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Washing wool can seem overwhelming, but it is no different than washing a newborn! Just use tepid water, keep the water temperature consistent, be gentle, don't scrub, and rinse well. Once you do it, the process will become second nature!
Wool Care Products- The easiest way to begin is with our awesome Wool Care Kit. This kit includes everything you will need to get started:
- Mild Wool Wash (we LOVE Soak Wash and Unicorn Beyond Fibre Wash)
- Solid Lanolin
- Emulsifying Cubes (a Sloomb Cube works well too!)
- Wool Shaver
- Lanolizing Tutorial Card
You will also need a small heat safe bowl and spoon for stirring.
Spot treat any stains by wetting the wool with warm water, and dabbing a small drop of wool wash into the stain. For particularly stubborn stains, pinch the soap into the stitches of the wool, and allow the soap to sit on the wool for about 15 minutes. Then rinse well under running water and repeat if needed.
Fill your basin with tepid water, and add a few squirts of wool wash as the basin fills. Create some suds by agitating the water, and turn the wool inside out. Place it into the basin, allowing it to sit about 5-15 minutes. Gently agitate the water a few times through the soak. Rinse the wool under running water, making sure to match the temperature of the running water with the temperature of the water in the basin. Repeat the wash if needed and gently squeeze (don't wring) the extra water out once the wool has been completely rinsed.
While your wool is soaking in the wash water, start to make up your lanolin emulsification. Take a small bowl or mug of water, and heat it to tea steeping temperature. Add about a teaspoon of lanolin and a die size cut of Sloomb Cube, an Emulsifying Cube, or a few squirts of wool wash, and stir until the water turns a milky white.
After your clean wool is rinsed, fill the basin again with warm water, and pour your lanolin mixture in (the water in the basin should turn cloudy). Place your wool into the basin and allow it to soak for at least 30 minutes. For best results, new wool may be soaked overnight.
Once the wool has soaked in the lanolin squeeze out the extra water and roll the wool in a towel. If your washer has a "spin only" setting, the wool can be spun in the washer on low, to remove the extra water and decrease drying time.
Lay the wool flat in a well ventilated area and turn it often as it dries. Drying time will vary based on humidity, ambient temperature and ventilation. We do not recommend drying over a heater, directly in the sun, or under/over cold air, as this can shock wet fibers and cause the wool to felt. However laying the wool under a ceiling fan or outside on a breezy day shouldn't pose a problem. Drying on an open rack or laundry drying rack can help shorten drying time, as these will allow airflow around the wool garment.