Today's Special Value

[DM Tiara]

How anyone tried washing their ARAN IRISH MERINO WOOL SWEATERS (previously purchased) in cold water and Woolite ?? If so what happened? Thank you !!!

I only enjoy sweaters cleaned in soap and water. Wondering how much tightening and loss of quality in the wool and knit, would happen?

All Irish Blessings to all !! DM Tiara

[ennui1]

Ah, there's nothing quite like the smell of wet wool. It's right up there with wet dog.

Wool doesn't need to be washed often. If you hang it in fresh air, it will revive. It's something about the lanolin, it repels dirt and smells.

I have washed wool sweaters, but they take a long time to dry. Lay flat, flip, etc.

[flamingo111]

I have only had my sweaters dry cleaned and they came out very nice. I don't have to do it often, once a year.

[BellaPaprika]

They advise ""dry clean only"". I would take their advice.

[ennui1]

I did have one wool sweater shrink to comical proportions.

[Bhvbum]

I learned a lesson, I washed a natural merino Irish sweater last year after having it drycleaned for a couple of years. I could not BELIEVE HOW DIRTY THE WATER WAS! After that I have washed every merino sweater I have bought. Cool water, handwash in the washer, tumble dry for about 5 min, lay flat to dry. Same for all the cashmere from QVC. I can't figure how someone managed to shrink one of these. Regular deterg and fabric softener. All come out perfect, I will never get something drycleaned that I can wash so easy.

[Kachina624]

Just be sure to use cold water...hot water will cause them to shrink and ""felt"".

[HandJive]

I put a ton of time into knitting wool sweaters, hats, scarfs and such. I use Eucalan to care for them. Click on the how-to tab on the website for care instructions. Anywhere local that sells knitting yarn should carry it, or order from Amazon as I do.

[RedTop]

If I invested that much money in a wool sweater that I expected to last for many years, I would dry clean only.

Last month, my daughter washed a beautiful sweater she had just purchased from Coldwater Creek in mild soap and cold water on the delicate cycle. When she took that sweater out of the washer, it looked like something she would have worn when she was 6 years old. We both just stared at that sweater with our mouths wide open. She contacted the store where she bought it and they asked her to bring it back to them, and she was able to replace it with the exact sweater in the same color. Many of those sweaters had been returned for the exact same reason, and the store clerks seemed to think the wrong instruction tag had been sewn into the sweater. My daughter said she would take no chances, and would stick to dry cleaning anything she's unsure of.

[jackthebear]

On 3/17/2014 kathoderay said:

I put a ton of time into knitting wool sweaters, hats, scarfs and such. I use Eucalan to care for them. Click on the how-to tab on the website for care instructions. Anywhere local that sells knitting yarn should carry it, or order from Amazon as I do.

I was also going to post Eucalan, it is the very best for washing wools it doesn't need to be rinsed out. (are you on Ravelry?)

Merino can easily be washed, sheep get wet.

I wash all my sweaters, garment bag in the delicate cycle and sometimes I even use a gasp hanger!! to dry them. (one of those that has shoulder shapes)