washing wool fabric/clothes

[Tajue17]

one of my filson jackets and a Johnson wool jacket both say dry clean only on the washing label,,,, I cannot have these shrink down from the size they are now and I'm wondering a couple things about dry cleaning that the girl at the counter may not be able to answer.

does dry cleaning shrink the wool & does dry cleaning leave a smell.

if yes to anything I know a few of you out there wear Wool so what do you do to clean it (or like waxed tin cloth you just dont)

[Ric O'Shay]

Wool can be washed but do not put it in a clothes dryer. Lay it out flat on a towel to dry at room temp. If the label says "dry clean only", then by all means, dry clean only. Most cleaners used in dry cleaning do leave an slight odor. After cleaning simply hang them out in the open air for a while until the odor dissipates.

Danny

[swampthing]

Don't even waste you time or money. Even if you were hanging out in a cigar smoke filled bar for the night, take your coat, put it in a trash bag, place an open container of A&H Baking Soda in the bag with the clothes, tie it up and let it sit for 24-36 hrs. Take it and enjoy your scent free coat.
PS. Do Not Dump the baking soda in the bag, just open the box and place it in there.

[Mint]

I stopped cleaning my wool years ago. I just put it out to air out and it is fine. If it gets dirty I let dry and brush off the dirt and maybe hit it with a damp cloth to clean.

If you decide to get it dry cleaned, it is worth asking them to go light on the cleaning fluid and get an extra rinse--it doesn't smell as strong when they do that for you. Then air it out for several days, at least.

[Hoyt]

I was thinking about buying a bag of red cedar shavings they sell at Walmart for animal bedding and putting my hunting clothes in a big trash bag with them...wool included. I've use the cedar for tumbling turkey pelts for taxidermy purposes and it's good cedar..with strong smell.

Anybody tried this?

[David Yukon]

I have a lot of wool, and some Filson shirts that I wash myself, by hand with a special soap like "Zero", made to wash delicat items. And after that I wrink it and place it on a large towel and role it tight, unrole and lay flat to dry on an dry towel. It worked great so far...

Some Of the wool I have, like Icebreaker and woolrich(wool blend), I wash in the washer in cold water and hang to dry and never had any problems!!

[cahaba]

Hoyt I use fresh cut cedar limbs and put all my hunting clothes in there. Been doing it for years. There are cedars everywhere I hunt. It may not fool a whitetails nose but it smells good and it gives me more confidence.

[highpoint forge]

Woolite....Or sport wash and don't dry it. I sport wash / scent killer soap my KUIU and hang dry the merino on fat hangers so the shoulders don't deform.

[oops sorry]

My dad's business was Drycleaning. Back in the 60's wool suits were FAR more commonly worn and cost a big piece of a working person's paycheck. There are some things that are simply not soluble in perchloroethylene drycleaning solvent. We very carefully washed a hell of a lot of suits with good result. You have to watch the drying process and avoid heat. Woolite is actually quite harsh and I recommend a mild detergent like shampoo. A very good purpose made detergent for washing wool is "Kookabura Wool Wash". I wear wool slacks to work and they are always washed (cold/gentle cycle). Now that I don't own a drycleaners it's too #$!@@ expensive.

[DDyer]

I've always washed my Johnson coats. Sport wash and cold water.Pendleton wool shirts too,never had any Filson.Don't put them in the dryer just let them dry on the clothesline.

[Uncle Buck]

unless I fall in a mud hole(yes, I have) I dont wash My wool just brush it off. if you do wash it in cold water make sure you dont use a detergent with brighteners.

 These brighteners increase the reflection of ultraviolet light. Reseach says deer can see this. I believe it is responsible for many stories of a deers sixth sense, looking right at you when you thought you were well concealed.

God Bless
Buck

[Tajue17]

ALRIGHT!  thanks for the info on this..  what stinks is when I bought the coat I also had a bottle of the sportwash but figured I didn't need it and put it back!!!  its hard to find around here too everything is that scentlock or carbon clothing stuff..

but thanks for the ideas, the coat is brandnew so maybe for now i can sneak the baking soda from the fridge into a bag with it,, cold water and dry on a towel flat i didn't know though..

thanks T

[kennyb]

I do not wash my wool clothing but do hang it outside for near a week if possible! Any dirt and I brush it away! Great idea with the cedar chips, Hoyt! I think I'll try that! Thanks guys!

Kenny  

[Kavogt]

Don't put it in a clothes washer. The agitating motion that helps clean your bedsheets is the same kind of motion that will cause your wool to felt. This is because wool is covered in fine scales. Add water, heat and agitation, and those scales begin to interlock, tangle and tighten together.

If I have to, i dunk it in cool water with some hand soap, rinse it out by dunking it, and then let it air-dry.

[Zmonster]

I have a lot of high dollar wool, and I store it in a very large pelican box with the walmart cedar lining the bottom of the box. I also purchased from walmart one of those delicate mesh laundry bag, and fill it with the cedar chips. I looks like a big cedar pillow and keeps the chips from sticking to my garments. It smells great every time I open it. I have purchased used wool that reeked of moth balls and put it in this box for a few days, and when I removed it the smell was gone. I haven't needed to clean my wool much. Just like the others, I wait for it to dry then brush it off. Hang outside in the winter sun works well too.

[Day Dreamer]

I just through in a washer with cold water, no soap, LIGHT agitation and not even a full cycle agitation, just a COUPLE of minutes. Then I spin drain water out and hang dry. At times while drying, I stretch garment at main points (block drying).

The reason I dont use soap of any kind. Is wool has natural oils in the fibers and I dont want to wash those oils out.

[ksbowman]

I've got mine bloody a few times and all I do is use cool water with no soap. Wash it by hand and rinse it as many times as neccessary til all sign of blood is gone from the garment and water, then hand wring and block (gentle streach and smooth) on a towel and let it dry. No shrinkage at all.

[Tajue17]

how about pine branches with wool,,,, some of my regular cotton material stuff I cut some small pine branches and then tape the heck out of the ends that I cut so no sap leaks out and put the branches in the bottoms of the bags (contractor trash bags) with my  hunting clothes.  nobody mentioned pine with the wool so I'm curious..

also I always forgot to ask about this but when your wool gets wet it takes on a wet animal smell, hate to say dog but it does resemble a wet dog. wonder if this is good or bad down wind???