Wool & Cashmere - The Guide for Caring and Ironing

Wool and cashmere are made from natural fibers that come from llama, sheep, goat or alpaca. The fibers are made of protein and…do you remember how you don’t want to use damaging chemicals on your head? The same principles apply to wool and cashmere so scroll down for some useful tips.

Do you know how to wash wool and cashmere?

In the case of structured clothes (coats, blazers and suit coats), you should always use dry cleaning. Even if the wool fabric takes washing, in the case of inner structure of this type of clothes, the risk for damaging or misshaping through washing is quite high. Once this happens, no tip in the whole world is going to repair your coat.

Some unstructured knitted wool pieces (scarves, sweaters or various accessories) can take hand washing. Unstructured and unlined woven wool pieces may also be hand washes and even washed on the delicate cycle of your automatic washing machine.

Take care of your woolen garment and use a gentle detergent and low temperature water for washing. The knit is going to stretch if you’re over-agitating or wrung it tightly. In the case of two-piece ensemble, it’s wiser to wash both items together as you want to keep the wear and color consistent.

washing machine settings for cashmere.jp

When it comes to stains, you should do your homework and follow the guidelines for different types of stains. Nevertheless, always take a good look at the stain removal product label and double check the ingredients. You can try to test your fabric on a spot that is difficult to notice (inside seam is a good place to try). You don’t want to use chlorine bleach, as the wool fiber may dissolve. Even if the solution of chlorine is diluted, bleach may cause permanent yellowing. In addition, the color is going to fade out and the wool is going to weaken or stiffen.

Never and under any circumstance use an automatic dryer on high heat on your wool garment. Your garment is going to shrink for sure and the chances for restoring it are pretty slim.

Is dry cleaning of wool and cashmere doable at home?

You may use some home dry cleaning kits for your wool garments, as long as you’re following the rules religiously. In the case of small stains, some stain remover included in the kit may be enough. As for the more difficult stains, you should know your limits and simply take your wool garment to the professional cleaner.

No matter if you go with a home kit or you go to professional cleaning, you should always clean all the matching items of your outfit. You don’t want to end up with some mismatched items (some color loss may happen through cleaning).

How to iron wool and cashmere clothes?

Special soleplate to attach to your iron when ironing wool and cashmere.

Wool presents impressive resilient qualities, especially when woven or knitted into fabric.

Hang them in case of light wrinkles

Simply hanging your wool garment in a steamy room is going to eliminate the wrinkles, as the fibers are going to relax like that. Sometimes, this trick is going to work just fine, eliminating the need for ironing later on. However, this secret isn’t going to be of much help in the case of deep creases so you do need to know a thing or two about ironing wool.

Minimize the risk for shine and scorch

The first thing to remember when ironing wool is that very high heat is going to scorch wool. As a matter of fact, high heat has the same effect on silk and various natural hair fibers. When you’re using high temperature, the natural fibers begin to burn, thus explaining all the scorching and the yellowing. You cannot repair burned fibers so keep that in mind when ironing. Using the right temperature setting is essential for your wool garments.

Use a pressing cloth

The pressing cloth is nothing sophisticated, but a plane piece of fabric that you place between the face of your iron and your wool garment. You may get a pressing cloth from a fabric store or online. A piece of muslin, a white cotton dish towel or a white handkerchief go great as pressing cloths. As a matter of fact, any cotton fabric (go with white ones so that the colors don’t transfer) is going to do as pressing cloth while ironing.

Using a pressing cloth between your precious item and the iron is also crucial for its protection. Placing the pressing cloth while ironing wool/cashmere garments is one step never to skip on when ironing. Not using one is going to leave scorch or shiny marks on your wool garment. When you’re using too much heat, the fibers bind together, leading to the unpleasant shine. Scorching is right behind the corner as your iron is already too hot so the fibers are going to burn.

