Wool can safely be washed in a washing machine; including your sweaters, blankets. Just make sure you follow the below steps:
- Check that the garment 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
- Turn your wool sweater inside out, or use a laundry bag
- Add Dirt's wool and delicate wash. A solid load needs 4 pumps, just work up and down from that, based on how much is in your machine.
- Set your cycle to the wool setting. If your washing machine does not have a wool setting, then choose delicate.
If you are going to hand wash, then you should:
- Fill a bucket with lukewarm water (around 30 degrees which is usually cooler than you think it is)
- Add a wool detergent, just two pumps of ours will be plenty
- Soak wool garment for 10 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water
- Rinse again in cold water.
Get the drying right.
The weight of a wet wool garment, can stretch it out if you hang it on a hanger. While it's okay to hang jackets and suits, proper knitwear should be flat dried. With all wools:
- Keep it inside out
- Look for a shaded area. Sun drying can cause parts of the fabric to shrink or change colour
- Lay flat, to ensure that the weight distribution is even
- Do not dry over a radiator or heater, this will cause the wool to dry in a very funky way; half shrunk, half stretched, half faded etc
- Wait until the wool is completely dry, then put away
If you get this right, then your wool will be for life.
Source: https://www.woolmark.com/care/how-to-wash-a-wool-sweater/
Photo Credit: Waverly Mills *check them out you won't regret it*