Drycleaning..sure if you don't mind the dry cleaning chems.

The enzymes in detergents are there to eat protein stains at least some of them.

Elmer you say agree wool shouldn't be washed using detergents containing enzymes because they can cause damage..Why? How?

Rita..lol...I'm laying on the sofa with my phone..going to bed after my motrin at 11.30. I am tired.

Care labels are on garments for a reason, that's the best guide. My comment was generic rather than specific, lest someone think from the first comment that all wool items can be "washed". Dry clean only means just that.

Elmer...I fully expected you to disagree with my post..that's what you do even when you clearly don't know the What or why's. I'd aappreciate it if you would leave my post alone..in other words...don't ruin another of my threads. Thank You.

Wool items can be washed Elmer...if one know the proper practice of doing so.

I don't think I could handle washing a heavy wool blanket in the tub. What I do is soak it in the washer with Woolite, and wash on delicate for a few minutes, then I drape it on the line out of the sun..

Mama. Stop doing our laundry, and rest. I appreciate your tips, because I hate what the dry cleaner charges ;0) I had an off white Pendleton throw - not even a blanket size - and the last cleaners I took it to charged a kings ransom to clean it. Now it gets Woolite.

But I haven't had a washer that rinsed warm or lukewarm in years. My last two Maytags have only rinsed cold. But we can talk about that later, no more tonight. Turn on an old movie or something and fall asleep ;0)

Ok ok...lol. I'm taking my motrin and going to bed.

Thank You. ..LOL

If you want to dogmatize, you might be happier with a blog or your own website. That way you can control or prevent comments. Open forums like this one don't function that way.

I won't be baited, sorry.

I usually hand wash my small wool items in Kookaburra wash. As I knitter, I often make items of wool, cashmere or alpaca. ( Yes, hand knit cashmere socks are as yummy as they sound.) I wash these items in my deep laundry tub with barely any movement so as not to begin any felting. I plop them into a large colander and let them drain and repeat with clear water of the same temp. I then gently roll the item in a large towel and press on it a bit and let the towel soak up the water. Then I block the item by reshaping it on a nylon mesh that is on a 4-legged frame. If it felts the there is no recovering it.

You are right about enzymes attacking wool , which really is just animal hair. I see references now and then where folks use Dawn ( I think the Ph is wrong there ). For knitters, there is are wool yarns that are spun with 10% nylon that makes them machine washable.

Also, I am glad to see by you original post, you are only doing laundry in your head and are actually resting :-)

My understanding was that different enzymes are effective on different stains. If I'm not mistaken, protease is the one that works on protein stains.

However, wool itself is a protein and enzymes cause degradation of the fiber.

I use a "green" dry cleaners, so less harsh.

I live 25 miles from a dry cleaner and on the the very rare occasion that I have used them, I hang the clean item outdoors on the clothesline to air out for a day.

Wool items can be washed Elmer

Of course they can. Otherwise sheep would shrink after a rain.

Very funny Lucille!

{Tip toes in}

Irma Protease is the enzyme that likes protein stains.

Elizabeth Cashmere socks sound extravagently yummy..and I also think Dawns PH is probably wrong for wool since it contains ammonia. I know PH is important which is why I recommended liquid detergent since the liquids have a closer to neutral PH than powders.

Lucille...LOL@Sheep shrinking

Protease is used in the wool/yarn dying industry to prepare the surface of the wool fiber to accept dye more easily. The yarn that has been dyed this way is more dense, slightly rougher and a little narrower in diameter.

Me thinks that mamapinky has too much time on her hands. LOL Taking it easy is hard work for workaholics.

I can only add, I wash wool! The origin of the wool can be cashmere, alpaca, sheep etc. I never felted wool since way back when.... I tossed a pair of socks from my dad (who was visiting) in the washing machine... and I wasn't aware they were wool. It was to my benefit however, cause now I had really warm dense socks... that I wore forever during cold temps, while riding my bike. Unfortunately they are gone now... the same gone as many other items, that I thought I would no longer need when I went to Florida.

