WoolWeenies Club

[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.

[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.