Choose the right model of iron

Go with a steam iron when ironing wool or cashmere garments. This type of iron comes with a well (for holding water) and vent holes, which let the steam escape the iron, going through your wool fabric. You need to set the iron on “wool”, making sure that the iron well has enough water. In case your iron doesn’t come with a designated wool setting, check the temperature guidelines for your wool/cashmere items.

When it comes to wool and cashmere, a steam iron isn’t just going to give the best results, but it’s also going to make the ironing a lot faster.

Not everyone has a steam iron, but this doesn’t mean you should give up on ironing your wool item. You may also get rid of the unpleasant wrinkles from wool with a dry iron. You only need to add some moisture to your pressing cloth. Use a white woven cotton towel and get it all wet. Remember to wring out all the excess water. Never use a colored or a printed towel as you may transfer dye to the wool from all the heat and moisture that you’re using. You may also ease up the ironing by spraying some cool water over your wool garment. The pressing cloth should be dry in this case. Do it gently and only use a mist sprayer.

Only using dry heat on your wool is going to be a bad idea as it’s going to scorch wool.

How to iron wool?

You need to use a sturdy and well-padded ironing board. Begin by turning your wool item inside out. Pressing on the wrong side is going to extend the life span of your wool garment and reduce the risk for shine as well. As mentioned before, using a pressing cloth is also fundamental.

When your wool garment is nubby or heavily textures, you can use a thick cotton bath towel for covering your ironing board. This way you’re going to lower the chance for crushing the texture. Nevertheless, ironing on the wrong side and using a pressing cloth is crucial.

Never leave your iron in one place for more than a couple of seconds and do your best for using a constant pressure.

Once you’re done, remember to turn your item right side out, hanging it from a tough hanger. Your wool item has to be completely dry before you wear it. Last thing you want is some deep wrinkles forming on your damp wool.

What to do when something goes wrong while ironing?

Should a napped wool fabric scorch a bit while ironing it, you only need to let it dry entirely. Use an emery board for rubbing the scorched area, but in a gentle way.

The water&hydrogen peroxide solution

In the case of more severe scorch, you can use a diluted solution made with water and hydrogen peroxide. Use this solution only on light colored fabrics. The solution is very easy to prepare: simply mix one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with one cup of water. Scrub the area gently with a white cloth. Don’t forget to rinse it, by blot the spot with clear water for rinsing. Keep in mind to make a test on a hidden area prior cleaning.

The white distilled vinegar solution

When you don’t use a pressing cloth and you end up with some shiny spots on your wool fabric, a solution made with white distilled vinegar is going to work too. You want to lift the fibers in the shiny area, so this solution is going to do that. Use a cloth dipped in clear water and blot the spot for rinsing. Don’t forget to let it air dry when you’re done.

Tips for preserving your wool and cashmere clothes

Wool is very attractive to pests so you need to clean it very well before storing it for a long time. Here are some tips to apply for extending the lifespan of your wool/cashmere clothes:

Close the buttons and zips as you want to reduce the risk for wrinkling and to help them maintain their shape
Empty the pockets and get rid of any accessories from the wool garment. They may pull on the fibers, ruining their appearance. put aside any jewelry or belts.
Use a soft-bristles garment brush after wearing it for removing any soil or dust.
Don’t let the stain settle and clean them as they happen. You want to wear your wool clothes a bit more, right? When you’re removing a stain from a wool garment, some damage is always done to the fibers. It’s better to prolong the time between cleaning for as much as you can.
You want the fibers from your body to dry so you should give your wool garment a 24hours break before wearing it again. In addition, the outside moisture is also going to relax the fiber, restoring its original shape.
When your wool outer garment gets wet, it’s better to hang it on a sturdy wooden hanger, leaving it to dry at room temperature. Keep it away from heat or sunlight.

If you forget using a pressing cloth and you end up with some shiny spots on your wool garment, use some distilled vinegar on the shiny spots. Use a cloth dipped in clean water for rinsing, allowing your wool garment to air dry completely before wear.