How to Wash a Merino Wool Blend Sweater

A merino wool blend sweater is an essential part of any person's wardrobe. The combination of wool and other materials makes it versatile, warm and comfortable to wear. It is also this combination of materials that can make it difficult to wash. Was a merino wool blend sweater the wrong way and you will end up with a sweater for your dog. Follow these simple steps to wash your merino wool blend sweater and keep it looking like new.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 washing machine
• 1 container laundry soap
• 1 large beach towel
• 1 clothes hanger

It's is All in the Process

1. Separate your merino wool blend sweater with like colors to get it ready to be washed. Even with careful planning the color of your sweater may run a little onto lighter colored clothing.

2. Place these dirty clothes into your washing machine. Set the settings of the wash cycle to a cold wash and a cold rinse. This will help to keep the color from running and help prevent the sweater from shrinking.

3. Pour 1 cap full of color safe all temperature laundry soap into the washing machine. Let the washing machine run through its full wash cycle. There is no need to use a delicate wash cycle. Your regular cycle will do.

4. Remove you merino wool blend sweater from the washing machine. Lay the sweater flat on the beach towel. Roll the beach towel and sweater up. Squeeze as much excess water out of your merino sweater as you can.

5. Unroll the towel and remove the damp sweater. Hang the sweater on the clothes hanger. Place the hanger somewhere to air dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Place your drying sweater somewhere that it will not matter if water drip from it. Wool holds onto water for a long time. This may ruin the floor that is underneath your hanger.
• Do not use bleach or any laundry soap containing bleach on your merino wool blend sweater. It will fade the color and eat holes right through the material.

[jude1889]

on 1/27/2009 Tips & Warnings - Apart from not using bleach, never use fabric conditioner, soap powder or soap flakes. Chocolate Fish - the UK-based NZ Merino specialists, recommend the following for washing 100% Superfine Merino: wash inside-out on a short 30deg wool or silk cycle using a mild wool detergent - they recommend NikWax's Wool Wash or Ecover for Delicates. NEVER use fabric conditioner. It was developed to remove the static from synthetics. Wool doesn't have static, and fabric conditioner just gunges up the fabric making it sticky and unpleasant.

Use a moderate spin, then hang on the washing line out of direct sunlight. If it's too cold or damp for line-drying, put on clothes hangers preferably padded out a bit with old towel and hang somewhere where air can circulate freely. Merino washed like this dries quickly, needs no pressing, and comes up looking good time after time.

By th