How do you care for wool clothing?

With proper care wool clothing can look great for years. Follow these suggestions to preserve the natural qualities of your wool clothing:

Wool Clothing Care:

• Let wool clothing rest for 24-hours between wearings so the
  wool fibers will have time to shed wrinkles and return to their original shape.

• Hang woven wool garments on padded hangers with closures zipped or buttoned.

• Store knits gently folded in drawers.

• Empty pockets and remove jewelry, belts or other accessories from garments.

• Use a brush to remove surface soil and dirt from wool clothing.

• Use a damp sponge to remove soil from woolen knits and finer fabrics.

• Hang wool garments in a steamy bathroom after wearing or unpacking. Moisture from the steam will remove wrinkles.

• If wool gets wet, dry the garment at room temperature away from heat.
  If there’s a nap, brush with the nap.

• Remove spots and stains promptly.

Cleaning Woolen Clothes

Look for the care instruction label. Most clothing manufacturers recommend
dry cleaning although some garments can be hand-washed and some even
laundered by machine.

Wool Clothing Storage

Woolens are susceptible to damage from moths and carpet beetles. The insect larvae are attracted to areas soiled with food stains or body oil. The best method for protecting your woolens from insects is to keep them clean.

Here are some additional safeguards to protect your woolens:

• Have your woolens cleaned before packing them away.
  Cleaning will also kill larvae.

• Brush clothing after each wearing. This not only will revive
  the nap but will help rid clothing of insect infestation.

• Keep closets, dresser drawers and trunks clean.

• Pack clothes in airtight containers with secure lids.

• Cold storage in temperatures of 40 degrees (4°C) or lower further discourages infestation.
   

For more information about caring for wool clothing, visit the American Wool Council . 

Sharon Stevens, HES Extension, College of Human Environmental Sciences,
University of Missouri-Columbia