Caring for Your Wool Knits
Hand-knit items are usually either a treasured gift or an investment in something you love. This means you’ll want to properly care for them to ensure that they live a long life. While hand-knit wool items are far from fragile, they do require proper care in order to make sure they last. I have many knit items made for me by my grandma that are over 20 years old. Some of them have required repair (heels of socks mostly), but most of them are still in great shape and I continue to wear them!
The biggest thing to keep in mind when washing hand-knits is to be gentle and in most cases, use cold water. Hot water is the kiss of death for wool items!
Washing Your Wool Knits
All of the items I sell in the shop come with instructions for how to clean them. The same is true for most people who sell hand-knit items. If your item has a label with washing instructions, follow those. The type of fiber the item is made from will determine whether it can be washed in the machine or needs to be hand washed as well as what temperature to wash it at.
Some people are filled with fear at the idea of washing their wool items. It can be so easy to stretch or shrink them. But if you take a few things into consideration, you’ll be a pro at washing your wool items in no time!
Washing by Fiber Type
ACRYLIC
Acrylic and other synthetic fibers can be machine washed. It is best to wash them in cool or cold water and stick to the delicate cycle. If possible, wash items inside out. This helps to avoid the outside getting fuzzy, pilled, or snagged as it rubs against other items in the wash.
COTTON
Most cotton items can be machine washed. Again, best to keep them in cooler water and on a more gentle cycle. Cotton isn’t as susceptible to pilling or getting fuzzy as many other fibers, so you don’t need to be as careful as you might be with other items.
Cotton can be dried in the drier. Use a lower heat setting as it can shrink if you get it too hot.
WOOL
Most of the items I sell in the shop are made from merino wool. Merino wool should be hand-washed, superwash merino wool can be washed in the washing machine. All wool items should be washed in cold to warm water.
For any hand-knit wool items I’m washing in the washing machine, I put them into a delicates bag first to help avoid getting them snagged or caught on something else in the wash. If I’m machine washing items, I always wash them on cold (I’ve had one too many near misses with water that was supposed to be warm but was actually hot to trust washing machines and their ability to regulate water temperature with my beloved wool clothing). The only wool items I wash in the washing machine are my handmade socks (in a delicates bag) and my wool long underwear layers (these are not handmade so I’m not quite as concerned about them).
How to Hand Wash Your Wool Items
Fill the sink or a basin with cool water and add your detergent.
Add the wool items and gently move around in the water.
Let soak for about 10 minutes.
Remove the clothing from the basin and press to remove excess water. DO NOT wring it as this can cause the wool to stretch and lose its shape.
Empty the soapy water and refill the basin/sink with clean water. Put the clothing into the clean water and gently move around again to rinse any soap off.
Once you’re happy that all the soap has been rinsed off (this may mean emptying and refilling the sink/basin with clean water again) remove excess water again and leave it to dry.
You can also use a wool wash such as Eucalan instead of laundry detergent because it doesn’t require rinsing. I still do rinse my items when I wash them with Eucalan, but it takes the stress out of making sure I got all the soap out!
I typically work with wool for a variety of reasons. But one of the big reasons is that it is odor-resistant and doesn’t require frequent washing. Even if you are wearing your wool hat on your outdoor adventures and it gets sweaty, as long as you allow it to dry out properly, it shouldn’t stink.
STAIN REMOVAL
Wool doesn’t stain easily, but if you do notice an area that is particularly dirty, spot cleaning it is your best option. I recommend using a gentle detergent or wool wash and a bit of water to treat any stains. If you’re unsure about the soap you’re using, you can test an area that won’t be easily seen (such as the inside of your hat).
I recommend using the spot treatment method as often as needed and washing your items as infrequently as possible. This will keep them looking nice and decreases the risk of something happening to your hand-knit items!
Drying Your Wool Knits
It’s best to avoid putting your knit items into the dryer. Regardless of the type of fiber, the heat from the dryer can cause things to shrink (the “low” heat setting on my dryer is still fairly hot).
The best way to dry your hand-knits is to wrap them in a clean towel after washing them to get out the excess water. You can let it sit wrapped up in the towel for a bit to soak Then lay it flat somewhere and let it air dry. It’s also best to avoid hanging hand-knits to dry because they do stretch and can get misshapen.
The exception to the dryer rule is with cotton items. You can put your cotton knits into the dryer, but I’d still recommend a lower heat setting to avoid shrinkage.
Storing Your Knits
Proper storage of your knit items is just as important as washing them properly.
Before you store your knits, make sure they are clean and dry. If they are still damp when you put them away, you can get mildew and attract fiber-eating pests! It’s also important to fold your items when you store them. Hanging them can cause them to stretch and get misshapen.
Moths and other pests can be a problem with wool clothes. Before you put your hand-knits away, make sure the drawer you’re putting them is clean and dry. If you’re going to store them for a longer time, you can put them into a linen or cotton back. This will allow them to breathe while also protecting them.
Pilling and Lint Removal
Even the highest quality materials can pill where there is friction on a garment. Pills are the little balls of fiber that start to gather and make your sweater or hat look worn. These can be quickly taken of with an electric defuzzer, a defuzzing comb, or a sweater stone. I don’t necessarily recommend the electric defuzzer route as I’ve heard some horror stories of treasured garments getting destroyed by them! The non-electric route seems much safer. Removing pills keeps your hand-knits looking good!
Your knit items might also pick up pet hair and other fuzzy bits. It can be especially obvious if the color of your item is darker. You can use a lint roller to remove anything extra that might be clinging to your item. Keep in mind that this may cause the fiber to get extra fuzzy (not quite pilling yet), you can fix this with your defuzzing comb or sweater stone!
I hope this helps you wash your wool and other hand-knit items with less fear! When in doubt, hand wash in cold water and always let your items air dry!
