Wool clothing is widely known for being comfortable, resilient, versatile, and durable. It is these qualities that allow 100% wool to stand out from other types of cloth. Learn about the many benefits of wool as well as how to take care of the wool clothing you own.
Hypoallergenic Properties
Those who have allergies can count on wool for its power to resist against mold, mildew, bacteria, and dust mites. Because dust mites require excess moisture to thrive, wool is great at fighting against them because it possesses rapid evaporation qualities.
Wool Can Regulate Body Temperatures
Wool in its pure form works well for keeping people toasty warm in a cold environment and wonderfully cool in a hot environment. Wool contains many air pockets. These air pockets will not allow moisture to contact the person’s skin and instead, keeps them dry,.
Maintaining Wool
If you own any kind of wool clothing, be advised that dry cleaning is the foremost way of keeping wool clean. Of course, if your budget is tight and you do not have the time to run to the dry cleaner’s, you can try to wash them at home; however, water will most likely cause the clothes to shrink.
The shrinking property of wool clothing may be negative but it is not the fault of the cloth itself. It is due to the way the cloth is manufactured. If the wool is twisted, it will shrink a great deal more than if it is woven. Despite the fact that companies try to combat shrinkage by using chemical treatments, it is still up to you to maintain them properly as the treatments are not 100% full proof.
If you are willing to take the risk of washing your wool clothes by hand, carefully read the label before beginning. Any wool clothes that contains 50% or less natural wool should come out unscathed. When washing wool clothes, only use cold water because hot and warm water could cause your wool clothes to lose their shape. If you become really brave and decide on using your washing machine, keep it on the appropriate settings for wool as specified by the machine’s manufacturer. Mild laundry detergents will not damage wool as much as strong ones.
In order to wash wool clothes entirely by hand, you should first fill up your sink with cold water. Put in your detergent and mix thoroughly. After that, place the wool clothing in the cold, soapy water without manipulating the fabric. Then rinse the clothes and gently squeeze out any excess water. You can fold them inside of a towel to remove more water. Put them on top of a dry towel and let them air dry.
Now that you are aware of what it takes to maintain your wool clothes, you can hopefully avoid the time and expense of using a dry cleaner. As long as you follow the above instructions, your wool clothing should come out looking great.
There are many reasons to use wool clothing, from the different varieties of wool, to the wonderful feel against one’s skin, to the protection from the cold: http://www.woolclothing.info