How to wash and care for wool knitwear
Wool resists odour on its own, so airing comes before washing. How to wash a wool jumper by hand, dry it flat, remove pilling and keep moths away.
In this guide
A wool jumper is washed by hand in cold or lukewarm water with a wool detergent, pressed rather than rubbed, never wrung and dried flat. Most of the time it does not need washing at all, because airing it overnight removes the odour.
Wool lasts because of what the fibre does naturally. In practice, caring for it mostly means washing it less.
Washing less often
Wool resists odour on its own. The fibre absorbs the compounds that make clothes smell and releases them when the garment airs.
The first step is therefore not washing. The jumper is hung somewhere with moving air, ideally overnight, and checked again in the morning. In most cases that is enough. A wool garment is washed a few times a year and not after each wear, because every wash costs the garment a little.
How to wash a wool jumper
- Cold or lukewarm water. Hot water is never used. Heat combined with movement is what felts and shrinks wool, and felting cannot be reversed.
- A wool detergent, or a no-rinse wool wash. Ordinary detergent can contain enzymes that attack protein fibres, and wool is a protein fibre.
- Press, do not rub. The garment is submerged, pressed gently a few times and left for around ten minutes, then rinsed in water of the same temperature. A sudden change in temperature shocks the fibre.
- Do not wring it. The water is pressed out against the side of the basin, then the garment is rolled in a towel and pressed again.
- Dry flat, always. A wet wool jumper on a hanger stretches under its own weight and stays stretched. It is laid on a towel, pushed back into shape by hand and left away from radiators and sun.
Machine wool cycles exist and some are gentle. For an item that cannot be replaced, washing by hand is the safer choice.
What pilling means
Pills form where the garment rubs against itself or against a bag strap: under the arms, along the sides and at the cuffs. They are loose fibre ends, and softer yarns often pill more in the first months.
Pills are removed with a comb made for knitwear or a fabric shaver, working in one direction with the garment laid flat. Pulling pills off by hand takes the fibre with them, and a razor should not be used freehand on a knit that cannot be replaced.
Matting is different: a felted, dense area, usually under the arms, where the fibres have locked together. It results from heat and friction and does not come out.
Moths
Moth larvae feed on protein fibres such as wool, cashmere and silk. Cotton and synthetic fibres are not a food source. Moths are drawn to what is on the wool, such as body oils, sweat and food traces, so a clean jumper is a less attractive target than a worn one.
- Store it clean. This is the most effective measure, and it is why the end of the season is the moment to wash knitwear rather than the start.
- Store it contained, in a breathable cotton bag or a closed box, not loose on an open shelf for months.
- Cedar and lavender deter moths but do not kill them. They are worth using but are not enough on their own. Cedar needs sanding lightly now and then to keep working.
- Freezing kills larvae. An item that may be affected is sealed in a bag and kept in a freezer for several days, and then washed.
- Check the dark corners. Moths avoid light and movement, so the back of a cupboard is where the problem starts and where it is found.
Folding instead of hanging
Knitwear on a hanger stretches at the shoulder, and over time the shoulder line changes. Knitwear is folded and stacked no more than a few items deep, so the items at the bottom are not compressed for months. Storing wool, down and waxed cotton between seasons is covered in how to store clothes.
Why measurements matter for wool
A wool item that has been worn for many years may have relaxed at the shoulder or shrunk slightly, so the size on the label no longer describes it. The measurements on the product page are the numbers to rely on. The method is in the pit to pit guide on how to measure clothing.
Each item is inspected, authenticated, cleaned and measured before it is added to the store. Each step is described in How leverene works. Wool items are cleaned in a way that suits the fibre.
Frequently asked questions
Can a wool jumper go in the washing machine?
Only on a dedicated wool cycle, cold and inside a mesh bag. Washing by hand is the safer choice for an item that cannot be replaced.
Can a shrunken wool jumper be restored?
Felted wool cannot be returned to its original size. Cold water, a wool detergent and drying flat prevent it.
How often should wool be washed?
A few times a year. Between washes, airing overnight removes most odour.
Related collections
The current range is in jumpers and knitwear and hoodies and sweatshirts, for men and women. Related collections: classic clothing and high-end designer clothing.
