This procedure applies to yarn,
fabric, garments, etc. of wool, mohair, alpaca, and other natural
animal fibers that can shrink if washed improperly. It does
not apply to raw fiber from the animal:
Preparation:
Wash yarn in a
skein which has been tied in a couple of places with
multiple figure 8's as shown in the picture.
When washing
garments, remove any adornments that will be damaged by
water.
Caution:
If the garment is lined with a different fiber, make sure
the lining is washable. If in doubt, (which will be
most of the time unless you made the garment) follow the
label washing instructions, which are probably dry-clean
only. Also, be aware that another reason for the
dry-clean only label is that the dyes are not wash
fast. Do as much upfront testing as possible on an
inconspicuous place before washing an expensive garment, and
know that you are always taking a risk if you fail to heed
the label.
Wash:
Draw enough
volume of warm water so the item being washed will be able
to move freely in the water. DO NOT let running
water hit the fiber (yarn, fabric). Fill the wash
container, then add the item to
the water.
Add a squirt of
liquid detergent (the original blue Dawn dishwashing
detergent is good).
Add the item to
the water and gently push it through the water with your
fingertips. DO
NOT:
Rub parts of
the item on itself or against the surfaces of the
container,
Rub the
surface of the fabric or yarn with your hands,
Wring the
item.
You may let the
item soak in the water, if convenient, or if it is heavily
soiled.
If all the suds
disappear, add a drop more detergent and continue pushing
slowly around in the water.
Remove the item
from the water, and gently squeeze (don't wring) the excess water out.
Rinse:
Draw a similar
volume of rinse water that matches the temperature of the
wash water when you took the fiber out. Matching the
water temperature is very important.
Add the item and
move it through the water similar to the wash.
Remove the item,
and squeeze out the excess water. At this point, if
the rinse water is sudsy and the item is not well-rinsed,
repeat the rinse step.
Dry:
A bath towel can be
use to help absorb excess water (don't wring).
Alternatively, set your washer to spin only on low speed.
Spin the item for a minute or two. The machine spin
will reduce drying time significantly.
Do not tumble dry or dry in heated air.
Yarn may be hung in the skein to dry.
Lay garments and yardage flat to dry in an area with some air movement
and in the general shape they should be. If allowed to
dry stretched out of shape at this stage, it can be
difficult or impossible to iron them back into shape without
rewetting and reshaping.
With
practice and a good setup, washing your wool and precious fiber
items can be accomplished in about 10 minutes. To minimize
the need for washing, wear a lightweight tee-shirt under that
great wool sweater that is soft enough to wear on the skin.
