We remove the prickliness of wool: how and what to wash it with, freeze the product, and dry it properly.
With the arrival of cold weather, woolen items are probably the most beloved in the wardrobe of all our compatriots. And really good woolen item thin, light, and at the same time very warm. Only fleece items can compete with them, but due to the specific visual appearance fleece is used for sewing sports line, which is not suitable for everyone.
In this article we will tell you how to care for woolen items so that when worn they do not cause discomfort or tingling (a natural characteristic of wool, even merino).
What can you do to prevent woolen items from itching?
You bought something made of 100% wool, and everything would be fine if it weren’t for this unpleasant tingling sensation. Have you really been sold a low-quality item? Not at all, because the natural characteristic of wool is a slight tingling sensation that is felt by human skin, especially children's skin. This happens because the wool resembles human hair, which has been split and formed a “fluff”; it is these fluffy ends that irritate.
Scientists have proven that if both parents are not allergic, then items made from natural wool can be purchased without any problems for the child from the very first days. But what if she annoys even adults? There are several washing secrets for this.
Option #1
To wash woolen items, purchase a detergent labeled “for washing woolen items” or “for wool.” Both gels and powders are sold, but as practice shows, gels work better and soften the wool without damaging its structure. In addition, many housewives complain that when washing woolen items delicately, streaks remain from the powder.
The most popular and proven wool washing products remain Laska Wool and Lenor. But other specialized tools are not very different. Pay attention to the smell, because wool perfectly absorbs aromas, and they will not disappear when dried like cotton or synthetics.
Before washing, be sure to check the tags, and even if you have a new machine, but the wool item says “hand wash only,” there is no need to take risks, and besides, washing such things is not at all difficult:
- Pour water into a basin at 37-40 °C, dissolve detergent;
- We lower the woolen item so that it is completely in the solution;
- Leave for an hour so that all the dirt comes out into the water on its own;
- Lightly wipe the dirty areas after an hour and rinse with plenty of water;
- It is not recommended to wring out the wool; it is best to throw it on a net, and after the water has drained from it, spread it on an easily absorbable cloth until completely dry.
Also, don’t forget about the conditioner; both specialized for woolen items and regular conditioners are suitable. It is worth adding that the effect of the conditioner is cumulative and after each use the item becomes softer and softer.
Option No. 2
Do you urgently need to wash a woolen item, and don’t have time to look for special equipment? What you have on hand at home may well be useful, but these are still one-time solutions and next time you can make your work easier by purchasing the necessary gel and conditioner.
So let's get started:
- Pour warm water and add a teaspoon of citric acid to the basin of water, leave for 10 minutes;
- If necessary, add hot water so that the water in the basin is warm and the citric acid is completely dissolved. Place the item and leave it for 15 minutes;
- Now drain the water and rinse in one water;
- We soap the item with regular shampoo that we have at home. Leave for 5-10 minutes;
- We rinse out the shampoo, apply a thin layer of hair conditioner on both sides, yes, just like you wash your hair. Leave it to work for 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly;
- We throw the item onto the net and then lay it out to dry on the fabric in a horizontal position.
Option #3
It is not separate, but rather auxiliary. Get yourself, if you don’t already have a steamer at home, or a steam cleaner, or an iron with a good steam function. In general, any technique that produces a good stream of steam. After the item is completely dry, steam it, but remember not to touch it with an iron or hot surface to wool is strictly prohibited.
A steamer is an indispensable assistant in caring for woolen items.
And another option for steaming, if the item “didn’t give up” earlier - dilute a pinch of citric acid per liter of water and wet the fabric. Place the fabric on a woolen product and steam it with this solution. After this, the thing will probably become soft and “obedient”.
Option No. 4
The folk method that our great-grandmothers used. Pour 1.5-2 tablespoons of mustard powder into a basin of water with hot water and let it dissolve. Bring to a warm state and lower the item. Wait a few hours and rinse.
It was believed that mustard and dirt would absorb, remove the smell and make the wool softer. But we would recommend using mustard instead of conditioner, because it cannot cope with the persistent odor of sweat, and we live in an age when this odor is unacceptable in Everyday life, but is the most common reason for washing woolen items.
How to make a woolen sweater, jacket, dress soft and not scratchy?
Another option goes well with clothes. To do this you will need vinegar and regular salt without additives. So: add 5 tablespoons of salt to 5 liters of warm water and dissolve completely. Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar or citric acid solution (a teaspoon per liter of water) and dip the item after washing in regular powder. Leave for 2-3 hours and then rinse.
