How to Hand Wash a 100% Merino Wool Sweater or Other Merino Knit Garment

Merino wool feels great, but hand-washing it can be tricky. Follow these instructions to clean and restore your favorite merino sweater. (If you're washing a merino-wool blend or "superwash" marked merino garment, see the article under that name.)

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 100% merino garment that needs cleaning
• old window screen
• shampoo and conditioner
• old towel
• permanent marker
• two absorbent towels OR
• washing machine

1. Here's how to hand-wash a merino-wool garment without shrinking (felting) it.
   
   The key to not shrinking your merino wool sweater is to minimize agitating the wool and keep water temperature consistent. Agitating the wool and changing the water temp will shrink your sweater. Please listen to me on this - I have a trail of Barbie-doll sized sweaters to show for my previous mistakes.

2. First, you're going to make a pattern that will ensure that you can reblock your sweater after washing to maintain its original shape. Place your sweater on an old terrycloth towel and, using permanent marker, draw its outline. You'll use this towel to reblock your sweater. If you don't have an old window screen (see below) you can also use the towel as a surface for drying the sweater. You can use this towel again and again.
   
   Locate an old window screen from your stock of storm windows. Make sure it's clean and dry. This is what you'll use to dry your sweater.

3. Fill a large basin or your kitchen sink with lukewarm (about 85 degrees F) water. Dissolve a tablespoon of shampoo into this water and swish around to make sure the shampoo is well dispersed.
   
   Place your beloved sweater in the water and GENTLY press through the suds to wet the sweater. Let soak a few minutes, then GENTLY press through suds again. DO NOT AGITATE.

4. Remove sweater and refill basin with lukewarm water to which you have added, and swished in, a tablespoon or so of hair conditioner. Place the sweater in this water and gently press through suds. Repeat as necessary until few suds are visible. DO NOT AGITATE the sweater.

5. If you have a washing machine, place the sweater gently in the tub and "SPIN" on LOW SPIN until water is removed from sweater. You can also place the sweater between two absorbent towels and gently press the moisture out of the sweater.

6. Place the marked towel on a flat surface and place the window screen over it. Place your sweater on the window screen and gently shape it to the contours you outlined before. Pull and push gently. This is a good opportunity to reshape the sweater. You want everything to look even.

7. Place the window screen with the blocked sweater on it horizontally where the sweater will receive air circulation - over the bathtub works great. Allow the sweater to dry naturally away from heat. Don't try to rush this process. It will take at least a day, depending on the humidity of your environment.

8. When it's completely dry, enjoy your naturally clean, beautifully soft sweater! Avoid using heat or agitation on it - that includes using an iron.

Tips & Warnings

• I suggest you use shampoo and conditioner rather than Woolite or any other wool-wash to clean your merino sweaters. Wool is an animal fiber that is very much like human hair. Shampoo cleans it without leaving residue, and conditioner acts as a fabric softener. In my opinion, Woolite is too harsh (and it's expensive). Professional cleaners use Orvis paste (available through tack shops) - you can use that too. However, shampoo/conditioner is a simple solution and I have never had bad results using them. I use Pantene shampoo, which also works great on my hair!
• WARNING: If you have a merino sweater you love and can't bear to be parted from, have it dry-cleaned. Hand-washing merino can be risky. However, if you're careful and follow these steps, you can hand-wash your merino sweater and have it emerge clean and smelling and feeling beautiful. The key to not shrinking your merino wool sweater is to minimize agitating the wool and keep water temperature constant. Agitating the wool and changing the water temp will shrink your sweater.