wash my merino wool?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: austin, tx
Posts: 74
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
wash my merino wool?
What will happen if I wash(in cold water) a merino sweater that says "dry clean"?
Will it pill? Or shrink?
Will it pill? Or shrink?
#2
Banned
IDK, Woolite(tm) cold water stuff is made to wash wool at cold water temperatures.
sheep dont shrink after a rainstorm..
sheep dont shrink after a rainstorm..
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 295
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#4
Mmm hm!
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 1,164
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I wash all of my Icebreaker merino wools on cold tap water, gentle cycle, set to low spin, hang air dry only. I wash about once every 8 weeks. I have not noticed any shrinking or destruction of the fabric.
Tip: be careful wearing your merino wool on public transit. If a bedbug decides to hitch a ride, how will you know? The only way to be safe is to wash it on hot and also throw it into the drier on high; thus ruining your wool. Your best bet is never to bring merino where nasty critters are likely to be found.
Tip: be careful wearing your merino wool on public transit. If a bedbug decides to hitch a ride, how will you know? The only way to be safe is to wash it on hot and also throw it into the drier on high; thus ruining your wool. Your best bet is never to bring merino where nasty critters are likely to be found.
#5
Senior Member
According to my wife, knitting and yarn stores sell various wool-washing products that are better than Woolite.
__________________
Knows the weight of my bike to the nearest 10 pounds.
Knows the weight of my bike to the nearest 10 pounds.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 775
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#9
Hopelessly addicted...
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Central Maryland
Posts: 4,955
Bikes: 1949 Hercules Kestrel, 1950 Norman Rapide, 1970 Schwinn Collegiate, 1972 Peugeot UE-8, 1976 Raleigh Sports, 1977 Raleigh Sports, 1977 Jack Taylor Tandem, 1984 Davidson Tandem, 2010 Bilenky "BQ" 650B Constructeur Tandem, 2011 Linus Mixte
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
9 Posts
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: England
Posts: 12,948
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
7 Posts
I wash my wool like I wash my hair, hand hot using a detergent. I find that this works better than a soap, even a gentle woolmark soap. A few drops of washing up liquid or shampoo seem to work well in a gentle wash cycle.
Wash wool on its own, spin at low revs (600 on my machine) and dry flat on a towel away from direct heat and don't stretch it out wet.
If you hand wash, don't agitate too violently, just let it soak for a while, and never wring. I squeeze a balled up item very gently.
The official care pages for my brand of Merino is a good read.
Wash wool on its own, spin at low revs (600 on my machine) and dry flat on a towel away from direct heat and don't stretch it out wet.
If you hand wash, don't agitate too violently, just let it soak for a while, and never wring. I squeeze a balled up item very gently.
The official care pages for my brand of Merino is a good read.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Baltimore/DC
Posts: 2,930
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 170 Post(s)
Liked 156 Times
in
99 Posts
Woolite is not good, nasty chemicals, soap is bad BUT detergent is perfect(Dawn). Hot water is OK, rubbing it when wet is the problem. Here is a link that I have followed for many years. Drying wool is a PIA but I usually do my wool sweaters at the end of the winter season. For wool Ts I use the washing machine and they do not hold up very well, lots of holes. I do not recommend using the machine My sweaters are many years old and look very good, the Ts are only 1-2 years old.
https://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/wash_sweater.shtml
https://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/wash_sweater.shtml
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Utica,NY,USA
Posts: 1,520
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
'Eucalan' brand wool wash. my wife the crazy knitter uses it for all high end wools including qiviut (super expensive musk ox yarn). swish it in a sink, squeeze and air dry.
me? with my Smartwool baselayer i put it in a sweater bag, minimal detergent and tumble it on no heat/air only/fluff setting.
me? with my Smartwool baselayer i put it in a sweater bag, minimal detergent and tumble it on no heat/air only/fluff setting.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Hampton Roads VA
Posts: 1,787
Bikes: '07 Trek 520, '09 Gary Fisher Triton, '04 Trek 8000, '85 Trek 500, '84 Trek 610, '85 Trek 510, '88 Trek 660, '92 Trek 930, Trek Multitrack 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
here is a link to Smartwool's care page.
https://www.smartwool.com/care
https://www.smartwool.com/care
__________________
"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
T. Jefferson
"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
T. Jefferson
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Glastonbury, CT
Posts: 171
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'll echo the vote for Eucalan. My wife, my mother, my sister, and my aunt are all crazy knitters so we have plenty of experience with Eucalan. I handwash all my merino "dry clean only" stuff in Eucalan, follow the directions on the bottle, and air dry. No problems.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 111
Bikes: 1985 Peugeot PH501
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I don't trust myself, so I follow the tags instructions. My marino sweaters that say "dry clean only" get dry cleaned. My ibex balaclava says it can be washed, so it gets washed.
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: austin, tx
Posts: 74
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks, everyone. I hate dry cleaning. Too many chemicals, too expensive.
This makes me wonder... can I wash wool suits by hand also?
This makes me wonder... can I wash wool suits by hand also?
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,921
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2609 Post(s)
Liked 1,946 Times
in
1,221 Posts
#18
Senior Member
I wash all of my Icebreaker merino wools on cold tap water, gentle cycle, set to low spin, hang air dry only. I wash about once every 8 weeks. I have not noticed any shrinking or destruction of the fabric.
Tip: be careful wearing your merino wool on public transit. If a bedbug decides to hitch a ride, how will you know? The only way to be safe is to wash it on hot and also throw it into the drier on high; thus ruining your wool. Your best bet is never to bring merino where nasty critters are likely to be found.
Tip: be careful wearing your merino wool on public transit. If a bedbug decides to hitch a ride, how will you know? The only way to be safe is to wash it on hot and also throw it into the drier on high; thus ruining your wool. Your best bet is never to bring merino where nasty critters are likely to be found.
Actually, dryer heat kills them. So if you're worried, put the clothes in a dryer on high heat without washing first. No shrinkage.
#21
Senior Member
wash? you're supposed to wash them?
__________________
I'm slow, go around
I'm slow, go around
#22
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southern Maine
Posts: 77
Bikes: Surly LHT, Fuji Nevada (winter beater)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
3 winters now of commuting using smart wool and icebreaker Marino wool mid weight shirt and long johns??? Well anyway wash in front loader with other clothes with standard liquid detergent and warm water moderate spin and hang dry. Hate using driers when I have the sun. If no sun the house has clothes hangin to dry. adds moisture to the dry inside of house in the winter. The wool clothes are three plus years old washed weekly as stated above and still in great condition.
#23
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,509
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7354 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times
in
1,443 Posts
I have some merino wool clothing that is 30 years old. It's getting pretty ratty, but I consider merino wool to be one of nature's best inventions. I wash it in the machine and hang dry it.
True, sheep don't shrink, but they can grow their hair/fur continuously. Sweaters don't grow.
True, sheep don't shrink, but they can grow their hair/fur continuously. Sweaters don't grow.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#25
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 445
Bikes: 5 Colnago, 2 Olmo, Bianchi, 4 Austro-Daimler, Merlin, Fisher Tandem, John Waite track tandem, Schwinns, Steyrs, Bill Holland Ti path racer, Chinese prototype FS
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Handwash with whatever surfactant suits you and lay flat on top of the washer or dryer to dry for a couple of days. Do not try to hand launder your expensive Savile Row four button suit!