How to Wash Wool Sweaters
Wool sweaters do not have to be dry-cleaned. You can save money by easily cleaning your wool sweaters at home. The most important thing to remember to do is to measure your sweater BEFORE washing it so that you can re-size it to its original form. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- Paper
- Wool detergent
- Large laundry tub or sink
- Clean Towels
- Water
Instructions
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Lay your sweater on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles. Draw a rough picture of the sweater on a piece of paper. Use the tape measure to measure the width of the sweater from underarm seam to underarm seam across the chest. Record the measurement on your drawing. Measure the length of the sleeves from shoulder seam (or from the neck if the sweater has raglan sleeves) to the cuff. Record the measurement on the drawing. Measure the width of the bottom of the sweater and record it. Finally, measure the length of the sweater from the back of the neck to the bottom of the sweater and record it.
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2
Run two gallons of cold water into a clean tub or sink. Add a cap full of wool detergent to the water and stir it with your hand, ensuring the soap is well mixed into the water.
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3
Place the sweater into the detergent/water mixture and gently squeeze the liquid through the sweater. If there were any spots of dirt on the sweater, you may dab a drop of Woolite to the spot with your finger. Press the spot a few times to distribute the soap through the fibers. Gently press down on the sweater until you have thoroughly soaked all parts of the it. Allow the sweater to soak for about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not scrub or rub the sweater!
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Gently squeeze the soapy water from the sweater and let the soapy water run down the drain. Run fresh, cold water into the sink and soak the sweater again. Gently squeeze the water from the sweater, let the water run down the drain and run more fresh, cold water into the sink. Continue to rinse the sweater until the water runs clear and there are no more signs of soap in the water.
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5
Roll the sweater in a towel and press to remove excess water. Do not rub! If the towel gets very wet, use a second towel. Keep pressing it until the sweater is just damp.
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6
Place a large, clean, dry towel on a rug on the floor or in a dry bathtub. Place the sweater on the towel and, using the ruler, measure the sleeves, chest, length, and bottom of the sweater, moving and stretching it until it measures the same as it did before you put it in the water. Smooth out any wrinkles and allow the sweater to dry thoroughly. Turn it over after 12 hours to allow the back to dry. It may take several days to dry, depending upon the humidity in your home.
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Tips & Warnings
Be gentle with your garment--squeeze the soap through the material, don't "scrub" it.
Remember to measure your sweater and record the measurements before getting the sweater wet.
Avoid rubbing the sweater when it is wet, as that will cause it to "pill" or form tiny knots on the surface of the wool.
Do not put too much detergent into the water or you will increase your rinsing time!
