General Care	Machine-washing
Pressing wool	Hand-washing
Care in Storage	Dry Cleaning
Cleaning Wool	Stain Removal

GENERAL CARE

With proper care the natural qualities of wool can be maintained for years. Follow these simple tips to insure the lasting beauty of your wool garments. Give wool clothing a 24-hour rest between wearings. Wool fibers will shed wrinkles and return to their original shape. Hang woven wool garments on shaped or padded hangers. Store knits gently folded in drawers. Empty pockets and remove belts from garments and hang with closures zipped or buttoned. Brush wool clothing to remove surface oil. Use a damp sponge for knits and finer fabrics. Refresh wool garments quickly after wearing or unpacking by hanging them in a steamy bathroom. Moisture from the steam will remove wrinkles. If wool gets wet, dry the garment at room temperature away from heat. If there’s a nap, brush with the nap. Remove spots and stains promptly. (Back to top)

 

PRESSING WOOL

Always use steam when pressing wool. Set the iron on the wool setting. Avoid pressing wool totally dry. When possible, press on the reverse side of the fabric. When it is necessary to press on the right side of the fashion fabric, use a press cloth to avoid a shine. Extra scraps of wool fabric make excellent press cloths; they help to preserve the resilient texture of woolens. Lower and lift the iron; don’t slide it back and forth. Prevent imprinting inside detail by placing a piece of brown wrapping paper or tissue paper under folds, seams or darts. (Back to top)

CARE IN STORAGE

The same chemistry that makes wool fiber resilient and durable and lets it breathe and shed wrinkles also makes wool susceptible to moths and carpet beetles. These insects, if allowed to infest wool, feed in the larva stage on the keratin protein present only in animal fibers. Since the insect larvae are attracted to areas of the cloth that are soiled with food stains and body oil, clothing kept clean in storage is the most effective protection. Additional prevention can be achieved by taking the following precautions: Have your woolens cleaned before packing them away. Cleaning will also kill larvae. Brush clothing after each wearing. This will not only revive the nap but will help rid clothing of insect infestation. Keep closets, dresser drawers and trunks clean. Pack clothes in airtight containers – well-sealed garment bags or boxes and trunks with secure lids. Cold storage in temperatures of 40 degrees (4° C) or lower further discourages infestation. (Back to top)

CLEANING WOOL

Before deciding on a cleaning method for wool clothing, look for the care instruction label. Required by law, these labels are sewn into garments and should not be removed. Most clothing manufacturers recommend dry cleaning although some garments can be hand-washed and some even laundered by machine. (Back to top)

MACHINE-WASHING

Garments labeled SUPERWASH can go right from the washing machine to the dryer without the worry of felting shrinkage. The SUPERWASH label, is a certification mark of The Wool Bureau, Inc. It indicates a certain standard of machine-washability performance. For the best results for woven washable woolens: Set the machine for gentle action at a short cycle. Set the water temperature at cool or lukewarm. Use a mild soap or detergent which contains no bleach. If it’s the powered variety, make sure it is completely dissolved. Wash each garment separately. Garments identified with the SUPERWASH label can be dried by machine or hung carefully on a padded hanger. Shearling bedpans may also carry the SUPERWASH certification allowing them to be washed and dried by machine. Once clean, they should be lightly brushed to restore their original appearance. (Back to top)

HAND-WASHING

Follow these suggestions when laundering woolen garments labeled hand-washable. Make a paper pattern of knits by tracing the outline of the garment. Wash in lukewarm or cold water using a mild soap or liquid detergent (which contains no bleach) according to directions. Soak for 3-5 minutes, gently squeezing suds through without twisting or wringing the garment. Rinse twice in clean water that is the same temperature as the wash water. Gently squeeze out excess water and roll the garment in a towel and pin the garment to the pattern, smoothing to its original shape. Dry away from sunlight and direct heat. (Back to top)

DRY CLEANING

If the label indicates the garment should be dry-cleaned only, take it to a reliable dry cleaner. Identify any spots or stains for special treatment. (Back to top)

STAIN REMOVAL

Wool is naturally soil-resistant for two seemingly diverse reasons: its ability to repel and absorb moisture. The outer layer of the wool fiber has an epicuticle, or thin protective wax-like film, which acts as a raincoat…enabling wool to shed droplets of liquids without wetting the fabric, much like birds’ feathers. Spill a liquid on a horizontal wool surface and you have time to mop it up before it stains the fabric. Although wool does not absorb liquids directly, it readily absorbs moisture in vapor form. In fact wool will absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture. Because of this ability to absorb moisture, wool does not build up static electricity which attracts lint and dirt from the air. When wool is soiled, it is important to remove stains promptly. (Back to top)

A GUIDE FOR REMOVING COMMON STAINS

Alcohol or Food: Place towel under area. Gently rub carbonated water toward center of the spot over stain.

Glue: Sponge with alcohol.

Ink: Immerse in cold water.

Iodine: Treat with cool water followed by alcohol.

Blood: Blot with common starch paste and rinse from back with soapy water.

Iron Rust: Sponge with weak solution of oxalic acid until stain disappears. Then sponge carefully with household ammonia and rinse with cold water.

Burning Cigarette: Brush off ash Butter and Grease Sponge with dry cleaning solvent.

Chewing Gum: Scrape and sponge with dry cleaning solvent.

Lipstick: May often be erased by rubbing white bread over area with a firm gentle motion.

Chocolate: Sponge with soapy cold water.

Coffee or Tea: Sponge with glycerin. If none available, use warm water.

Mud: Once dry, brush and sponge from back with soapy cold water.

Egg: Scrape and sponge with soapy cold water.

Tar, Road Oil: Sponge with dry cleaning solvent or degreaser.

Wine, red: Immerse in cold water. (Back to top)