WoolWeenies Club

[goldfinch]

While googling this issue I found this from rivbike.com, FWIW:

http://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=42

Washing and drying it
Do you think wool would have remained popular through the centuries if it disintegrated when it was washed? Do you think the laundry methods of the 1300s were gentler than a cycle in your Whirlpool? Don't make me guffaw.
The fact is, the wool we offer is easy to care for. You can take special care with it if you like, if it makes you feel good and lets you sleep better at night, but it's not entirely necessary. Following is a rough way to care for wool, and then a soft way to care for it, and they both work.
Rough
Soap: Whatever you have, but nothing with bleach in it. Water: Warm Dryer: Warm
Wool laundered this way will shrink about half a size. It won't get wrecked. We'd like to see you treat it with slightly more care, but if you can't be bothered, that's quite all right.
Soft
Soap: Kookabura (we sell it), or Ivory detergent, or pretty much any earth-friendly suds sold by hippies or in a cardboard box adorned with at least one drawing of the earth, and word such as "enviro" and "friendly" and "non-toxic" and "bio-degradable" on it. Water: Warm or cold Dryer: Air. If you want speedy drying, roll it in a towel, stomp the towel, then unroll the towel and lay it flat or hang it up or something.
The main thing is: Don't fear wool. Don't save it for special occasions. Don't look back on a life in which you were afraid to wear wool for fear of wearing it out or something.

I know myself. I probably will continue with the "rough" method. Laziness will likely rule and I will continue to use regular detergent and wash wools with my other clothes. I am thinking about my wool socks. I only wear wool socks. They have been durable washing them "rough" and I even put them in the dryer if I am especially lazy. But I might be more careful with my Ibex hoodies and other pricey stuff.

[OakLeaf]

Didn't Irulan contribute her knowledge that the "wool" detergents are no different, and no better, than "regular" (except for the g*d-awful perfumes they have)?

A couple of my inexpensive 15-year-old Duofold wool tops are disintegrating. I've read they were pretty low quality to begin with. My 25+-year-old cycling jerseys and Helly-Hansen base layer are in fine shape, though the jerseys typically only get worn and washed a dozen or so times a year, each. My Ibex and SW stuff is newer (except for the socks, anyway) so I can't say how they would hold up over decades. Not impressed with my SW toe socks, but the regular "thumbless mitten" type socks are holding up fine, and where they're showing wear, it's in the elastic, not the wool fibers.

I don't think I'd put my fine woolens in a top-loading machine, the kind with an agitator. They're totally fine in my front-loader. Extra delicate things go in a lingerie bag. Air dry all of it (my house smells like wet sheep all winter long ). The only thing that seems to damage them is moths and mice. - and those have nothing to do with laundry methods.

[jessmarimba]

I'm careful with the pricey stuff (and particularly careful with sports bras...those get painful if shrunk!) but wool socks just go through the normal wash/dry cycle. I have a few pairs of smartwool socks that are about 6-7 years old that are just beginning to get threadbare - but I've also run probably thousands of miles in each pair. That's a lot of rubbing. Everything besides socks gets hung up to dry.

My icebreaker stuff shrunk a bit more than the other brands so I size up with them now. Everything else has come through fine.

[Irulan]

Didn't Irulan contribute her knowledge that the "wool" detergents are no different, and no better, than "regular" (except for the g*d-awful perfumes they have)?

Yep. Use baby shampoo. It's mild, and lacks perfume and conditioners. The conditioners mask the harshness of the specialty detergents.

[Owlie]

Yep. Use baby shampoo. It's mild, and lacks perfume and conditioners. The conditioners mask the harshness of the specialty detergents.

I've always read on knitting forums that you shouldn't use baby shampoo, since it's formulated to be mild on skin rather than on hair. I've been using my shampoo (Burt's Bees) on my wool stuff (hand-knit and otherwise). All my cycling clothes get hand-washed anyway, so it's not a huge hardship.

[Crankin]

I use regular, fragrance free detergent with wool. Wool gets washed in cold water, hung to dry. The really delicate things get put in the lingerie bag, i.e. Ibex boxers, Smart wool thin base layers. Socks, too, but only so they don't get lost.
I've been wearing wool socks for about 2 weeks now, even up to 70 degrees, or a little more.

[OakLeaf]

I've been wearing wool socks for about 2 weeks now, even up to 70 degrees, or a little more.

