As the temperature continues to soar, winter gears and woolen garments are stacked in our cupboards. Woolens are in complete contrast to the other fabrics like cotton or nylon which we use during the summers. They require extra care and special handling. So next time you put the warm winter hat into the cupboard ensure that you follow the below mentioned tips so that the woolen clothes withstand another season.
Maintenance
The best way to take care of woolen garments is to brush them every year as they are vulnerable to moths and accumulate a lot of dust. Avoid spot cleaning and airing woolens are other viable methods to ensure that the woolens remain clean. If your sweater or calf is accidently stained, then take them to the nearest laundry.
Drying
Never hang your woolen garments in a cloth line to dry. As the wool absorbs a lot of water, the weight causes the fabric to stretch and the outfit will lose the shape. Use steam heating while pressing and therefore lay the garment on a flat surface and then allow it to dry in room temperature. Keep it away from sunlight and heat. In addition to this never store a damp sweater in the wardrobe as it is an easy spot for germ breeding.
Ironing
One should never iron the woolen garments when it is dry. Use steam iron while pressing them. The sweater should be kept inside out and iron on the inside. Change the settings of the iron to wool before pressing the garment.
Washing
Hand washing is the viable option to clean your woolen clothes unless it says dry cleaning. Though while hand washing you would need the correct detergent. Use a detergent which has wool mark certification. They are a mild yet effective form of cleaning sing. Soak the bucket of woolen clothes and add the detergent. Leave it on for 5 minutes or so. Then rinse it off with cold water and then squeeze out the extra amount of water from the fabric.
Storing
Storing woolen garments is as important as washing it correctly. As already stressed upon the fact that wool is vulnerable to moth attacks and adequate precaution should be taken in the form of moth balls being kept in cupboards. Instead of hanging them you could fold them neatly as well. Also ensure that they are cramped so that wrinkles are not formed
To sum it up, wool is a lifelong asset and the advantages associated with it are numerous. The fire extinguishing properties are a testimony of this and the only really drawback of wool is that it is a bit costly. But it is a worthy investment for sure.