Lovely jumpers - Comfort or not?

Thank you for all the suggestions. I do put older woollies in the machine and it does have all the fancy washes but I feel confident in ditching the Comfort - horrible smell.

As I don't wear wool very much because I get too hot, I have cotton tops they just g o in the machine on a quick wash. I use baby comfort pure which is very concentrated and you only need a small amount, there is no smell.

I've always hand washed woolly jumpers, they're so expensive and I follow my mothers advice to wash inside out, roll in a towel to get the excess water out and dry flat on another towel.
Mr iam on the other hand, throws his into the washer and rarely has a problem with shrinking.
After reading this thread, mine are going in the washer as well (inside out, on the woollens wash with special washing liquid for woollies or silk)

Oh dear - that's a moral dilemma then... I'll keep on with the supermarket hunt first!

There is Stergene on Amazon.

Not here, they don't, Greyduster, but I shall now hunt for a bigger supermarket. You have given me hope!

It has never occurred to me to use fabric conditioner when I hand wash jumpers. I use whatever hand wash liquid I have, roll in a towel and hang on a dryer. Machine wash most of them though. Lakeland used to sell a wool wash that didn't need rinsing out, though I think I always did.

Well, this works for me: wash in an Ocado woollens/delicate liquid, fabric softener as well. 30 minutes tumble dry on a low heat with a tumble dry sheet in. Towels on spare beds, shape jumpers (stretch to size!). Leave 24 hours, finish off on hangers.

Granny, I put white vinegar in with my towels

I don't use fabirc conditioner any more. I put a dose of white vinegar in the final rinse drawer instead - kills any remaining froth, and no, you don't smell like an escapee from the pickle factory!

I use silk and wool wash on my cashmere sweaters and woollen stuff and silk stuff. I have a separate wool wash and separate silk wash which I use for both delicates.
Never use conditioner- ruins the fibres. Dry flatfish on airer.
Everything stays as good as new.

I wonder who does use fabric conditioner? I don't .
Put my Ellie's in a pillow case and out them in the machine. Life is too short.
I do wash my bras by hand tho'

I have one of these Stackable Mesh Drying Rack 72x72x15cm £7.70 It lets woollens dry flat over the bath or held above the floor of the spare bedroom with the air reaching them from underneath - far better than laying them damp on the bed. It comes to pieces for storage.

If I do have to hand wash articles, I use Fairy washing liquid, and spin dry in the machine before hanging over the radiator. I never bother drying things flat. I do try to buy jumpers that are machine washable though.

I think most supermarkets still stock Stergene, wiwya.

I wear woollen jumpers a lot and hand wash them. As I haven't seen Woolite for years, or Stergene (loved the faint smell), I've been using Tesco Wool and Silk detergent, which doesn't have a lingering smell. Then I rinse and spin in the machine and hang them on the line, doubled over with with a peg on each cuff as well as the body so that the sleeves don't stretch. If it's a very, very delicate garment, like a shawl, I would lay it out on a towel on the floor.

As I hate the smell of fabric conditioner I never ever use it.

Now that I know that Woolite still exists, I shall hunt it down. Thank you! (Don't suppose anyone has seen Stergene?)

I wear a lot of wool sweaters and can't remember the last time I hand washed one, but when I use to knit for GS I would hand wash them in Persil silk and wool, roll them in a towel and then put them across an airer either outside or in the conservatory. They never needed conditioner.

I use delicates liquid, gently squeeze them, then roll them in a towel to remove excess moisture.
Then I either spread them on the rotary dryer, in good weather, or put them on a clothes airer.
In the winter the warm air from the woodburner dries them overnight.
Fabric softener matts the fibres of wool and cashmere.

I use woolite too. Then spin slightly and dry flat on towels for a while and then hang loosely over drying rack.Never use conditioner. I think it's worth it.

I used to use a very gentle detergent like Fairy, then do as you do teetime but don’t wear jumpers anymore , and yes, it was a real faff with them hanging about damply.

If any hand wash recommended item that isn't really grubby needs freshening, I add a little Bold liquid (which includes softener) and run through the rinse cycle on the machine. This is just as gentle as washing by hand and they get a good spin. Dry flat or on a padded hanger and hey presto! Why wouldn't you want to use a machine if it does the trick?

I wrote a post but then realised you didn't want washing machine solutions, so didn't send it.

I do not know of any alternatives.

I also use the handwash programme on my washer and find it works well. Alternatively, could you do a short rinse and spin in your machine - or even just the spin?

Would using washing soda in the rinse keep them soft without the pong? (Don't have that problem. Very rarely wear wool, too itchy. Clad in fleece most of the winter. I never realised when DD1 was wearing fleece onesies to bed that fleece would become so prominent in my life!)

Errr, chuck em in the washer on the delicates or woollens programme, don’t use softner if you dont like the smell, hang on line or over the bannisters. I would never want damp towels and damp jumpers drying on my beds.