If it is not summer and the item is not allowed to dry in a well-ventilated area, the smell of vinegar will remain in the item until the next wash.
In this case, there is another way:
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 teaspoon glycerin.
Soak for no more than 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly.
Glycerin is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, but if it’s not available since our grandmothers’ stockpiles, it’s easier to buy special supplies.
How to wash it and soften the wool so that it doesn’t itch?
This method is ideal for washing wool blankets and rugs. After all, sometimes it happens that you can hear them through thick home clothes. But in principle, given the composition, the product can also be tried for clothes.
So, let's take:
- 5 liters of warm water;
- 3 teaspoons of soda;
- 5 drops of ammonia.
Leave in the solution for at least an hour, or overnight. Rinse in 3-5 waters.
A down scarf is a very delicate thing and requires proper care. Depending on the color, thickness and even type of wool yarn, you should wash and dry different ways. Learn more about caring for woolen scarves, including the famous Orenburg scarf, in our article at the link.
Those who studied physics well at school know that water expands at subzero temperatures and contracts at positive temperatures. Thanks to this feature, many centuries ago, women discovered that it is best to wash down and wool items in winter, as they become softer, more delicate and do not itch at all, as if they were washed in the warm season.
So, detailed instructions on how to make any woolen or downy item soft using frost or a freezer:
- We wash and rinse using any of the methods described above;
- We throw it onto the net and let the water drain, but the fabric itself should remain damp;
- Place the item in a bag and place it in the freezer or in the cold for several hours;
- Take it out and let it defrost completely, shake it and lay it out on a horizontal surface to dry. Shake during drying to help fluff up the fabric.
Video: How to make a scratchy sweater soft: “Easier than ever!”
If your knitted sweater is too hard and unbearably prickly, then you can either continue to tickle your nerves, or try to make the sweater not prickly.
Of course, the easiest way to get rid of the discomfort caused by too stiff yarn is to wear a long-sleeve T-shirt under such a sweater.
When purchasing such an item, check what kind of wool it is knitted from. The most prickly one is sheep's wool, it is covered with very small, but very prickly scales.
However, wearing woolen items on your naked body is considered beneficial, as it is reflexology for our body. Hard hairs, irritating, stimulate nerve endings and improve blood circulation, which is very useful for many diseases.
Well, if you do not agree to put up with such reflexology, we advise you to pay attention to the following methods that experienced knitters use to soften wool yarn and the finished product.
What to do to prevent your sweater from itching
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to completely get rid of the prickly fur. You cannot change the structure of the hairs that much, but you can try to make them at least a little softer by resorting to heat treatment and various rinses.- Steaming
- Freezing
- Shampoos and conditioners
You can also use any hair balm - lay a wet sweater on the bottom of the bathtub and apply the balm evenly over it. Leave for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Don't forget to apply balm to the back of the product.
- Vinegar
- Mustard powder
- Glycerol
If you are just going to knit something from scratchy wool, then it is better not to count on the fact that in the future you will be able to make this thing much more pleasant to the body. And if we're talking about about children's things, it is better to abandon such yarn altogether.
If you are just going to knit or buy a sweater, then pay attention to the material of manufacture. The most prickly products are made from home-produced wool. Factory yarn is softer. When producing it, various technological methods are used to make the wool less itchy and more silky.
Taunting knitted product depends on the type of yarn. For example, a sweater made of pure mohair will mercilessly prick. This yarn is good for a cardigan or other outerwear. Ordinary sheep wool is extremely elastic and durable, and retains heat perfectly. However, she is tough and caustic. Merino sheep produce wool that is finer and softer to the touch.
Products made from llama wool and angora down, combinations of wool and acrylic, wool and viscose are quite comfortable to wear. You can buy yarn specially designed for knitting children's items - it is very pleasant on the body. Cashmere products are extremely soft and tender, but not everyone can afford this material.
When knitting a sweater, some needlewomen add additional cotton thread to the wool. As a result, the product becomes more comfortable, but also heavier. If you are allergic to wool, then choose cotton or acrylic sweaters. They are quite warm, especially if there is no severe frost outside.
If you already have a scratchy sweater, wash it in a solution of a special wool powder (such as Cashmere or Weasel). When rinsing, always add any fabric softener. You can also use hair balm - it also softens the coat well. With each wash, the woolen product will become softer, then its thorniness should disappear.
Try adding a vinegar solution to the rinsing water for your itchy sweater. table salt a teaspoon per 10 liters of water. Vinegar and salt can be replaced with pharmaceutical glycerin - in this case, keep the sweater in the solution for about half an hour. Then be sure to thoroughly rinse the product in plenty of clean water.
