Wool washes

General Knitting
1

hello.

i was wondering what kinds of wool washes everyone used
and in general what kinds of soaps/detergents are good for wool.

has anyone ever just used woolite detergent?

i figure that might be my best bet…i wanted to ask before i bought anything.

thanks

2

I think any wool wash does a good job - but that’s only my opinion of course. :thumbsup:
I’m sorry I can’t help you with any brands because I live in Australia.

3

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=darkorchid]:waving: I use shampoo and a little conditioner in the rinse water. Works like a charm and isn’t expensive. Not to mention I always have some on hand![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

4

I thought I read that woolite was not recommended for handknit wool and I don’t care for it for other handwashables either. I picked up some stuff at my LYS, but haven’t used it yet.

5

I’ve used Eucalan. My favorite as it doesn’t require rinsing. It comes in regular (eucalyptus) and lavender. I like 'em both. I handwash all my handknit socks and let them dry flat. It makes them very soft. I’ve also purchased some from the lys, but I can remember the name. Worked as well but needed to be rinsed.

I’ve never used woolite on my handknits, but I have for my “frillies” and more expensive store-bought knits. I’ve never had a problem. But there is a definite dislike of woolite around here.

Gladys

6

Hi’ya! :waving:

I read the same thing…that Woolite is not good for natural fibers.

I use UNICORN fiber wash and UNICORN fiber rinse. It deep cleans, refreshes, and conditions natural fibres with a hint of lavendar.

Here is the [COLOR=blue]LINK[/COLOR] to their website.

  1. Restores luster and softness without matting or tangling.
  2. Removes all contaminants and embedded dirt in raw fibre yet is gentle enough to pamper everyday wear and fine delicate knitwear.
  3. Elimnates odors and is non-yellowing
  4. Fibre-shielding formula reduces the “itch factor”.
  5. No phosphates, enzymes, fillers, bleaching or stripping agents.

I can vouch for it! I could not believe how much “mountain dust” was knitted into my (Malabrigo) Irish Hiking Scarf! My wash water visibly looked dirty! I was shocked! I knit the scarf in 3 days…so it was not laying around for months collecting its own dust…but the mountain was so windy, my knitting got blown off into the dirt several times, and dusty gusts blew onto me and my knitting, too! The dust matched the color of the scarf…so it did not look dirty to the eye! Phew. [I]It was dirty! [/I]

Just 3 squirts in 2 qts lukewarm water (wash and rinse processs the same) in the sink…swish gently…soak 5 minutes…squeeze out excess water…roll
up in clean bath towels…press down on towel bundle…unroll…then lay scarf out to dry.

PS: The [COLOR=darkorchid][B]‘hint of lavendar’[/B][/COLOR] is [I]just a hint.[/I] Not strong, but nice.

7

http://www.eucalan.com/
I really LOVE the lanendar Eucalan. it smells wonderful and it just does a great job. I also really like the SOAK wash.

8

i use kookaburra or shampoo/conditioner.

9

thanks everyone for the suggestions.

i’m really glad i asked before i went and bought woolite!

i would hate to ruin the 100% merino jacket i got from the thirft store (or any other wool I buy for that matter)

10

You got THAT from a thrift store. Wowza!! I don’t know what you paid, but it has to be a super bargain. That’s really, really nice.

Gladys