Felting in a front loader?

#1

I’ve heard before that you CAN’T felt in a front loading machine. Is that true?

We just bought a place and our washer now is a front loader. Anyone use one to felt in? What do you do differently?

TIA!

#2

Here’s something i posted a way long time ago…

one thing is that you have to know your front load. some will allow you to open the door after the cycle starts and some won’t. mine lets me until it gets to the spin cycles after that i have to pretty much wait it out.

i put mine in a pillow protector too with as many old jeans as i can find and even a couple of pairs of old tennies. i have never been able to felt as fully as others but that could be because i am not patient. [eta: I was able to fully felt Malabrigo successfully without having to go through a lot of cycles] you might need to add some hot water through the process and run it through more than once. i would avoid having it spin out if possible just keep resetting it back to the beginning. also don’t forget to shock it with cold water in the process as well.

it may take several rounds through the machine to get it as felted as you would like but it can be done!

big thing, before you start, is that i would test the machine to see if it will let you open it once it is started. Some do, some don’t, and like mine, some will for a while but once you get to the spin you have to let it finish.

#3

btw…you will LOVE the soap and water savings you get with a front load! I do many loads of laundry a week (even without kids) and it took me more than 2 years to go through one of those 200 oz bottles of tide! :cheering:

#4

I have a front-loader, and it can be done. I usually just throw said item (in a lingerie bag) in the washer and run it through a hot water load all the way through, like with some jeans or even tennis shoes. Usually it does take me more than one wash, and I don’t stop to check during the process, but I have just done bags, not anything like clogs where sizing is more critical.

I really want to try top-loader felting though, but I’d have to go a laundromat or my MIL’s! :thinking: Maybe I should just do that, save up all my felting projects and a lot of quarters for a trip to the laundromat!

#5

I think you would run into water temp issues at the laundromat though. I read someone did that once but the water was barely even warm and nothing close to hot. :wall:

#6

Thanks for the tips!! :muah:

I don’t felt that much, but there is a project I just found and would like to do it in the near future.

Thanks again!