How to wash wool? Discover our 10 tips and complete wool washing guide
Once you've read this guide, anyone can do the wash. Washing woollen clothes isn't difficult at all, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.
We're happy to share these practical tips, so your woollen clothes come out of the wash just as lovely as they went in.
Tip 1: Only wash wool together with other wool items to prevent damage.
Other garments can have parts that wool can get caught on. Think of the zip on a pair of trousers or the underwire of a bra.
Tip 2: Turn woollen garments inside out and put them in a laundry bag.
This gives your woollen clothes maximum protection.
Tip 3: Keep the drum lightly loaded
Fill the drum with no more than 1 to 2 kg of laundry so your woollen clothes have enough room. A fuller drum puts more pressure on the garments, which can cause them to lose their shape.
Tip 4: Spin speed
When washing wool, set the spin speed as low as possible and never above 600 rpm.
Tip 5: Use a hand wash, cold programme or, if you have one, a wool programme
These washing methods give you the most control. A wool programme in particular washes gently, with a gradual change in temperature and minimal friction. If you're hand washing, we recommend reading through the other tips in this article too!
Tip 6: What if the garment is made of more than one material?
In that case, always choose the programme that suits the most delicate fabric, as that's the one you want to protect. Got a garment made of wool and cotton? Then choose the wool programme and a wool wash.
Tip 7: Go easy on the detergent
Too much detergent is hard to rinse out, which often ends up damaging the wool fibres. In turn, damaged fibres lead to weak or bobbly patches in your garment.
Tip 8: Use a special wool wash
Ideally, use a special wool wash that contains lanolin, such as our Kico Label wool wash. It protects the natural properties of wool and prevents the fibres from wearing. Don't use fabric softener. Want to make your garment softer anyway? Use natural vinegar instead.
No wool wash to hand? Baby shampoo or a pH-neutral shampoo is a gentle cleanser you can also use to wash wool.
We don't recommend using bicarbonate of soda to remove stains from your woollen clothes. This popular remedy draws the lanolin out of your woollens. First try rinsing the stain out of the garment with lukewarm water. Didn't work? Then use a little wool wash, baby shampoo, ox gall soap or natural vinegar.
Please note: wool is a natural material and every washing machine works differently. Washing your Kico Label woollens is therefore always at your own risk.
