washing wool ?

[Lslite]

Just got a new Pendelton virgin wool shirt.Tag says dry clean only.Can I handwash it in cold water and Woolite to soften it and tighten the weave some ? The fit is perfect now and I'm afraid of shrinking it too much.

[leatherneck]

Actually, Pendleton shirts are pretty durable. My kids accidentally washed and dryed one of mine and it did not shrink at all.        I always machine wash my pendleton shirts and hang dry them. Never had a problem. If you hand wash any wool and  hang dry it you will be fine. I always only hand wash my good coats.

Mike

[Orion]

I pretty much agree with leatherneck.  I usually gently stretch and block the wool rather than hang it though.

[akdd]

I use cold water and hang dry mine.

[Ron LaClair]

If you wash wool in a machine the agitation may shrink it. Hand wash and hang dry and you'll be alright.

[doctari]

I have a new Whrilpool cabrio washer and you can wash wool, (no agitator) For drying,I lay garments flat. This is saving me lots of money from the dry cleaners. I love wool.

[Flinttim]

Back in the good ol' days when young beauties still wore sweaters (man I miss those days) these sweater dryers were the trick.
 
Still out there and don't leave hanger marks or rust (steel hangers)
A young lady I came to know very well had 3 or 4 of these and had sweaters drying all the time. Most will fit across the bathtub to catch drips.

[freefeet]

Two problems with washing wool, first is heat which shrinks it unless the wool is preshrunk, second is agitation which felts the wool.

If you put wool in a normal wash cycle on cold it won't shrink it but it will felt it from excessive agitation, it will seem like it shrunk cause it will get smaller as the felted fibres stick together.

Cold wash with very little agitation and wool should be fine.

[NoCams]

I tend to agree with both schools of thought...Either hand wash or wash in one of the new horizontal tub / no agitator washers on hand wash or delicate cycle. I have a LG and watched carefully as my new Ullfrotte and other wool pants went round and round. They came out fine and I simply hung the pants to dry after blocking them out first, no shrinking. I actually dried the Ullfrotte on ultra delicate and they did not shrink. Ullfrotte garments are rated for wshing and drying though, so on your other wools please check the label or with the manf. These new machines are much more delicate on clothes. JMHO


nocams  

[rbbhunt]

I have always washed mine in the machine.  Use cold water, Sport Wash (no scent and no UV brighteners), Delicate cycle and air dry.

[sweeney3]

I have several wool items that I wash on cold delicate and hang dry with no problem.  Be sure you have a couple days to spare to hang them.

[Bear Heart]

What is blocking?

[NoCams]

Bear Heart,
It is laying the garment out on something flat and stretching the garment back to shape before hanging it up to dry.

nocams

[Jeremy]

Hand wash or wash on the delicate cycle, block and dry flat.  You'll be fine.

You might be surprised how my dry cleaners end up hand washing wool garments instead of dry cleaning!  

[longbowben]

KOM just wash and hang dry.I have been wearing kom products for a long time never had a problem with them ,i cant say the same for two other  brands i have tryed.

[Otto]

Back in the good ol' days when young beauties still wore sweaters (man I miss those days)

+1 my man, +1.