I wash my wool mostly in dawn dish-washing detergent, or in shampoo, hand wash in warm water, in a dish pan in my kitchen sink. I don't baby it that much... but I do use warm water, as cold would hurt my arthritic joints. I do toss it in the washing machine to spin out between the wash, and the rinses. Yes, rinses. I rinse at least twice.

I also never hang wool, I lay flat to try on an indoor drying rack. Socks get laid across the bars, meaning they hang down on each side of the bars.

Don't hang your wool blankets. Lay flat to dry. Don't hang your wool sweaters, cardigans, fold and lay instead. You can distort your items when hanging... which doesn't bother me in the socks... they are to light to get distorted.

Moni... who LOVES all types of wool in the winter to keep those arthritic joints warm

Because wool is the only fiber that will keep you warm even if it is wet. Something we outdoor folks in the north know all too well.

great information, but was waiting for the stories of wool sweaters accidentally going thru wash/dry with regular clothes and the cartoon results! bet there aren't many here who haven't shrunk a full sized sweater to one that would fit a small dog!!

Yep, I once bought a hand knitted in the round Shetland wool sweater, loved it, wore it a few times then accidentally washed it in hot water. Would fit a six year old after that :-(

Oh no Colleenoz! It sounds like it was a beautiful sweater. It was probably a stiff and scratchy 6 y.o. size too.

Not so much scratchy as bullet proof :-)

^^^ LOL^^^

This reminds me of the commercial with the ewe whose *wool sweaters* are stolen. Geico's renter's insurance replaces them. It's one of their 'nursery rhyme' series.

on washing down items. i have a down comforter and blanket that have only ever been washed/dried at home. it is VERY important to make sure down is completely DRY before folding up for any amount of time storing. i usually run through one complete drying cycle and then pull at any lumps to loosen any areas that are still damp. then I'll run through another dry cycle.

I washed all of my wool blankets and throws....and I can't tell that they are hurt. They were wet (for almost a month) from water out of the bayou. The water looked muddy when I washed them. I washed them twice in cold water and rinsed in cold water. One of them I even bleached because it was white with a plaid pattern running through it and it came out looking great. All of them rinsed twice. Here's the thing. I have never used them....and I probably never will. I may use them some day to cover up a sick animal. I had no place to lay them flat to dry....no clean place here now. So I hung them on a fence in the shade. By the time one was dry, another one was ready, so I moved one and put another in it's place. It probably isn't good to keep them in plastic bags either....which is where they had been for the last 20+ years. The bags were around them, but not tied shut. I used Era to wash them and Biz, so if that eats them up....so be it. They aren't eaten up now...but if I take them out in 20 more years and they are eaten up, then I will know what did it. :) Like I said, I don't use them and if I ever did, it would be like a bedspread because I like the blue plaid and red plaid ones. I have so much to do and I was going to throw them all away. I did throw three of them away....light colors that had mildewed because I didn't have time to get to them all.

I am glad you saved a few of them and they washed well for you.

My friend gave me two wool blankets when they sold their cabin. They aren't soiled but smell of wood smoke. How should I wash them? Soaking in a tub is out and there is no where to dry them flat. Could I just drape them on patio furniture to dry? I did try airing them but that did not help plus I want to wash them without ruining them.

Pam does your washer have a designated WOOL cycle? Is the wool in near great condition or has it already been improperly laundered? I'm thinking you don't have a wool cycle....ok than if you have a traditional top load washer...put the wool blanket in the washer one only...fill it with cool not cold water once it fills with water shut the washer off and leave the blanket soak only..add a small amount of enzyme free detergent or a detergent designed for wool..use your hand and gently swirl the detergent around in the water avoiding the blanket...just let it soak about 15 minutes with the washer off.....than turn your dial around to drain and than spin it on lowest spin cycle...after it spins fill back up with cool water and shut machine off again..than drain and spin..I'd do this twice. never use fabric softener on wool. This sounds like a lot but its actually very simple..as for drying....you can drape it over chairs or tables I wouldn't hang it on a line as it will pull to much.

