How to wash a wool sweater correctly? Washing it rarely

You may have already read on the label of a 100% garment “ do not wash » without really believing it, deeming it disgusting to never let them visit your car for a good wash. On the label of the sweaters of the ethical brand Loom it even says: “ Wool is antibacterial: this means that it does not retain odors. So there is no need to wash this sweater, just air it from time to time. “But it’s true? We asked the question to the expert Olivia Bertrand, weaver and wool worker, co-founder of Laines Paysannes (who you had already heard in the podcast Raw material)

Why shouldn’t we generally wash woolen clothes?

Wool is full of interesting properties. It is an excellent thermal insulator, capable of retaining humidity up to 30% of its weight. This fiber is covered in scales that can open and close depending on humidity and temperature conditions. All this prevents you from being too hot or too cold and this helps not to retain odors. [d’où l’existence de vêtements techniques en laine mérinos, pour faire du trek en montagne des jours sans passer par la case lessive, par exemple, ndlr]. Wool above all has self-cleaning properties: just let it breathe outdoors for a few hours to regain its freshness, without needing to be washed. This is what makes it such an eco-friendly fiber.

In which cases can it be useful to wash woolen items?

Just because it usually doesn’t need to be washed doesn’t mean it should never be washed. Obviously you can wash it when you think it is too dirty, because you may have stained it, for example, or if it smells. Or when we want to give him some fluff again. If you have a knitted sweater that has moved, that you have inadvertently stretched, you can return it to its original shape by inserting it into the machine.

Washed well, wool can soften and become more elastic with washing.

How to properly wash a 100% wool sweater?

The best way to maintain a wool sweater is to simply air it for several hours by exposing it to fresh air. Otherwise, if you really want to wash it, you can do it by hand, in warm water with soap or detergent. The machine requires a temperature below 30°C, or cold, a delicate spin (800 rpm maximum, 600 ideally) and above all no dryer. Avoid drying a damp sweater on a hanger, as it may warp under its own water-weighted weight. Choose to dry flat [sur une serviette posée sur une table par exemple, ndlr].

If you have a bad stain on your wool, what product should you use?

Ox bile soap is effective on the most stubborn stains such as wine, blood, grass, fruit or even fat. It remains respectful of fabrics, even the most delicate ones such as wool. [mais aussi la soie et le lin, ndlr].

How to wash a wool blend sweater (with cotton, acrylic, polyester or polyamide, for example?

Plant fibers like cotton or linen don’t benefit from the same self-cleaning properties as wool, so it may be helpful to wash your clothes more often than if they were a 100% wool item. Even when it comes to wool mixed with synthetic materials such as acrylic, polyester or polyamide, which cause perspiration and retain bad odors, it is necessary to wash it more often than 100% wool [comme souvent, on lave alors en fonction de la matière la plus fragile du mélange, en l’occurrence la laine, donc à froid avec un essorage doux de préférence, ndlr].

Is it possible to repair a wool sweater that has shrunk in the wash?

If the wool has not felted, you can pass it under the steam of a hot iron and try to gently reform it. If it has felted and/or shrunk a lot, then we can gift the piece to someone for whom this new size would be suitable. [rires] ! A felted wool retains the same properties as before, so the sweater remains wearable. It will be denser and feel warmer, but even when bunched up, wool remains a breathable and thermoregulating material!

If we take care of it, woolen clothes can last a very long time. It is not difficult to maintain, in fact, it requires very little maintenance, and that is what makes this material so eco-friendly and wonderful.

Listen to Apéro des Daronnes, Madmoizelle’s show that aims to break down taboos on parenting.