Superwash wool is wool that has been treated with either acid or resin to prevent it from felting. You don’t want to hang Merino wool on a hanger, line, or hook because the weight of the wet fibers can lead to sagging and stretched knits. Repeat this process until you have the wrinkles out. This article was co-authored by Susan Stocker. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 209,295 times. Some will require you to use cold water or have other special instructions for washing and drying. Here are a couple of pointers for caring for garments and blankets made from Superwash wool: Ample Water     *     Eucalan Wool Wash   *     Tumble Dry Low. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. Let it soak for a few minutes, and then rinse it with cold water. Wool can safely be washed in a washing machine in the comfort of your own home. Most animal fibers have scales along their length and when washed in a washing machine, the heat, agitation and rapid cooling at the rinse stage combine to give ideal conditions for the … For larger items of clothing, fill a basin with warm water and add a wool-specific soap before submerging them in the basin. Dab a small amount of your mild wool detergent onto the affected area. Washing wool is easy. Or do you? Find this yarn. Caring for Superwash Wool Many knitters and crocheters enjoy working with our Superwash yarns because they are easy care. In a pinch, you can use a mild soap with a neutral pH, like a clear, fragrance-free dishwashing fluid for sensitive skin. NEW Breeze 33163. NEW Pink Lady 33164. Instead, lower the iron onto the fabric, press for a few seconds, and then lift it directly up. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Some racks have a mesh surface that’s especially designed for garments that need to lay flat. Just be sure to follow the usage guidelines on the packaging. To learn how to dry and press your merino wool garments, keep reading! For any clothing item this is a great fix! Felting occurs when the scales of untreated wool bind together as a result of agitation and heat, shrinking the finished object considerably and obscuring stitch definition. To avoid shrinkage and felting, you need to keep the temperature of your entire wash cycle constant. Superwash wool is designed to be machine washable and dryable, making it great for easy care and, by that fact alone, it’s not the same as regular wool. Superwash wool is a wool yarn that is machine washable and, therefore, will not felt. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of fair wages, employee benefits, and green cleaning practices. Wool yarns come from the fleece of sheep; cashmere and mohair are derived from goats. Yes, you can. 220 Superwash® is one of our most popular yarns. We are sure you will love this light worsted/DK, 100% Superwash Wool yarn. The better option is to squeeze out any excess moisture and lay it flat to dry. It is a natural fiber that is easy-care meaning you can machine wash and dry it! While Merino wool has the benefit of being largely wrinkle-, odor-, and stain-resistant, it still needs to be washed on occasion, especially when it has been soiled or heavily sweated on. Soft, luxurious, and warm, our Superwash Merino is also washing-machine safe. Here are a couple of pointers for caring for garments and blankets made from Superwash wool: Use ample water. – Crochet Concupiscence, Pingback: Caring for superwash wool - A Craft Blog. I have done this, but I used the bag and put it in the dryer for only 10 minutes at the lowest heat. Approved. A natural-fiber shampoo like you might use for hand-washing non-superwash wools is recommended. But when it is time to wash wool clothes, you can either wash them in a washing … – Crochet Concupiscence. I contacted my local, much loved woollen mills (Bendigo Woollen Mills ) where I buy a lot of knitting yarn to use in my weaving projects. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Soak the item in this solution for 20 minutes. Wool is a highly unpredictable and it can shrink all the way from XL to infant size if you don't handle it correctly. This compound holds the wool fibers in place during washing and drying, preventing them from interlocking during agitation which is what causes shrinkage and felting. It is a natural fiber that is easy-care meaning you can machine wash and dry it! As the range of available fibres was limited in the past, wool used to be a very valuable commodity. Wool has been a precious raw material for people for a long time. This will protect the fibers. Tumble dry low. NEW Forget-Me-Not 33162. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Some wool garments can handle other washing methods. It is nice to know that you can knit a child a garment and not have to worry about mom ruining it in the washing machine. You can use a flat drying rack for this. To care for superwash wool, wash it on the gentle cycle in your washing machine. The water should be between 30 and 40 degrees C (about 85-100 degrees F). This article has been viewed 209,295 times. Wool of the Andes Superwash is the same worsted weight Peruvian wool, specially treated to prevent felting so you can enjoy all the warmth, structure, and durability of wool with the convenience of machine washing. Each hair is made up of scales. Yarn Wash Info: For best results, place into a mesh wash bag, machine wash in cold water on delicate cycle. Feel free to share these three tips and a Eucalan Individual Pod with the recipients of your Superwash wool creations! Snow 3300. Can your wool go in the washing machine? What if it has shrunk from the washing machine? If there is one good point I want to get across in this post it is that Its expansive range of colorways, from soft neutrals to brights and moody darks, is sure to impress the most discerning of knitters, making this versatile yarn a go-to for a wide range of projects! 220 Superwash® is one of our most popular yarns. Never use hot water since high temperatures can seriously shrink your wool. Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted Yarn - Pure Wool Worsted is a machine washable, worsted weight yarn composed of 100 percent wool. This means that caring for wool is both easy and gentle on the planet. It is nice to know that you can knit a child’s garment or a cozy afghan and not have to worry about someone ruining it in the washing machine. A merino wool garment can be made of 100% merino wool or can be a mix of merino wool and polyester (normally 80%-20% respectively). When the hairs are exposed to high heat either during washing or drying, the scales bind together. Many knitters choose yarns made of superwash wool for projects that will need to be washed frequently, such as a pair of socks or baby clothes. Be sure to check if there are any specific care instructions on the blankets' tags. I'm going to try the hair conditioner tip to improve the feel of the fibers. Felting is a natural but sometimes unwanted property of the wool fiber. Copyright Silk Road Textiles © 2012. Find out how to protect this fine natural fiber as you clean it through gentle washing, drying, and stain-removal. Superwash wool yarn is a somewhat controversial yarn for fibre artists. If your yarn has more serious problems, you can leave it as long as overnight. Stretch the wool if it has shrunk. And wash by hand, of course! Make sure that your rinse water is the same temperature as the water in which you soaked your Merino wool. Ample Water     *     Eucalan Wool Wash   *       Tumble Dry Low. The process of making superwash wool prevents the wool’s ability to stick to itself and felt together from the agitation and heat of the washing machine. If your garment looks smaller than it was before washing, stretch it while it is still damp, starting by stretching it from top to bottom, then working up the garment while you stretch it side to side. Check your garment's care claim says that you can machine wash your wool sweater, then it means it can safely be machine washed in a washing machine multiple times, without shrinkage taking place. I typically block superwash like I would anything else, the first time, so it looks really nice for gifting and pictures. All rights reserved. Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted Yarn is available now at … Your email address will not be published. This is a wool that can be washed in the washing … For particularly stubborn stains, treat them with wool-specific soap. Check the tag for cleaning instructions. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/60\/Wash-Merino-Wool-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Wash-Merino-Wool-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/60\/Wash-Merino-Wool-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1378578-v4-728px-Wash-Merino-Wool-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"