by Hellen Wyeth

Created on: November 02, 2008   Last Updated: September 21, 2010

Hand knit wool sweaters are always nice to wear, but to wash is a whole other story for most people. In the age of just throw it in the wash and it's all good, your wool knits aren't going to make it to a second appearance.

Though wool knits should be hand washed, there is a method to using the washing machine. Like hand washing your wool sweaters it is a careful process. Wool is a temperamental fabric or hair fiber that can be ruined very easily due to fulling. Fulling is the process of fluffing up an already woven or knitted piece of woolen cloth. This happens when the wool fibers are rubbed together too much. It is also what happens when you just throw your sweater in the washer without proper technique.

Before you throw your sweater into the washer, you need to have the proper soap to clean it. If you have to, you can use regular detergent, but it is best to use everyday dish soap like Dawn Original or basic hair shampoo. Regular soaps can be too abrasive and also cause damage to your clothing.

Once you have decided what soap you are going to use, set your washer to run at the highest water temperature you can; the hotter the water the better. Add a cup of your dish soap or shampoo to the water and let it mix well in the tub.

After your soap and hot water combination are ready, stop the cycle completely and put your hand knit wool sweater in. Do not agitate it or swirl it around. This will cause fulling to take effect. Instead, let your sweater lay and soak in the soapy water as long as you desire.

When the knit wool is done and well soaked, gently take it out and allow your washing machine to spin the water out. Let your washer refill with super hot water again, this time not adding any soap to the mix. Stop the cycle when the tub is done filling. Lay your hand knit wool sweater back in the tub to let it rinse out. Again, do not agitate it or swirl it around. Don't worry, it will rinse and come out clean.

Now that it has rinsed, gently remove the knit sweater once more and let the water drain. With the tub of the washing machine now empty, you can place your sweater back in and let your machine take it through the spin cycle. The spin cycle will get most of the water out of your hand knit wool sweater making dry time a little less.

To dry your sweater, carefully lay it flat on a towel on a flat surface. Wet wool will stretch very easily so it is important to not pull on it or hang it to dry. Gravity will cause you to have a misshapen sweater that will not fit you right any more. Rotate and flip your sweater in intervals, exposing all the wet areas to dry. Drying your sweater can take up to 3 days depending on the thickness of your sweater and how well your washer drained water during the spin cycle.

Yes, it is time consuming and a touchy procedure, but it beats hand washing and it's one less thing you'll have sitting in your closet never to be worn again.

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