How to Wash and Maintain Wool Sweaters - Laundry Hacks

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Learn about the proper way to care for your WOOL: https://gentl.mn/wool-sweater-care How to Get the Musty Smell Out of Clothes: https://gentl.mn/2NxpQtK Cheap & Easy Laundry Hacks: https://gentl.mn/2TySSdD --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want to stay updated? Sign up here for free: https://gentl.mn/2WG89Mt Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/thegentlemansgazette --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gentleman's Gazette https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ https://gentl.mn/2GscXzJ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentlemansgazette FREE EBOOK: https://gentl.mn/2WG89Mt Thanks to the Laundry Evangelist's Laundry Camp for many of the tips shown in this video. If you ever have the chance to visit it at the Mall of America, you should do so. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvanK5Yvt2pIgbNZt3DqIXQ First of all, wool doesn't actually need to be washed very often as the lanolin oils that are present in the wool make it naturally anti-microbial. So as long as your wool garments are only subjected to average wear and you give them a little bit of time to air out in between wearings, you won't actually have to put them through your washing machine or hand wash them all that often. Why are most people so apprehensive to wash wool at home? The common knowledge seems to be that wool will shrink if it's exposed to water, heat, detergents or other factors. Here though are two essential truths, one about washing and the other about wool. Firstly, what's actually doing most of the washing when you wash your clothing is having water pass over and between the fibers of your clothing. The detergent that you use in your washing machine is acting as a surfactant. Essentially, it is making the water more slippery so that it can more easily get between the fibers of your clothing. In other words, the water is doing the work of the washing, not the detergent. Second, here is something you actually may find mind-blowing about wool. It does not actually shrink in the laundering process. Rather, as the wool fibers are agitated back and forth and move around during washing especially during drying, they lock closer and closer together creating another material that you may also have heard of, felt. Sometimes, of course, felting wool can be a good thing such as in the process for making traditional men's hats. So ultimately then, the primary thing to focus on whenever you are washing wool is just to prevent felting. This is true for either of the two techniques we are about to show you. With that in mind then, hand-washing your wool sweaters is the safest method for cleaning them. SWEATER STORAGE Woolen knitwear should always be stored folded to prevent stretching or distortion of the fibers. Also, woolen cashmere are susceptible to insect damage. When you are storing your wool garments, make sure they have been cleaned first so that you are not providing any food sources for potential bugs. It is best to store your woolens in a cool dry place in a breathable cotton storage bag with zip closure. Optionally here, you can also include in the storage box a sachet of about a half cup of dried lavender since bugs hate the stuff. So did we blow your mind that wool does not actually shrink or did you have a different takeaway from today's video? Whatever the case may be, share with us in the comments below! #wool #woolcare #woolmaintenance