Woollen clothes: Care Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

Winter season has arrived. It is the time to take out all our woollen clothes to keep ourselves warm and cosy. We do not need our woollens for an entire year, so we can store them for a long time. Now every person will share their advice such as dry cleaning services and washing tips and how to store the woollens. However, this will just end up confusing you more about how to keep your woollens safe. So read this blog to learn the best tips to take care of your woollen clothes.

A. Tips to take care of woollens:

1. Before wearing:

• Wash before use: New woollen clothes might have undergone chemical treatment to keep them looking fresh. Woollens fabrics are treated with various other chemicals before making them into an outfit. These chemicals might irritate our skin and cause rashes. It is advisable to wash the woollens before use. Not only the new ones but even the stored woollens, as they may contain moulds or fungi that can irritate the skin. Thus, it is safe to wash the woollens before you use them.
• Drying the woollens before use: When the woollens are stored in cupboards or storage boxes, it tends to absorb moisture. This dampness in the fabric gives rise to moths and emits a certain kind of odour. Moths can cause rashes or allergies. To remove this dampness and odour, you need to dry the woollens thoroughly in the air before use.

2. While wearing:

• Do not wash frequently: If there is some stain on the woollens, do not wash the entire fabric. Instead, rub the affected area with a suitable stain remover and clean that area with a damp cloth. Air-dry the woollen before use. Frequent washing of woollens might damage the fabric and shorten the fabric’s life.

• Always check labels before washing:Each woollen or woollen blend has washing instructions attached to it. Always check the label before washing. If the label says hand wash only, do not wash the woollen in the machine. The instruction might also ask to wash in cold or warm water. Wash the woollen accordingly to avoid any damage to the fabric.

• Gentle/ Delicate wash the woollens: The regular washing programme on the machine for other fabrics might damage the delicate woollen. It is advisable to wash woollen under the gentle wash setting in the washing machine for an easy wash of woollen clothes. If the woollen is to be hand-washed, gently wash the fabric without using a brush or wringing it strongly. Little care while washing will increase the life of the fabric.

• Use detergents made especially for woollens: Regular detergents prove to be damaging to the woollens. Try and use the specific detergents or liquid washes meant for the woollens to prevent any damage to the fabric.

• Do not hang the woollens on hangars after washing: The woollen fabric is interwoven and might stretch if you hang the woollen. After washing, the woollen becomes heavy. If you hang the fabric, it might stretch vertically and change shape. Dry the woollens on a flat surface after washing to maintain their original shape and not form any creases.

• Always wash your woollens before storing:Woollens tend to hold dust and dirt, so then how to keep your woollens safe? It also soaks sweat and moisture. If you store the woollens without washing, it will give rise to moth and release odour. Thus, it is advisable to clean your woollens before you store them. Storing clean woollens prevents damage to the fabric.

3. Tips to avoid mistakes while using the woollens:

• Washing woollens too frequently: Woollens are made from very delicate fibres. Woollens, if washed frequently, damage the texture of the fabric. The woollens fade over time if you repeatedly wash them with soap or detergent. You can wash the woollen once before use, once every 15 – 20 days if it is not soiled, or every week if it is dirty. Woollens naturally remain fresh for a very long time. Rest the woollens between their wears to keep them smelling and looking fresh.

• Using hot water to wash woollens: Woollen is a knitted fabric. Washing woollens with hot water breaks the fibre, shrinks the fabric from its original size and loses its shape. Always check for the label that mentions the washing instruction. Wash the woollens in room temperature water. Turn the woollens inside out before washing to maintain the fabric.

• Not using the right detergent: Regular detergents contain chemicals and salts that are very harsh on the woollen fabric. Using those detergents damages the structure of the fabric, fades the colour and shortens the life of the woollen. Use detergents that are specially designed for woollens to clean them thoroughly, maintain the colour and not damage the fabric. Use a fabric softener after washing woollens to maintain their shine and colour and keep them soft and cosy.

• Twisting the woollen after washing: It is natural to wring the fabric once washed, to remove the excess water. But, woollens are soft fabrics that might stretch, change shape, or get damaged if you twist. Also, if you twist the fabric it might leave creases which would be difficult to get rid of. Remember to roll the fabric to remove the excess water after washing. This will not damage the woollen.

• Ironing the woollens: Excess heat damages the woollens. Do not iron the woollens when they are completely dry. Iron the woollens only if required by keeping the iron set on the wool and using it when they are a little bit wet to prevent any damage to the fabric. Excess heat can damage the fabric texture, spoil the colour and reduce the lustre of the fabric.

• Sun-drying: Direct ultraviolet rays of sunlight can damage the fabric. It spoils and fades the colour, making the fabric dry and rough. Sunlight reduces the shine of the woollens along with its life.

Further reading: Types of clothes that need dry cleaning

Conclusion:

These tips will give you a fair idea of how to keep your woollens safe. A little bit of effort and the right techniques will save your woollens from damage. However, if you do not have the time to maintain your woollens you can always opt for professional laundry and dry cleaning services.