I believe everyone has heard that wool or natural fiber clothes are difficult to maintain and wash. Not only are they afraid of staining and may shrink after washing, but because natural wool materials have irreplaceable warmth and comfort, so It makes many people put it down.
How to clean merino wool sweaters? Is merino wool machine washable? And what kind of detergent should be used?
The cleaning method of woolen clothes is actually super simple and convenient. As long as you master the two key points of temperature and detergent, you can easily protect your precious clothes. Don’t misunderstand wool again!
What is the difference between Merino wool and ordinary wool?
Do you still have the same concept of wool as in the past, when wool coats were always warm, heavy, itchy and uncomfortable?
Merino wool is completely different from traditional wool. In addition to the advantages of ordinary wool, the soft texture of merino wool not only has excellent temperature control functions that make you feel warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot, it also has a stronger odor-inhibiting effect and is also lighter than traditional wool. , dries much faster and is very suitable for various outdoor sports. Many mountaineering experts choose merino wool as their warm base layer, which is light and comfortable to wear. There are even travel experts who can complete a year-long cross-country trip with just a few merino wool sweaters!
1. How to clean merino wool
1. Follow the washing water label of the clothes
We recommend that you do it alone for the first 2-3 times Washing, through a separate washing water stream, can quickly remove dust or color fixation problems collected during the production process, and can also remove excess clothing fibers. When washing later, it is also recommended to wash it with clothes of the same color. It is recommended to wash patterned clothing inside out and separate light/dark clothing.
Be sure to check the ingredient label and wash water label of each piece of clothing (marked on the inside of the clothing) before washing. If it says dry cleaning only, it means it can only be sent to a laundromat. Laundry labels are very important for clothes, because sweaters of different materials have different washing methods. Only by washing different materials in the right way can the life of the clothes be protected!
As for the material of the colored sweater, if you want to know whether the color is intact (color fastness), you can cover it with a damp cloth before washing, or wet a small corner of the clothing to see if it will fade. .
2. Temperature
It is recommended that you use warm water or cold water below 30 degrees for washing. Too high water temperature will deform the fiber.
3. Detergent
Please use neutral detergent or washing powder (ph7-9). What exactly is the so-called neutral detergent?
To put it simply, when the pH value (liquid pH value) is less than 7, the solution is acidic; when the pH value is greater than 7, the solution is alkaline; when the pH value is equal to 7, the solution is neutral.
As for the neutral laundry detergent we are discussing, its pH value is truly chemically neutral, and should generally be between 7 and 9 (anything over 9 is considered alkaline).
Merino wool, antibacterial and deodorizing, very suitable for outdoor sports
2. Detergents that are absolutely prohibited for woolen clothing
1 .Enzyme laundry detergent
In order to enhance the cleaning power and remove odors, most of these laundry detergents contain powerful protein-removing ingredients, and wool itself is protein. There is a note on the back of the package that it is not suitable for wool washing.
What will happen if you use enzyme laundry detergent to wash woolen clothes?
Enzyme laundry detergents mostly use highly alkaline raw materials, which will quickly destroy wool fibers (wool itself is protein). If you insist on using enzyme laundry detergent for washing, after the fiber protein is destroyed, the clothes will produce a strange smell (similar to the smell of permed hair). This situation is an irreversible process. If a chemical change occurs, it cannot be restored. Again, please use neutral detergent to wash!
2. Alkaline/containing bleaching detergents
Detergents containing bleach or oxygen bleach must not be used, as they will also damage wool fibers (such as oranges) workshop). Using bleach will destroy the properties of wool, make the wool yellow and fade, and reduce the warmth of the fiber.
3. Washing with special detergents for woolen sweaters
Many special detergents for wool are actually designed to clean thicker and coarser woolen clothes (such as heavy coats), and Usually contains softening essence. Coupled with the fact that most of them use petroleum extracts, these chemicals will damage natural fibers when faced with soft base clothing. The fiber structure of merino wool is so soft, it is recommended to use daily laundry procedures and general neutral detergent.
4. Other neutral non-laundry detergents
It should also be noted that not only neutral detergents can be used to wash clothes, for example: use neutral detergents for washing dishes. Although detergents are all neutral, their cleaning functions are very different, and they are completely different from clothes!
3. Advanced washing and maintenance of woolen clothes
Soaking
General recommendations Do not wash woolen clothes for more than ten minutes. Soaking can easily cause the fibers to be stretched, set or deformed. If the color of the product is not fixed well, it may also cause fading.
Washing
Machine Washing: Please use a laundry bag and wash at medium and low speed
Hand washing: Wash gently. Sometimes hand washing will cause excessive pulling of clothes.
Hanging to dry
Do not direct If exposed to the sun, it is recommended that you lay it flat in a cool place to dry.
If the clothes are not dry enough, they will easily deform when hung!
Drying
Do not dry Drying will cause the wool to shrink (except socks)
To dry Icebreaker socks, please dry them inside out and at low temperature.
Iron
On clothes Add a piece of cloth and iron at low temperature
Maintenance/remove lint balls
Occasionally wash with denim or harder fabric to remove lint balls
Clothes storage
Please use folding methods instead of hanging on hangers to avoid long-term hanging and stretching of fibers.
Wool is the most natural and environmentally friendly material
IV. Introduction to Merino Wool
High-altitude Merino wool, because of the high-altitude environment, Merino wool is fine and soft. The product not only has good breathability, but also can Regulates body temperature in a timely manner to prevent hypothermia; unlike traditional wool fiber size, fine merino wool makes clothes lighter and does not have the itchy feeling of traditional wool.
