Washing merino wool: Am I missing something?

Maya

Everything I have ever bought that is made out of merino wool shrinks to the point of being unwearable, even when I follow the instructions thoroughly. I am so mad that I have to return my Halogen boyfriend cardigan, but this is ridiculous: I washed it just as instructed (hand wash, wring out excess water, reshape and lay flat to dry) and it is now about 10 sizes too small! Seriously, it looks like a child's cardigan. I don't think I'm ever going to buy merino wool again until and unless I figure out how to handle it. Why does this keep happening? If it can't be washed, why doesn't the label just say dry clean?

13 years ago

General

11 replies

Latest reply was from AbFabBeenThere

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

Oh no Maya. I have a lot of merino wool and I normally wash it on a cold wash on the wool cycle in the washing machine in a delicates bag and dry flat, I have never had a problem with shrinking.

What temp did you wash in?

13 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

When you lay it out to dry, you need to really stretch it out. It has a natural elasticity to it, and will spring back to shape and then some if it isn't stretched. Merino washes great, and I have never had a problem with it.

13 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I wash all of my clothes on cold, and I washed this on the hand wash cycle which is always cold.

Khris, trust me, no amount of stretching can save this thing. It's TINY. It would not fit an adult.

I guess it's just my rotten luck. No more merino for me!

13 years ago

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Honestly, that is so weird! I have the same cardi and I wash it on cold and then hang it over my shower rail to dry. I comes out a little wrinkled when dry, so I toss it in the dryer and viola! I'm so sad for your cardi's tragic end - I love mine (actually I have 3 in different colors).

Also, I have a 100% merino wool cardi from Gap that my husband accidentally washed and dried (on low heat, but still). I was sure it was going to end up being tiny, but was miraculously perfect (aside from a few fuzz balls attached to it).

Maybe it's your detergent? Seems unlikely, but it is the only thing I can think of.

13 years ago

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Hi Maya
I've attended a craft workshop this spring where I learnt to make a fleece, which opened my eyes towards why some of my old merino items were no good after washing them, the mistake I hope not to repeat again.

Apologies if it is obvious, but are you using the right washing product? Regular detergents won't do. High amount of soap makes the fibers stick together more, which is part of the reason for shrinking.
Another thing to keep in mind is washing temperature. Too much hot-cold changes is another reason for shrinking.

You sound like you've made up your mind, but it's perhaps worth rethinking

13 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

I'm sorry your sweater shrank. It sounds like it felted.

I wash my wool sweaters by hand, using baby shampoo. I use tepid water, soaking it for awhile, and avoid rough handling. I squeeze out the water, not twist, lay on a towel, roll up, and squeeze. The only time I've had a sweater shrink like you described, was a wool sweater I knit for my grandmother. Someone at the nursing home washed it in the washing machine.

8 years ago

Colette

Veteran

That really stinks! I wash all our wool sweaters, merino and cashmere and have never had a problem.

8 years ago

Marilyn

Veteran

I wash merino wool all the time. Eucalan on the handwash cycle of my washer then lay flat to dry on a rack. I do a bit of stretching to reshape. I also measure a new sweater before I wash it and then again after I take it out of the wash so I can see what's what.

My newest trick this winter has been to iron my sweaters once dry. I find the heat and the stream really brings the size back to normal if they have taken up a bit while drying. They look really lovely once pressed and it only takes a few extra minutes.

8 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Rise of the Zombie thread.... I'm sure Maya figured it out.

8 years ago

Marilyn

Veteran

LOL, Astrid. I didn't look at the date of the first post.

8 years ago

AbFabBeenThere

Member

Hi Astrid - good topics never go to Zombie status, they just keep rising like cream to the top of Google search. I want to share ten years of research and a lifetime of wearing fine woolens in order to answer the "shrinking merino" questions. For the last ten years I have specifically searched out and spent money on a variety of sweaters that purport to be "Merino Wool" since I had a major disaster with a shrinking sweater eleven years ago. Before washing a merino wool item one should first check the "Made in ?????" label. My research (and wasted money) has shown that if the item originates in Europe (most countries) including Turkey, that the item labeled as "Merino Wool" will accept gentle cold water wash (both as a machine gentle cycle and the preferred hand-wash) well, including laying flat to dry. However, if the item says "Made in China" it usually shrinks (to child size by third washing). There is no battling with it after washing to stretch it back to shape - it just keeps shrinking. I assume that is because there are different standards for what constitutes "Merino Wool" in China. In ten years I have found no items made in China that can be hand-washed - when the label says "Dry Clean Only" and it is made in China, they really mean it. My extensive experience with woolens leads me to expect longer term wear and a reasonable cleaning costs when I buy a wool sweater - I do not expect to have to spend huge dollars constantly dry-cleaning a sweater once a week because I wore it once that week. My home testing was done on sweaters bought only from high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylors. I hope that all visitors to your site will take their own expectations into consideration (such as how many times and years you hope to wear the item - and how much money you expect to spend in dry-cleaning) into consideration when buying in the future. Some people do not care about prospective cleaning costs and then again other people do - when choosing clothing.

6 years ago

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