If you have questions please feel free to ask.

Thanks, mamap. Hope you are feeling better. There is no wool cycle, just a hand wash one/extra slow. Would that work? What detergent should I use?

I forgot to say the blankets are old but in excellent condition. There's no visible wear and they are not misshapen. Judging by their age, I would say they were cleaned numerous times.

Pam most hand wash cycles still have to much movement for wool.....what washer do you have?

Mamap, I hope you are resting. I inherited an older Kenmore 80 series washer from my parents when they downsized.

Great.. I love the older washers and if your gonna have a top loader the older ones are the only way to go. Can you do as I recommended above just use the washer as a soak tub with absolutly no agitation? It should come clean this way..wool fibers relax very easily so I see no problem with only soaking it. You can spin it out as spinning is not the same as wringing and twisting its actually just compression which is fine for wool.

Pam Thank you and yep I'm resting no energy to do anything else..

Thanks, mamap. This is the best washer I have ever used. Mom dislikes her new one. I will follow your instructions. I appreciate you taking the time. I know pneumonia and flu are no fun.

Your Welcome Pam and I hope it works well for you just remember no agitation at all.

Elmer J Fudd (formerly S Whiplash) wrote:

"Care labels are on garments for a reason, that's the best guide. My comment was generic rather than specific, lest someone think from the first comment that all wool items can be "washed". Dry clean only means just that."

The labels are for recommendation. As for being there for a reason, well sometime, the reason isn't always justifiable in the care of the fabric. In other words, just because the label said to "dry clean only", it doesn't mean that it is the only way to clean the garment.

Silk fabric is a good example of this. Every time, I see the "dry clean only" label on silk garments, I giggle. Think about it, what came first, silk fabric or the dry cleaning method?

Silk is actually a pretty strong fiber. People in ancient time had mainly washed silk garments by hand and hung them to dry.

I do the same. I put all my silk garments in the washer and use the gentle cycle. Then, I hang them up to dry. Once the garment is ironed, the shine of the silk comes right back.

LOL, I think the reason silk (of Chinese origin) is labeled for dry cleaning is to help out all those dry cleaners that are mainly owned by the Asians :)

Now back to wool, like someone already said it, wool is basically animal hair. Animals do get wet (from rain or whatever) but their hair remains well. Some things to remember when washing wool fiber is to use cold water and be gentle enough so it won't shrink and felt the fabric; unless, felting was meant to be done.

Ah, I need to get back on my knitting. I've been wanting to make a wool felt hat.

The posting about labels reminds me of a jacket I once had. It was just a cheap red nylon with cotton lining. After I got it home, I read the label that said Do Not Wash, Do Not Dry Clean. Well, that jacket got washed and dried many, many times before it finally wore out.

Those care labels are there mostly to protect manufactures.

Yet a wool jacket with a silk lining would be ruined no matter how carefully you washed and blocked it.

Actually no, you can wash a wool jacket with silk lining in the machine. Here is a YouTube featuring a Chanel jacket. I do this at home with my wool jackets/suits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLft_lYXzTk

Does anyone know the name of a product that restores a bit of lanolin to wool during or after a water wash? I read of one some years ago but can't remember the name.

Forgot to say that I looked up the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for Dawn dish detergent and found that Dawn does not have ammonia in it.

Mathias_lang - Medela Pure Lan or Lansinoh Lanolin?

Rita, you are braver than I . I could never do that with a nice Chanel jacket. I ruined a jacket years ago that way. The jacket lost it's tailored shape and the lining drooped. My mistake..definitely, but painful.

I was not brave at all, Elizabeth! I had heard it could be done and took one of my husband's old suit jackets that he no longer wore and was on its way to the donation pile. I was thrilled that it worked because I despise dry cleaning. (I don't feel like dry cleaning really cleans much.)

PS And I waited until I had a Miele to try my little experiment.