Oh heck, I wear wool socks year round, even up to 90° which is as hot as I ran in this summer. I got rid of all the other kind. Soft and comfy, breathe nicely, don't get soggy and chafe when they're sweaty.

[GLC1968]

I wash all wool in the front loader with enviro detergent (it's what I use for all my laundry) and no softener (again, like all my laundry). The wool then gets hung to dry (like all my tech stuff) with the exception of the socks, which go in the dryer.

Honestly, the hardest thing on my wool? My belts. If I wear wool t's or l/s tops with jeans or something where I'm wearing a belt and I don't tuck in the shirt, it gets holes where it covers the belt...presumably from wear/damage. Kind of annoying but mostly my own fault. It's a pretty rare way of wearing my wool though and no, I can't really skip the belt (see any thread here about monster quads to see why )

My husband uses the same washing methods as me, but he puts most of his stuff in the dryer. With the exception of looking slightly more 'lived in' than my wool stuff, his things are holding up great.(mostly ibex, smartwool and icebreaker).

Oh, and I wear wool socks all year too...at least for exercise. I don't wear socks in the summer at all unless I'm exercising though.

[SheFly]

I am no weenie, but have discovered that I love to wear wool. I am also lazy. Everything goes into the washing machine, cold water, regular detergent and then from the washer to the dryer. Yes, even the wool. I have a couple of SmartWool pieces that I LOVE that are now 5-6 years old, and look like new despite me being a heathen to them . And yes, I wash my bike clothes this way too.

SheFly

[GLC1968]

Oh, and I actually came to this thread to let my fellow weenies know that I'm going to be offering up a bunch of wool for sale next week. Right now I'm on the road, but once I get home, I'm going to have to start seriously scaling down my closet. We are moving in a couple of weeks and I'm going from a room-sized closet (no exaggeration) to a bar that will be about 7 - 8 feet long. There will be a LOT of things that will have to go. Probably lots of cycling jerseys and jackets, too.

I know for sure I'll be offering up a few full zip shaks (size M). I think I have 7 or 8 and that is completely unnecessary (and a little embarrassing)!

[jessmarimba]

Anyone have a favorite wool slipper they want to recommend? After two days in the 30s here I've decided I will splurge on quality slippers this year.

[Crankin]

Or a favorite light weight merino jersey?
I have one, a PI, purchased circa 2004. I cannot wear the current PI jerseys or shorts because they don't make most of their stuff in extra small. But, this jersey was purchased before vanity sizing took over and the small fits perfectly. I have never seen another jersey like this, in any brand. It's perfect for riding in the fall and for x country skiing, with a base layer.

[Catrin]

Anyone have a favorite wool slipper they want to recommend? After two days in the 30s here I've decided I will splurge on quality slippers this year.

I've been thinking about this already, though it may be outside of my budget until December...

Or a favorite light weight merino jersey?
I have one, a PI, purchased circa 2004. I cannot wear the current PI jerseys or shorts because they don't make most of their stuff in extra small. But, this jersey was purchased before vanity sizing took over and the small fits perfectly. I have never seen another jersey like this, in any brand. It's perfect for riding in the fall and for x country skiing, with a base layer.

I love my 2 Swobo short sleeve merino jerseys. They fit me perfectly although they ARE a size Large! To me their sizes run pretty darn small, but it is very nice for a base layer. I am trying to find a link to one though I am afraid it's been too long since they stopped making them. If I can find something I will post the link. I have this jersey in black and blue, and they are my "go-to" fall/early spring jerseys when it is too warm to break out my long sleeve heavier smartwool jersey.

Hey Crankin, what about THIS Icebreaker SS jersey? Pretty! According to the comments this runs quite small as well.

[Rubylvr]

Too funny!! I was just trying to convince one of my riding buddies to try wool,
and she said it was too itchy for her. Poor lass. (Sorry, Downton Abbey withdrawal).
Anyhoo, Icebreaker rocks, as does Ibex. I am NEVER cold with wool next to my skinny, skin skin.
The price, on the other hand is rough to take. Crankin, "Orca" makes a nice small shirt too.

[Biciclista]

oh right on schedule this thread pops up. Wore my 18 micron wool longsleeved teeshirt for the first half of my ride yesterday, complete with I/O wool bra (from down under)
and smart wool socks.
I love my wool. All you people who think it is too itchy, keep thinking that, i don't mind.