how do you wash wool garments without making them shrink in the process??

Question

i'm really frustrated. i handwashed my woollen sweater in cold water with special detergent meant for woollen garments, and then pulled and stretched it a bit (because instructions said to "reshape whilst damp")... and hung it to dry as per washing label instructions. when it was dry, it was shrunken and i couldn't fit into the sleeves anymore. i tried pulling and stretching the sleeves but there wasn't much "give" in the garment - the knitting was very tight and there is no way i could try to reshape the woolly sweater after it was dry. i really dont know what i did wrong! my husband says he hates wearing woollen clothes because of the same thing - they shrink after washing. i haven't dared to wash my other woollen sweater as a result. perhaps someone here can give me some pointers on how to wash wool garments??? also, is it still possible to "save" my shrunken wool sweater now?

Answer 1

no probably not okay to save it . From now on use wool lite detergent it is guaranteed not to make your woolens shrink . I use it all the time and have never had a problem . good luck . always use cold water and use woollite .

Answer 2

Shrinkage in wool unlike cotton is always a fault in the washing or drying process. Wool fibre has scales on the outside and these scales will move out under stress (excessive movement) heat or alkaline conditions in the wash. The scales interlock and cause the material to shrink and harden. There is really no cure. Some light felting (That is what it is called and felt is made that way) may be recovered but mostly the condition is not reversible. Without being there when the garment was washed I don't know what went wrong. All I can say is because of the structure of the wool fibre it is very easy to clean so only gentle washing is necessary. Most detergents are alkaline but if you used a proper wool one this should not be the case. The garment should be pulled gently back into shape when wet then laid flat to dry. As I said I don't know what has gone wrong with your garment but clearly something was done incorrectly otherwise it would not have shrunk. Hand wash warm water with a good quality wool detergent or soap and gently wring out most of the water then dry as I suggested. Do not spin dry leave that for the professionals

Answer 3

Try to get hold of woolite or something similar - most supermarkets sell detergents meant for wool items. I have several wool sweaters and I was as follows:

1. Run a bath / basin full of COLD water
2. Add your detergent (always read the label for instructions)
3. Hand wash - very gently - try not to pull or wring the garment while you're washing it as it causes friction between the fibres and it will stretch and wear faster.
4. When you're happy that it's clean rinse very well with COLD water.
5. NEVER wring your garment to dry it. Gently squeeze water out by pressing it flat against the sink.
6. place two clean towels on the floor (make sure they're colourfast) and lay your garment flat between them.
7. Step gently all over the garment to get the excess water out of them.
8. find a flat surface to lay the garment until it's dry - do not put it near heat (such as a radiator or hairdryer). It will take some time to dry so the dryer you can get it by stepping on it the better.

The other thing is to only wash your woolen things when you have to - not every time you wear them. I have angora jumpers that I only wear and wash very occasionally.

If you are still too afraid to wash your sweaters then I'd advise taking them to be dry-cleaned. It's an expense but at least you know it's safe...

Hope this helps?

Answer 4

It's unlikely that anything you do can save your shrunken sweater now. Have you thought about returning it to the shop? If you followed the washing instructions properly, this shouldn't have happened. I'd have a go at taking it back if I were you - nothing ventured nothing gained!
Most woollen clothes these days can be machine washed (on the appropriate setting) I'm surprised yours are not.
If you're going to take a Chance on washing the others, VERY warm water, suitable detergent, dry flat if possible.
Maybe you ought to avoid woollen garments in future?

Answer 5

Sounds like you did everything right. Was it a new sweater? Because you could always take it back to the shop on the grounds that you followed the care instructions given and yet the sweater still shrunk.

If not, I've heard (but never tried) that if you re-wash it in cool water with some hair conditioner in, and then gently re-pull it into shape (dry it away from heat, so not in the airing cupboard or anyting), it may work.

Good luck!

Answer 6

You can rewet the sweater in cold water, wring it out very well then lay it flat on a towel, gently stretch it out to close to the same size it was before it shrunk. Lay another towel over it and put something heavy on top for at least a day. If this doesnt work I don't know what will. It is strange that it shrunk in the first place if you washed it in cold water and laid it flat to dry.

Answer 7

Cold water...woolite....HAND WASH (this is important...even the gentle cycle in the washer can mess with the fibers)

Form and DON'T HANG....lay flat, making sure the sleeves are wide enough. One thing you can do is lay your sweater flat when it's dry and measure how wide the sleeves are. Then when you wash it, make sure the sleeves are the same width before you leave it to dry. The important thing here is, DON'T hang it....lay it flat, because the fibers will stretch when heavy...and then contract when they dry and become lighter.

You MAY be able to save your sweater by getting it wet again, with cold water, and forming it and stretching the sleeves a bit....and lay it flat.

Good luck!

Answer 8

I wash my woolies in baby shampoo in cold water. I gently squeeze out the excess water. I then lay them flat on a towel and roll the towel up. Then I dry them flat away from direct heat. Seems to work. I'm afraid once the damage is done, it's permanent

Answer 9

Try purchasing some silk wash, then handwash sweater in the sink.then hang on a coat hanger over the bath to keep it's shape.

Answer 10

i share your frustration with this,after many woolen washing disasters,i play safe by dry cleaning,or avoiding buying pure wool if i can.wool blend garments are much easier and more forgiving when washed.