It was a handmade baby shawl in fine wool. Someone helpfully washed it without thinking about the temperature. It has shrunk and matted. I guess it is beyond hope but it has a lot of sentimantal value and I thought it could be worth trying Yahoo Answers. Please help if you can.
2007-10-08 02:53:50 · 11 answers · asked by Rob P 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
Wool fibers are naturally curly. During processing and weaving, the fibers are stretched out and smoothed. Washing them allowed them to crinkle back up, and the curls naturally tend to wrap around each other. (The other posters called this felting). Hotter water will make them curl more (shrink) but any temperature can cause it.
You can't brush the shawl back out.
2007-10-08 03:05:38 · answer #1 · answered by Sue 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is because most wool really isn't washable. That being said, unless you are really trying to launder a wool men's suit, it actually can be done, CAREFULLY. First of all, your safest bet is to use an at home dry cleaning package for the dryer. Usually, they come with spot removers and you are never really "wetting" the fabric. You can get about 5 jerseys "dry" cleaned with one purchase. However, you also can "launder" the woolen jersyeys as well if you follow the advice of the Queen of Clean, my personal hero, Linda Cobb. Here is what she suggests in her book, Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean: Wash woolen items in a delicate cycle that agitates slowly with a delicate detergent like Woolite only in COLD water. It is usually the agitation and the spin cycle that stretches the fibers and ruins woolens. Watch the garments carefully during the spin cycle and stop it mid cycle if the spin appears to be mis-shaping the garment. Remove immediately. Take a large terry towel, lay it flat and put the garment flat on top of the towel. Carefully and slowly roll the towel with the garment inside squeezing out the excess water. Place the garment on a clean, dry large terry towel on top of the dryer and run other load in the dryer to dry the garment on top of it. Re-Block the garment which means manipulate the garment fibers carefully to restore it's original shape. Pay attention to the arms so that you do not wind up with one arm longer than the other. Also, mind the bottom and neckline of the garment, so you block the fibers back to the original shape without causing either to be loose and stretched out. If you cannot eyeball this process, take a paper grocery bag, cut it open and trace the garment before you launder it. This will give you a pattern upon which to place the garment for the purpose of blocking once it has been laundered.
2016-05-18 23:09:28 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry - what has been done, cannot be undone. You could soak the shawl in fabric conditioner (cool water) and it will make it softer but it will still be matted. Such a shame when something like that happens but maybe it could be used for dressing up or make a cushion out of it - I don't really know because I'm not very handy myself and have ruined many a thing in the washing machine - the worst thing was when I put my husbands trousers in with a watch I had given him for his 21st still in the pocket!
All the best x
2007-10-08 03:09:03 · answer #3 · answered by Maryhill 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just saw on the telly info about recovering washed too hot woolens, put it in warm, not hot water, soak for a few minutes, when you take it out, pull the weave apart a little, and place it to dry on a flat surface, essentially blocking it, like we used to do for all our jumpers. Give it a try, not much to loose if you are going to throw it away anyway.
2007-10-08 03:14:32 · answer #4 · answered by b w 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it was the temperature that caused the main problem, but the degree of agitation. Wool should get much less agitation that cotton. It causes the fibres to lock.
I think the term for what has happened is felted. I don't think it can be recovered.
2007-10-08 02:58:26 · answer #5 · answered by Barbara Doll to you 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh that is a shame try hand washing it in warm water and then dipping it in comfort in warm water then let it dry natural it may make it feel softer and stretch it a bit more but other than that there is nothing that will return it to normal.
2007-10-08 03:03:15 · answer #6 · answered by momof3 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well try to dip it in just a warm water 5 to 10 degrees above room temperature and leave it for 2 to 3 days without any soap solution. Then lift it up and without drying it....lay it on a flat porous surface to dry by itself.
hope this will work with you.
2007-10-08 03:00:18 · answer #7 · answered by My-E 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am sorry but the only thing that can be done is to felt it or have it felted.
Wool is something that is very sensitive to water as you know.
I am so sorry I know what losing a family treasure is like.
2007-10-08 02:57:14 · answer #8 · answered by New England Babe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually the process that was started is called felting. Unfortunately once it has been started there is no way of going back to how it was originally.
http://knitting.about.com/od/felting/Knitting_and_Felting.htm
Provides some information about the process of felting.
2007-10-08 02:58:22 · answer #9 · answered by Mestina 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry - but in a word - NO. The damage cannot be undone.
2007-10-08 02:56:08 · answer #10 · answered by jet-set 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