Washing pure wool--a revelation

Wheniwasyourage Thank you for the information on how to get spin only on a Bosch washing machine. Very useful.

My mother was fond of her cashmere/merino mix woolens but sadly in later years, they needed frequent washes unless she could be persuaded to wear a napkin. Against all my best advice, I put a few in the wool cycle of her washing machine and they shrank. Oh I was in trouble! the answer was to put them thru hair conditioner and that would unstretch. It seemed to work!

Mine is a Bosch machine, about 7 years old so probably a similar model to Wheniwasyourage . I use the Aqua Plus button and mine also allows you to select the speed of the spin which is useful too. But as I said earlier never used yet on fine woollens.

I forgot to say, I also use those net washing bags for woollens.

We have loads of wool/cashmere and silk mix clothing/blankets etc.

Unless it states "machine washable" (when it goes in the machine on "wool" cycle) I hand wash everything. I spin at 800 if delicate or 1200 if not so. I do not use the dry cleaners except for suits and coats.

I pull jumpers into shape and dry on a towel near the radiator if it's wet/damp outside.
In summer they just get pulled and then go on the washing line - but are turned often.

I don't think I've ever shrunk anything. I always use a liquid wash for them. Cheapest own brand is fine.

Can I just add that as wool is a protein fibre it can damage if you shock it. It can take hot and cold water but not immediately one to the other.
It's best to rinse in lukewarm water rather than cold.

Unless it states "machine washable" (when it goes in the machine on "wool" cycle) I hand wash everything. I spin at 800 if delicate or 1200 if not so. I do not use the dry cleaners except for suits and coats

NotSpaghetti I followed the washing instructions on the label - it said that machine washing was recommended - cool wash and spun the sweaters on 600 rpm.
They were in net bags.

The firm said it was my fault they shrunk because I had spun them too fast. 🤔

Perhaps I should re-wet the one in the rag bag and give it a good thwacking!

Detergent is used to deliberately felt wool and it also needs sudden changes in temperature, like hot water wash with a cold rinse.

Eucalan does not need rinsing if doing a hand wash btw

I just sat down, I have been skeining yarn all afternoon and have soaked, thwacked and dripped the first lot. A red/white/blue fingering yarn in pure cashmere. It bloomed beautifully in the eucalan for 20 minutes. All the colourmart smells oily so it all needs washing at some stage anyway. Those first skeins are now hanging over the bath to fully dry

I have had those cones in my stash for about ten years and it is lovely to have them come to life. A dk cashmire is next for soaking and I have prepped skeins of cashmere/silk/merino diamante and am in process of skeining cashmere/cotton/angora/merino. I had no idea these yarns were so beautiful, they have always been in their sealed bags

Whatever I do to those skeins now has to be worse than whatever is done to them when knitted. This is how spinners ensure that their yarn lasts well as garments

Callistemon, thwacking is the way we spinners ensure fibres are straightened, it actually makes a big difference to the appearance of newly skeined yarn. Two thwacks per skein

oh dear callistemon, too late. You need to re-visit the washing programme, likely it was too warm followed by cold. Many fibres will felt ie tighten up and shrink at 40, which is considered cool

If it is good quality fibre then why don`t you unpick the jumper and knit it up

some who have not had shrinkage or felting, especially with merino, may well have garments made in machine washable merino which has been chemically treated. That yarn feels different, more slippery

www.woolmark.com/industry/use-wool/product-innovations/machine-washable-yarn/

karmalady

oh dear callistemon, too late. You need to re-visit the washing programme, likely it was too warm followed by cold. Many fibres will felt ie tighten up and shrink at 40, which is considered cool

If it is good quality fibre then why don`t you unpick the jumper and knit it up

No, karmalady I followed the instructions on the label exactly.

It was a bought jumper and DD wore it, shrunk, when she stayed! but now it's going to the ragman. Pity, it was a lovely navy blue Guernsey style sweater.

I've looked up eucalan as I'd never heard of it.
I used Woolite.

And I have enough yarn to knit/crochet to keep me going for years.
Daren't look at yarn ......

Thwacking sounds so satisfying 😃

Whitewavemark2

I have lots of cashmere and pure wool and silk.

All go in at the wool cycle and washed in liquid detergent especially for wool and silk.

I am wearing stuff I’ve had for years and all as good as new, except the piling which I remove.

Me too. I put the garments in those zipped washing nets to minimise friction between them, 30° wool cycle.
Touch wood no problems so far! 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Callistemon21

Thwacking sounds so satisfying 😃

It does, doesn’t it! Only two thwacks though…..

Oh dear, not enough to get rid of frustrations 😃

Your yarns sound delicious, Karma. ❤️

Hot water and all wool = felt

I always use Euclan, I hand wash but spin in the machine on a low setting.
My cashmere looks like new.

I did see you'd followed the washing instructions and think you've been very unlucky Callistemon21.

I would definitely pursue the company if I'd followed the instructions. Can you go back to them about it? When was this?

If it's too late to chase the company again, is it actually felted or just shrunk?
Have you tried a frizzy/dry hair conditioner to smooth down the cuticles?
Try soaking it in a conditioner for dry hair for a couple of hours abd gently stretching whilst damp afterwards?
I expect there are other methods out there to re-aligh the fibres.

BTW, I thwack woven silk Karmalady

NotSpaghetti

I did see you'd followed the washing instructions and think you've been very unlucky Callistemon21.

I would definitely pursue the company if I'd followed the instructions. Can you go back to them about it? When was this?

Too late now, Sago, thank you though.
I tried, but in the end they sent me a £20 voucher which I spent last summer, so I had to buy something else from them or lose it. I bought a summer cardigan in the sale which has cotton in it so seems ok to wash.

Everytime I've put a hand - wash recommended item in the washing machine - I've deeply regretted it .
Maybe my old washing machine doesn't do a gentle wash .
I hate spoiling things.
I hand wash clothes every day -it's a habit .I guess that I don't mind !

I don't machine wash hand-wash items either Esmay but I've yet to find a wool item that can't be spun.

My father used to take jumpers outside in a clean pillowcase and "spin" water out of them. We didn't have a spin-only option on our washer at the time.
I do this (in a net) for bras.

I think there are as many answers/opinions on this question as there are questions! I never hand wash anything and have only had one disaster - with an M&S cashmere (therefore relatively cheap) jumper that felted despite, like Callistemon, the fact that I followed the washing instructions to the letter. Sometimes things just happen!

Last week I washed 100% cashmere sweater from the White Company, in the washer, in a net, on 20° short wash and spun it at 1000rpm. It was fine. I never hand wash if I can help it!