Another popular way to “tame” a scratchy sweater is to place it in a clean plastic bag for a while and put it... in the freezer for 1-2 days. After this, rinse as described above. This procedure makes the coat fluffier and softer. Sometimes one such freeze is enough, but the most “stubborn” sweaters will have to be frozen several times.
If all of the above methods to make a sweater softer did not help you, try sewing a lining from a soft material or separate back inserts - for example, on the sleeves. Not every model will look good after this, and may become rough. Therefore, you have only one solution - wear a cotton T-shirt, turtleneck or shirt under your sweater.
We remove the prickliness of wool: how and what to wash it with, freeze the product, and dry it properly.
With the arrival of cold weather, woolen items are probably the most beloved in the wardrobe of all our compatriots. Indeed, a good woolen item is thin, light, and at the same time very warm. Only fleece items can compete with them, but due to the specific visual appearance, fleece is used for sewing sports lines, which is not suitable for everyone.
In this article we will tell you how to care for woolen items so that when worn they do not cause discomfort or tingling (a natural characteristic of wool, even merino).
What can you do to prevent woolen items from itching?
You bought something made of 100% wool, and everything would be fine if it weren’t for this unpleasant tingling sensation. Have you really been sold a low-quality item? Not at all, because the natural characteristic of wool is a slight tingling sensation that is felt by human skin, especially children's skin. This happens because the wool resembles human hair, which has been split and formed a “fluff”; it is these fluffy ends that irritate.
Scientists have proven that if both parents are not allergic, then items made from natural wool can be purchased without any problems for the child from the very first days. But what if she annoys even adults? There are several washing secrets for this.
Option #1
To wash woolen items, purchase a detergent labeled “for washing woolen items” or “for wool.” Both gels and powders are sold, but as practice shows, gels work better and soften the wool without damaging its structure. In addition, many housewives complain that when washing woolen items delicately, streaks remain from the powder.
The most popular and proven wool washing products remain Laska Wool and Lenor. But other specialized tools are not very different. Pay attention to the smell, because wool perfectly absorbs aromas, and they will not disappear when dried like cotton or synthetics.
Before washing, be sure to check the tags, and even if you have a new machine, but the wool item says “hand wash only,” there is no need to take risks, and besides, washing such things is not at all difficult:
- Pour water at 37-40 °C into a basin, dissolve the detergent;
- We lower the woolen item so that it is completely in the solution;
- Leave for an hour so that all the dirt comes out into the water on its own;
- Lightly wipe the dirty areas after an hour and rinse with plenty of water;
- It is not recommended to wring out the wool; it is best to throw it on a net, and after the water has drained from it, spread it on an easily absorbable cloth until completely dry.
Also, don’t forget about the conditioner; both specialized for woolen items and regular conditioners are suitable. It is worth adding that the effect of the conditioner is cumulative and after each use the item becomes softer and softer.
Option No. 2
Do you urgently need to wash a woolen item, and don’t have time to look for special equipment? What you have on hand at home may well be useful, but these are still one-time solutions and next time you can make your work easier by purchasing the necessary gel and conditioner.
So let's get started:
- Pour warm water and add a teaspoon of citric acid to the basin of water, leave for 10 minutes;
- If necessary, add hot water so that the water in the basin is warm and the citric acid is completely dissolved. Place the item and leave it for 15 minutes;
- Now drain the water and rinse in one water;
- We soap the item with regular shampoo that we have at home. Leave for 5-10 minutes;
- We rinse out the shampoo, apply a thin layer of hair conditioner on both sides, yes, just like you wash your hair. Leave it to work for 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly;
- We throw the item onto the net and then lay it out to dry on the fabric in a horizontal position.
Option #3
It is not separate, but rather auxiliary. Get yourself, if you don’t already have a steamer at home, or a steam cleaner, or an iron with a good steam function. In general, any technique that produces a good stream of steam. After the item is completely dry, steam it, but remember, touching the wool with an iron or hot surface is strictly prohibited.
A steamer is an indispensable assistant in caring for woolen items.
And another option for steaming, if the item “didn’t give up” earlier - dilute a pinch of citric acid per liter of water and wet the fabric. Place the fabric on a woolen product and steam it with this solution. After this, the thing will probably become soft and “obedient”.
Option No. 4
The folk method that our great-grandmothers used. Pour 1.5-2 tablespoons of mustard powder into a basin of water with hot water and let it dissolve. Bring to a warm state and lower the item. Wait a few hours and rinse.
