impact the performance, shape and longevity of your wool clothing. That means no soaking in bleach or washing detergent. If you need to soak your wool, do it in lukewarm or cold water only and for a limited amount of time.

You may find special wool soaking detergent, so please feel free to do your own research. For me, I just avoid using anything as I don’t feel the need and don’t want to risk upsetting the delicate wool fabric.  

People always say sunshine is the best way to naturally remove stains, which is true. However, (and unfortunately) you want to avoid direct sunlight when drying wool as too much heat can upset the fabric and impact the shape of the clothing.

Another option is to rinse the wool clothing immediately (if you can). Do this on a spin speed of 800 (no more). You could also handwash (no detergent, or a small amount of wool friendly detergent) and move the stain around with your hands to loosen it up (but be gentle).

3. Wool Wash Cycle and Wool Detergent

A lot of wool clothing says it can be washed at 40 degrees, but I have found 30 degrees to be perfectly adequate. This not only increases the longevity of the wool clothing but is also better for the environment. My wool setting is a spin speed of 800, I then choose 30 degrees and it takes 49 minutes!

I use Faith in Nature laundry liquid for all our clothing; normal clothes, wool clothes, nappies, sheets etc. It works really well for us. The brand of wool clothing you have may suggest their own detergent, so do check that out as well if you want.

DO NOT USE: fabric softener, bleach, bio detergent or other harsh chemicals or stain removers.

My top tip: Use mesh bags to avoid holes and tearing!

I put clothing into laundry mesh bags to protect them. You can either put the clothes that need protecting in the mesh bag, or the clothes that may cause damage! Whatever works best, you just want to keep them separate whilst in the washing machine.  Things to look out for that might cause damage:

• Zips
• Velcro
• Poppers

I would always suggest doing up poppers and zips regardless of if you are using as mesh bag or not.

4. Drying wool clothes.

I know it may not always be possible, but I would suggest avoiding tumble drying wool clothing. If you do need to, follow the instructions on the care label very carefully.

Line dry where possible but avoid direct sunlight. You can also make use of an airing cupboard if you have one, as long as it doesn’t get too hot. Avoid hanging wool directly onto radiators.

Knitwear and jumpers etc can be dried flat to help keep their shape.

Wool clothing dries really fast, so you shouldn’t really need to cut corners anyway. Just let mother nature do it’s work!

My top tip: To keep my wool clothing feeling soft I give it a good shake out once it is dry (not too vigorously). Make sure it is fully dry otherwise you might upset the shape of the clothing.

I hope you find this blog post on how to wash wool clothes useful. If you have any questions I would be happy to hear from you; yourecoroots@gmail.com

This blog is meant to give guidance on how to care and wash wool clothing. However, each clothing brand will have their own guidance, and I suggest you always read the care labels carefully. This is information on how I wash my clothing. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to clothing.