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Our advice for the care of yarns and wools

Knitting enthusiasts, as you surely know, there are several types of yarns and wools and they are not all maintained in the same way.Today, in this article, we're going to reveal all our secrets and tips to maintain the fibers of your wool projects.

Before washing your wool clothing...

Make sure your sweater is dirty. It may seem silly, but today we tend to put our wool sweater in the dirty more out of habit or reflex than out of concern for cleanliness. So before making this mechanical gesture, take a few minutes to check that your garment is indeed dirty and that it needs to be put in the machine.

First, shake your wool sweater hard and leave it in a ventilated place for several hours. As surprising as it may seem, your wool garment will clean itself naturally. This is due to the nature of the fiber, made up of scales, which open and close depending on the humidity level in the room. So, once your clothes have been hung up for a few hours and shaken, you will have a clean wool sweater back!

If you really notice that your wool garment remains dirty or is stained, put it in the washing machine at 30°C maximum, in a specific program for wool or take your garment to the dry cleaner.

Synthetic wools: polyester, acrylic, polyamide, etc.

First of all, synthetic wools are not wools that are particularly weakened by being put in the washing machine. They often hold up very well unlike so-called “noble” wools like alpaca or cashmere. So, to maintain your items made of synthetic materials, you can opt for the washing machine at 30°C maximum or in the Wool program. You can also use a special wool detergent, it has a neutral pH and contains foaming agents to protect the fiber...The spin should also be set to a minimum so as not to run the risk of damaging the fibers and deforming them. sweater.

On the other hand, it is strongly recommended not to use the dryer which could also risk deforming your sweaters and other woolen clothing! In fact, hea

It considerably damages the appearance of the fibers. Likewise, ironing is not recommended for the care of your wool clothes, whether they are natural fibers or synthetic fibers. However, it may be indicated on the label of your ball that ironing is possible. Before ironing your clothes and other woolen items, remember to set your iron to the correct temperature. It is in fact generally recommended to use a lukewarm iron.

When drying your sweaters and other woolen items, we recommend letting them dry flat and in the open air. Indeed, hanging a wool garment to dry could risk deforming it due to the weight of the water.

If the sweater appears to have become out of shape during washing or drying, gently reform it by pulling it slightly into the desired shape. Avoid twisting or folding it to dry, as this can damage the wool fibers.

Noble wools: alpaca, cashmere, mohair, merino...

For noble wools, such as alpaca, cashmere or mohair, are much more fragile. Therefore, it's recommended not to put them in the washing machine. It is best to opt for hand washing.

To increase the lifespan and maintain the quality of certain wools such as merino wool, we recommend dry cleaning. Nevertheless, machine with a cold program is possible on certain specific parts, if not on a regular basis.

For your cashmere items, choose the wool program of your washing machine, suitable for cashmere. As with hand washing, it is essential to wash your cashmere clothes in cold water (20°C) for machine washing. In fact, hot water could cause them to shrink. Choose a gentle spin of 400 revolutions per minute maximum. Preferably, favor spinning by hand, simply by pressing the wool, so as not to rub the fibers together. This will prevent the fibers of your clothing from tangling, which causes felting.

However, some of our balls made from noble materials can be machine-washed without any problem! This is particularly the case for CASHWOOL and MALMEDY. But be careful, always wash them at 30°C maximum or in the Wool program if your machine has one and with a detergent suitable for caring for wool fibers 100% cotton yarns and wools can withstand higher temperatures and more intense spinning. Generally speaking, depending on your work and its composition, you can machine wash your cotton between 30 and 60°C and opt for spinning at around 1000 revolutions. As with synthetic materials, using a tumble dryer or iron is not recommended to avoid damaging your wool clothing. Drying flat and in the open air is also recommended for noble materials. However, avoid exposing white wool directly to the sun, as it could get yellow.

Getting rid of a stain on a wool clothing

If you want to get rid of stubborn stains on your wool sweater, it's best to act as quickly as possible. The longer you wait, the harder the stain will be to remove.  To try to clean a stain on your wool sweater, gently rub the stained area using a cloth towel and a little Marseille soap, do not go too hard so as not to damage the fibers . Leave the soap on for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. If despite all your efforts the stain persists, repeat the operation several times or use a few drops of black soap or white vinegar for more effective cleaning. Keep in mind that wool is a delicate and fragile material, so treat it as gently as possible.

Do you want to get started? Find all our balls of wool!

AN ADVICE, A MORE PRECISE QUESTION TO ASK US ?

You can contact us in private message via our social networks Facebook and Instagram Facebook et Instagram, or through the chat bubble at the bottom right of your screen right now. You can also reach us by email lainieredewazemmes@gmail.com or by phone at 03.20.57.09.46.

See you soon, for new knitting tips, with La Lainière de Wazemmes !  
Written by Pia on Wednesday 08 March 2023 à 10:14, in Advice .

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