It was believed that mustard and dirt would absorb, remove the smell and make the wool softer. But we would recommend using mustard instead of conditioner, because it cannot cope with the persistent smell of sweat, and we live in an age when this smell is unacceptable in everyday life, but is the most common reason for washing woolen items.
How to make a woolen sweater, jacket, dress soft and not scratchy?
Another option goes well with clothes. To do this you will need vinegar and regular salt without additives. So: add 5 tablespoons of salt to 5 liters of warm water and dissolve completely. Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar or citric acid solution (a teaspoon per liter of water) and dip the item after washing in regular powder. Leave for 2-3 hours and then rinse.
If it is not summer and the item is not allowed to dry in a well-ventilated area, the smell of vinegar will remain in the item until the next wash.
In this case, there is another way:
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 teaspoon glycerin.
Soak for no more than 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly.
Glycerin is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, but if it’s not available since our grandmothers’ stockpiles, it’s easier to buy special supplies.
How to wash it and soften the wool so that it doesn’t itch?
This method is ideal for washing wool blankets and rugs. After all, sometimes it happens that you can hear them through thick home clothes. But in principle, given the composition, the product can also be tried for clothes.
So, let's take:
- 5 liters of warm water;
- 3 teaspoons of soda;
- 5 drops of ammonia.
Leave in the solution for at least an hour, or overnight. Rinse in 3-5 waters.
A down scarf is a very delicate thing and requires proper care. Depending on the color, thickness and even type of wool yarn, you should wash and dry it in different ways. Learn more about caring for woolen scarves, including the famous Orenburg scarf, in our article at the link.
Those who studied physics well at school know that water expands at subzero temperatures and contracts at positive temperatures. Thanks to this feature, many centuries ago, women discovered that it is best to wash down and wool items in winter, as they become softer, more delicate and do not itch at all, as if they were washed in the warm season.
So, detailed instructions on how to make any woolen or downy item soft using frost or a freezer:
- We wash and rinse using any of the methods described above;
- We throw it onto the net and let the water drain, but the fabric itself should remain damp;
- Place the item in a bag and place it in the freezer or in the cold for several hours;
- Take it out and let it defrost completely, shake it and lay it out on a horizontal surface to dry. Shake during drying to help fluff up the fabric.
Video: How to make a scratchy sweater soft: “Easier than ever!”
Δ What to do if you bought woolen clothes, and they “bite” and “prick” What to do if a woolen item pricks, how to soften it
GRANDMOTHER'S METHOD
TOP 5 life hacks to prevent your sweater from biting
Depo. ua has compiled a selection of life hacks on how to soften scratchy sweaters and other items made from wool.
SPECIAL SOFTENER
Soak the sweater in fabric softener to soften the fabric. In this case, you need to soak in warm water (with a double portion of conditioner) and rinse in cold water. The fact is that small fibers, which are almost always present on a woolen thread, prick; in warm water, when exposed to alkali, they “open up” more strongly, and the substances contained in the rinse aid cover these fibers and prevent them from bristling. After cooling, the fibers, on the contrary, will adhere to the thread more tightly.
WASH LIKE HAIR
You need to wash the sweater in your own shampoo, apply a good amount of hair conditioner, leave for 20 minutes, and then rinse and dry
GRANDMOTHER'S METHOD
Wash the sweater with your usual detergent, and add one teaspoon of table salt and one teaspoon of vinegar (per 10 liters of water) to the rinse water. You can replace salt and vinegar with regular glycerin (it is sold at any pharmacy), in which case leave the sweater soaked in the solution for 30 minutes. After this, rinse the product thoroughly.
REMEDY FOR DARK THINGS
Dissolve a handful of mustard powder in warm water, dilute with water and rinse the product in this solution. Then rinse in plain water, lightly wring and dry in a horizontal position. This product is not suitable for white and light-colored items, because mustard can stain them.
TO FREEZE
Wash the wool item in a softening detergent, wring it out, wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for a couple of days. Sometimes it may take several cycles of such freezing because after the first wash with special products, all the tartness may not come off together.
If something really “bites”, you can try all these remedies on it several times - sometimes an integrated approach helps.
Well, when all this does not help, all that remains is to wear a thin knitted blouse under a scratchy sweater, or hem woolen clothes with a lining of the same color.
REMEDY FOR DARK THINGS
How to make fabric softer? How to make fabric softer? It is unpleasant to walk in something that is made of hard fabric if it also causes skin irritation. In this case, it often happens like this: you What to do if a woolen item is itchy, how to soften it
How to make fabric softer?
