There’s a ton of reasons to love wool, from its impressive natural insulating and moisture wicking properties to the undeniable fact that it’s just so damn cozy. But while we love breaking out our wool knitwear each season just as much as the next guy, storing, washing, and caring for wool garments can be a daunting proposition. So we’ve put together a handy care guide to help you keep our favorite natural fiber fresh.
Wool Care Between Washes
Smells
Wool garments should be aired out after every wear to help keep them looking and smelling their best. Simply drape it over a chair or a drying rack if you have one and let your wool rest for a day before storing it away. This will give the fibers time to settle and shed funk-producing bacteria.
Stains
While our woolen gear is built to last, frequent washing will take a toll on the hardiest of garments and ultimately shorten their lifespan.To minimize washing, spot clean small stains with a bit of warm water and gentle soap.
Piling
Pilling is natural in new wool clothing as slight differences in fiber length will cause shorter yarns to peak out of the surface in areas exposed to friction. Just use a clothing shaver like The Gleener to tidy them up.
How To Store Wool Clothing
Short Term Storage
Wool sweaters should never be on a hanger as this can cause stretching, warping, and the dreaded shoulder bumps that are so hard to get rid of. Instead, store your sweaters neatly folded in a drawer or chest (extra points for a hardwood like cedar).
Long Term Storage
If you're packing your sweaters into spring and summer hibernation, store them in a sealed container or individually sealed in plastic. As you probably already know, moths and silverfish are a wool sweater’s natural enemy, but mothballs leave a terrible smell that can linger deep into sweater season. Instead, fill a cloth pouch with lavender for a natural, fresh smelling way to keep bugs at bay.
How To Wash Wool Clothing
The Care Tag Is There For A Reason
While we offer a wide variety of wool garments from buttery-soft Merino Tees that can be machine washed to merino wool sweaters that prefer spot or dry cleaning, most wool clothing should never be run through a hot wash. In all cases, you should follow the instructions on the care label for best results.
Hand Washing
If dry cleaning is not an option, hand washing is a serviceable alternative. Simply add a small amount of gentle detergent like Woolite to a clean sink or basin and fill with cold water. Soak your garment for no more than ten minutes, avoiding rubbing the fabric against itself or agitating it violently. Instead of wringing out your sweater, lay it on a dry towel and roll it up to extract most of the moisture, then lay it flat on another dry towel or mesh drying platform until it is completely dry.
Now that you know how to care for your gear, check out Taylor Stitch’s full line of wool knitwear and gear up for the adventures ahead. Cheers.
