Woolen items are made from natural material obtained from the hair of certain animals. They are very capricious in handling. They can quickly become damaged when exposed to high temperatures or mechanical stress. Therefore, woolen items require careful care. It is especially necessary to ensure that woolen products do not get wet. It is recommended to wash woolen items as rarely as possible. In this article you will learn how to wash wool in a washing machine.
Features of wool fabrics
Since wool is a living natural material, the structure of its fibers looks like separate scales, which, due to their loose fit to each other, form gaps filled with air. It is this air gap that creates the greenhouse effect, which warms a person.
However, when woolen items are exposed to high temperature or moisture, the scales shrink, displace air and the wool turns into one homogeneous lump. The thing sits down and falls off. To restore the original structure requires skill and considerable effort.
Considering all the difficulties of using woolen items, it is fair to ask the question: is it possible to wash wool, and if not, how to avoid it?
Rules of care
So, in order for woolen clothes to last as long as possible and always look attractive, it is important to learn how to use them correctly. First of all, you need to master simple care rules:
- To make woolen clothes less dirty, you don't need to wear them every day. The fact is that wool absorbs all odors well, including those of the human body. In addition, sweat secretions also penetrate the structure of the coat and pollute it;
- It is necessary to air woolen clothes more often. It is advisable to do this after each wear. Ventilation prevents the fabric from caking. In addition, odors accumulated in the structure of the wool disappear;
- use dry cleaning more often;
- It is better to remove small areas of contamination with a soft brush.
Basic rules for washing woolen products
If trouble happens and the clothes become dirty to such an extent that other cleaning methods do not help, then it is important to adhere to the following rules:
- carefully read the information on the label attached to wool clothing. It should contain information about methods for removing contaminants;
- There are very fluffy products, then first you need to lightly comb them. This procedure can slightly comb out surface dirt;
- For any type of washing, the product must first be turned inside out;
- Try to wash it no more than once every six months. This is the optimal frequency. The fact is that woolen items do not get dirty as intensely as those made from other materials. And if you consider that many contaminants can be removed by dry cleaning and airing, then the frequency can even be increased. This is especially true for white things. They may appear yellowish;
- It is recommended to wash by hand.If machine washing is allowed for some woolen items, then the type of work switch should be set to “wool mode”;
- the water should be warm, within 30-35 degrees. At temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, clothing may deteriorate. For example, a wool coat can stretch and lose its elegance;
- Do not change the water temperature during the washing process. For example, use cold water to rinse. A sharp change in water temperature leads to the destruction of wool fibers and holes may appear in clothes;
- no need to use conventional washing powders. A number of special products have been developed for wool;
- woolen items do not need to be soaked;
- wool should not be rubbed. This can lead to fiber breakage and hole formation.
Products used for washing wool
Considering the fact that woolen items do not tolerate external influences. They are easy to spoil while caring for them. To avoid troubles and extend the life of woolen clothes, you need to use special detergents. The chemical market is saturated with a variety of powders and liquids that create gentle conditions during the wool washing process.
Liquid products that are designed only for washing wool have proven themselves well. These can be gel-like substances or special shampoos.
You can also use powders consisting of small granules.
It is also important to take into account the temperature conditions at which it is recommended to use liquid or dry detergents.
For example, liquid products remove dirt well at low temperatures (+30°C). For powder products it should be within +80° – 90°C.
However, in any case, when choosing a liquid or dry product, you should make sure that it does not contain alkali or other aggressive substances.
Many people recommend using traditional methods. For example:
- stains are removed very well with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide or ammonia;
- Wool fibers can be easily cleaned using powdered chalk or mustard.
Washing in a washing machine
Woolen items should be machine washed separately from other clothes. The fact is that during machine processing, individual fibers can come off. They stick to other things and can be difficult to remove. To prevent clothes from fading, they must be sorted by color. This section will provide recommendations on how to wash wool in a washing machine.
To do this, it is important to remember three basic rules:
- Choose your detergent carefully. To do this, you need to study the instructions and make sure that it is intended specifically for wool;
- do not make a mistake in choosing the operating mode of the machine. This could be the program function “wool” or “delicates”;
- The machine must have the spin function turned off. If this is not done, woolen clothing may stretch.
Washing in an automatic machine does not take much time. To ensure that woolen items retain their attractive appearance for a long time, it is recommended to follow these rules:
- select the required washing mode, which would ensure slow rotation of the drum and prevent sudden fluctuations in water temperature. To do this, the mode switch should be set to the “Wool” or “Delicate Wash” function;
- disable the “spin” function;
- pour the selected detergent into the cuvette;
- turn on the car;
- After the end of the machine's operating cycle, open the drum door, but do not remove the contents. This is done so that the woolen clothes “rest” and the water drains from them. After this, the contents should be laid out on a terry cloth and the water should be squeezed out with stroking movements of the hand;
- dry.
Before washing, a blanket, pillow or blanket made of wool can be soaked for 20 minutes in an aqueous solution with a small amount of detergent. Before loading them into the drum, they must be rinsed and then allowed to drain.
Drying
Woolen items can be damaged not only during washing, but also if dried incorrectly. If you do not follow the drying rules, the clothes may become deformed and it will be impossible to restore their original appearance.
First of all, it is important to remember that you should not hang dry woolen items. You need to forget about hangers and clotheslines. The fact is that under their own weight they can stretch out and lose their original size.
Air heaters, hair dryers or other heating devices are also excluded.
It is necessary to dry only in a straightened form on a flat surface in a warm and ventilated area. For example, on a glazed loggia or balcony. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the sun's rays do not fall on your clothes. For better drying, woolen items are turned over from time to time.