How to make fabric softer?
It is unpleasant to walk in something that is made of hard fabric if it also causes skin irritation. In this case, it often happens like this: you bought a thing, you feel uncomfortable in it, and you put it in the closet and forgot about it. Don't rush to do this. Using available means, you can soften the fabric and still use it.
Let's say something that you don't like to wear comes from... cotton fabric. The fact is that to process the threads in such fabrics, a special glue is used, which makes the fabric rigid. Try washing this item several times using any powder, and be sure to rinse it with added conditioner. After 2-3 washes the item will become much softer. Just wash it in warm, not hot water. Hot water can shrink clothes.
To soften denim, this solution will help you. Mix 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda in a glass of water. To wash in a machine, pour this solution into the compartment and wash the items at a temperature of 40 degrees. When rinsing clothes, be sure to add conditioner. Just remember that if you wash dark fabrics this way, they may fade.
Clothes made from linen fabrics can also be softened. To do this, pour 5-7 liters of warm water into a basin and dilute 5 tablespoons of table salt in it. Soak your item or fabric in this water and leave it overnight. Wash the item in the morning.
If you're somehow afraid to use salt or baking soda, here's another option. Pour warm water into a basin and dilute two doses of conditioner in it. Soak things in this basin for a day. After this, simply rinse the laundry. If you want to wash things after this, remember that you will have to add conditioner again when rinsing.
There is another fairly simple way. In a bowl of water, dilute acetic acid to a two percent solution and soak the item in it for several hours. After this, you need to thoroughly rinse your item several times. There may be a slightly sour smell left. If this bothers you, then wash the item.
When washing things, remember that it is not advisable to wash them in water above 60 degrees. The product will shrink in size and become wrinkled.
If you decide to only wash a stiff fabric item, use washing powder for washing woolen products. The composition of such powders includes components that soften the material.
How to make fabric softer?
A sweater made of natural wool perfectly protects from the cold even in the harshest winters. However, they usually prick. If you are very sensitive to this, then...What to do if a woolen item is itchy, how to soften it
What to do if your sweater is itchy
A sweater made of natural wool perfectly protects from the cold even in the harshest winters. However, they usually prick. If you are very sensitive to this, then all that remains is to put the beautiful thing in the closet. But we can fix everything.
If you are just going to knit or buy a sweater, then pay attention to the material of manufacture. The most prickly products are made from home-produced wool. Factory yarn is softer. When producing it, various technological methods are used to make the wool less itchy and more silky.
Products made from llama wool and angora down, combinations of wool and acrylic, wool and viscose are quite comfortable to wear. You can buy yarn specially designed for knitting children's items - it is very pleasant on the body. Cashmere products are extremely soft and tender, but not everyone can afford this material.
When knitting a sweater, some needlewomen add additional cotton thread to the wool. As a result, the product becomes more comfortable, but also heavier. If you are allergic to wool, then choose cotton or acrylic sweaters. They are quite warm, especially if there is no severe frost outside.
If you already have a scratchy sweater, wash it in a solution of a special wool powder (such as Cashmere or Weasel). When rinsing, always add any fabric softener. You can also use hair balm - it also softens the coat well. With each wash, the woolen product will become softer, then its thorniness should disappear.
Try adding a solution of vinegar and table salt to the water for rinsing a scratchy sweater, one teaspoon per 10 liters of water. Vinegar and salt can be replaced with pharmaceutical glycerin - in this case, keep the sweater in the solution for about half an hour. Then be sure to thoroughly rinse the product in plenty of clean water.
Another popular way to “tame” a scratchy sweater is to place it in a clean plastic bag for a while and put it... in the freezer for 1-2 days. After this, rinse as described above. This procedure makes the coat fluffier and softer. Sometimes one such freeze is enough, but the most “stubborn” sweaters will have to be frozen several times.
If all of the above methods to make a sweater softer did not help you, try sewing a lining from a soft material or separate back inserts - for example, on the sleeves. Not every model will look good after this, and may become rough. Therefore, you have only one solution - wear a cotton T-shirt, turtleneck or shirt under your sweater.
The sharpness of a knitted product depends on the type of yarn. For example, a sweater made of pure mohair will mercilessly prick. This yarn is good for a cardigan or other outerwear. Ordinary sheep wool is extremely elastic and durable, and retains heat perfectly. However, she is tough and caustic. Merino sheep produce wool that is finer and softer to the touch.
