How to wash Wool Scarves

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Wool scarves are widely used in the winter months, as they protect from the cold: after this period, it is time to give a nice refresh. But how to wash them without damaging them? Very often, the fear of making a mistake in washing leads us to send these garments to the laundry or to wash the scarves by hand without obtaining good results. How to prevent wool scarves from felting and becoming full of dots? In this guide, I will give you some useful tips on how to act.

Needed: Detergent for wool garments, fabric softener, towel, clothesline, bowl, water for cooking beans.

The first thing to do is look if your scarf has a label and analyze the type of wool if it is pure or mixed: depending on the type of fiber, you will opt for a hand wash or washing machine. If your scarf is made of pure wool, you will not wash it at more than 86 F°. If it is mixed, this has acrylic materials you can use at a higher temperature (104 F°).

Once this is done, divide the garments by color, but the lighter scarves on one side and the darker ones on the other. Please put them in the washing machine, try not to overload the basket, maximum of three or four scarves of the same color at a time.

Start the washing cycle for delicate garments and pour some specific liquid detergent and softener into the special compartment: stop the appliance before the end of the cycle to prevent the spin cycle from starting because it would crease them, turn them off and alternatively, wring the scarves by wrapping them in a towel. Drying is also a significant step: the items must be laid out on a flat surface, such as the clothesline, and in a shaded area to prevent them from deforming.

Alternatively, you can opt for the traditional hand wash: fill a basin with warm water (86 F°), and immerse the same color scarves with specific soap. Let it act for a few minutes, and then rinse thoroughly until the water is clear and without detergent residue.

Wrap the scarves in a towel and squeeze them well so that all the water goes away. Spread them out on a horizontal plane away from heat sources. A very effective remedy to prevent them from felting is to use the beans’ cooking water, let it cool slightly, and then immerse the scarves with a little bit of water. Of specific detergent. Rinse thoroughly. In this way, the water of the beans will make them softer.

Note: Never exceed the washing temperature indicated on the label of the wool garment.