How to Wash a Wool Overcoat
Garment care labels on wool coats usually recommend dry cleaning, and should ideally be followed if possible. However, while it is not the generally recommended method, it is possible to hand wash a wool overcoat. Avoid using a washing machine because extra attention is required to prevent damaging a wet wool overcoat. Hand washing avoids the twisting and stretching that happens to garments in the washing machine, but you need to soak the coat longer for hand washing than you would if you were washing it into the washer. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Soft bristled clothes brush
- 1 capful delicate laundry detergent
- Cold water
- 1 wash basin, size 10.5 gallons or bathtub
- Bath towels
- Drying rack
- Heavy coated hanger
Instructions
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1
Gently brush the wool surface to remove any loose dirt, using the soft bristled brush. Turn the coat inside out.
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2
Pour the capful of laundry detergent into the wash basin, and add cold water until the basin is 1/2 full, or if you are using a bathtub, fill to a depth of 6 inches.
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3
Gently push the coat into the water and hold it down until it is saturated. Allow the coat to soak in the soapy water for one hour.
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4
Gently agitate the coat in the soapy water with your hands. Scrub deeply soiled areas with the scrub brush, but do not use excessive force because wet wool is easy to damage.
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5
Drain the soapy water off of the coat, and wring the excess water off by pressing down on the coat. Avoid using a twisting motion to prevent stretching the wool.
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6
Rinse the coat with cold water, and press the water out again.
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7
Spread the bath towels on a flat surface, overlapping them until they form a large square that is a little bit larger than the coat.
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Put the coat on the towels, and spread it out flat. Roll the towels and coat into a large tube. Drape the towels and coat over the drying rack, and let the coat and towels drip for two hours. The coat will not be completely dry.
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9
Hang the still damp coat on a heavy, coated hanger and let it finish air drying.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid using any kind of liquid chlorine bleach on wool because it damages wool by weakening and stiffening the fibers.
References
- Photo Credit wool image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
