Merino wool is not as difficult to care for as you might think and more forgiving than traditional wool garments. Of course the best way to prolong its life and maintain the softness and strength of wool is to hand wash at low temperature using a mild wool detergent.
As busy parents ourselves we know it is almost impossible to find time for hand washing so our garments can be machine washed provided the following golden rules are followed.
- Always use an approved wool detergent such as Ecover Delicate for Silk & Wool, Persil Silk & Wool or Woolite. Don’t presume your usual non-bio detergent will be fine, if you check the label most say they are not suitable for wool
- Wash at a maximum temperature of 40˚c – any hotter and the wool will ‘felt’ and shrink
- Spin gently
- Do not soak
- Fabric conditioners or softeners are not recommended (or needed)
- Gently reshape the garment as you remove it from the washing machine
- Do not use bleach
- Merino doesn’t hold a lot of water so dries quickly on a drying rack or over a banister or radiator. If you have a tumble drier, make sure it has a low heat setting and use on this setting only
- Dry away from direct sunlight
- Cool iron if required (we have never found the need nor desire to do this)
Merino is naturally stain and odour resistant and requires less frequent washing than other fabrics – hooray!
We recommend unzipping your baby sleeping bag and airing it over the cot rail in between sleeps to cut down on washing.
