Washing merino wool: The best care for the fine sheep’s wool

In fact, washing wool is not as harmful to the fibres as some people think. Especially merino wool is quite robust compared to other types of wool and can or should therefore be washed from time to time. But you don’t have to wash merino wool tops as often as cotton or functional shirts, for example. This is due to the self-cleaning properties of the natural material. After all, sheep can’t take a shower.

It is therefore sufficient to hang your merino wool tops out in the fresh air. The absorbed sweat is released from the fibres so that you woollen clothing still smells fresh even after weeks. How long you want to delay washing is therefore up to you. However, as soon as stains are on the merino wool or you feel uncomfortable, you can wash the wool without hesitation. How? We’ll explain now!

Hand washing is still considered to be the gentlest way of doing laundry. Therefore, many people think that they always have to wash wool in the bathtub. However, hand washing in particular poses many risks in terms of too high a washing temperature, incorrect detergent dosage and rough wringing – and it’s precisely this that often leads to merino wool clothing shrinking or felting. Find out how you can safely wash merino wool clothing in the washing machine.

Most washing machines have a wool washing programme, which is ideal for washing merino wool. Usually, temperatures of max. 30 °C and a maximum of 600 revolutions in the spin cycle are pre-set. Also, the washing cycle is shorter, as wool doesn’t require intensive and lengthy cleaning to become completely clean.

If your washing machine doesn’t have such a delicate or wool programme, you can simply make the above settings yourself. Of course, the maximum temperature of 30 °C also applies to hand washing. It’s best to use a thermometer to ensure that the temperature is not too high and that the merino wool doesn’t shrink.

Also make sure that you only wash woollen clothing together. If pilling is already visible on individual parts, you can put a pair of jeans in the washing machine. It ensures that the small nodules and fluff are gently rubbed off.

The detergent is also important for the gentle cleaning of merino wool, as not every wool detergent is suitable for merino wool. The reason for this is the proteases often contained in the wool – enzymes that break down the proteins in the wool and can therefore lead to dull fibres.

To make sure that your detergent is suitable for merino wool, you should either keep an eye on the ingredients or use a pH-neutral mild detergent. It doesn’t contain a protease enzyme and is therefore ideal for your woollen clothing if the correct dosage is observed. Since merino wool is self-cleaning, as already mentioned, and often only a few items of clothing are washed at a time, very little detergent is usually needed for hygienic cleaning.

There are also a few things to bear in mind when drying merino wool to avoid unnecessary staining in the fine fibres and preventing felting. One thing in advance: Tumble drying is taboo! This applies equally to merino wool and other types of wool. Also, you should never wring out your woollen clothing after machine or hand washing, as this can cause the fibres to become brittle.

Clothing made from merino wool as well as underwear made from wool-silk and other fine material combinations should always be dried gently. To prevent the fibres from unravelling on the line, it’s best to lay them flat to dry. The best way to do this is to lay the garment on a light-coloured towel that doesn’t fluff. If you have washed your merino wool clothing by hand, you can place a second towel over it and press it down lightly. This allows excess water to escape without damaging the merino wool.

You dripped tomato sauce on your light-coloured merino wool top? Removing dark stains from wool is not necessarily easy, as the delicate material doesn’t tolerate heat at all, and heat only causes stains to become more deeply embedded in the fibres. You should also avoid using aggressive cleaning agents to remove stains or rubbing and scrubbing wool jumpers vigorously.

If a stain is still fresh, place the affected item of clothing in cold water as quickly as possible. Many stains can be easily washed out of merino wool after just two hours. If this is not the case, you can try household remedies: For stains caused by non-greasy or strongly colouring substances, first dab a little white vinegar onto the stained area and then wash it out with cold water.

Grease stains, make-up, ink or grass stains, on the other hand, are better removed with alcohol such as white spirit. If nothing helps, you can also treat stains in merino wool carefully with gall soap. Leave it to work for about an hour and then wash it out carefully, also with cold to lukewarm water.

Discover more topics from our blog that might interest you: