How to care for wool products?

 How to wash wool properly so that it stays soft, flexible and lasts for many years? We have prepared a complete guide on how to care for wool products - from blankets and throws to merino clothing and carpets.

Wool is an exceptional material with a long service life. Just follow a few simple guidelines and your wool pieces will keep you happy for years - and in the case of hand-woven rugs, for generations to come.

How to care for wool to make it last as long as possible

Caring for wool is easier than it may seem. The key is to know that:

• - wool has self-cleaning capabilities
• - no need to wash it often
• - Tolerates high temperatures and aggressive chemistry

TIP: The best wool care often means less washing, more natural renewal.

How often to wash wool products

It is not necessary to wash wool blankets, throws or sweaters after each use. Instead, we recommend:

• - regular fresh air ventilation
• • Intermittent sunbathing
• - in winter freezing in the snow

These methods help to remove odours, freshen fibres and act as moth prevention. The wool fibre has excellent self-cleaning abilities which keep the wool product in excellent quality for a long time.

A proven method to keep a wool blanket as good as new for as long as possible is:
- frequent ventilation in the fresh air
- and hanging in direct sunlight.

The wool comes alive and the sun's rays act as a preventive against possible moths and other pests.

Snow and frost will wash for you

In winter, we recommend blankets and other woolen bedspreads, rugs, kilims and other rspread on a layer of snow cover, for several hours and on both sides.
Snow can rid the blanket of all dirt and dust, refreshes the fibre and together with frost acts as a protection for the wool against moths.

Ventilation, sunbathing and freezing are very effective and at the same time the simplest and least strenuous methods of maintaining wool products clean, beautiful, protected from pests and preserve the proper function of the wool fibre. We can thus recommend them with a clear conscience as a very suitable care method for all our wool products!

How to protect wool from moths

When storing, it is recommended to put with wool products:

• - bag with dried lavender
• - or a few drops lavender essential oil

Lavender is a natural moth repellent and also makes the wool smell nice. But even stored items should be aired out from time to time.

Recommended Balkan's 100% oil of true lavender – Lavandula angustifolia. We recommend it for all stored wool products - even merino t-shirts and sweaters that you don't use for part of the year.
However, do not forget to inspect the stored wool products once in a while and air, sun or freeze them.)

How to wash wool blankets and bedspreads in the washing machine

The good news: all of our blankets are machine washable and do not need to be taken to the dry cleaners.

How to do it:

• - select a program wool / delicate wash (ideally 25 °C, max. 30 °C)
• - do not set the pre-wash or soaking or wringing
• - Do not use ordinary detergents or fabric softener
• - use preparation with lanolin

Lanolin is a natural component of wool - it helps protect the fibres, maintains their elasticity and softness. Balkanova washing gel with lanolin In addition, it complements the natural scent of wool with subtle notes of Balkan mountain herbs.

How to dry wool (the most common mistake)

❌ Never:

• - do not dry in the dryer
• - do not hang completely wet products

✔️ Correct procedure:

1. let the wool first drip (polished)
2. then leave it dry freely

This will prevent pulling and deformation.

Wool fabrics could shrink in the dryer. We recommend letting all the water drip out first - place the fabric folded on the tumble dryer and wait for all the water to drain out. Once the wool product is damp rather than wet, you can hang it to dry. If you rush the hanging, your blanket may pull out under the weight of the wet material and lose its shape.

How to wash wool products in the hand

If you don't want or can't put the product in the washing machine:

1. Enter lukewarm to cold water
2. add a lanolin agent
3. leave on 20-30 minutes
4. gently toss
5. rinse until the water is clear

If you're not sure whether your washing machine can wash wool or if a woollen item - such as a carpet - simply won't fit in the machine, you can wash it by hand.

Pour the water into the basin or bathtub lukewarm to cold water, add preparation with lanolin and dip the wool fabric. Leave on at least 20 to 30 min. Then drain the old water, fill with clean water and repeat the process with gentle agitation until the wool flows completely clean. All blankets, bedspreads, carpets, runners and woollen clothes can be washed in this way.

How to care for wool carpets

Care for wool carpets is surprisingly simple. It's enough:

• - regular vacuuming
• - ventilation, sunbathing, frosting

These most natural methods of wool care will clean and treat all our wool carpets very well - plain woven treads, kilims, gubers and high pile chaliste.

Our recommendation:

• - Smaller Carpets machine washable as well as wool fabrics
• - Larger or valuable (e.g. kilims), we recommend washing by hand or having it professionally cleaned.
• All carpets from our offer can also be vacuumed.

Carpets of smaller size and volume can be washed in the same way as blankets in the washing machine. If you follow the above procedure, you don't have to worry about the carpet deteriorating in the washing machine.
We recommend that you put high-pile carpets in a laundry bag before washing them, so that the pile that the carpet may shed during washing does not get caught in the washing machine drum.

In the washing machine we do not recommend washing only our handwoven kilimsin view of their high value. Carpets that won't fit in the washing machine can be hand washed.

If you prefer professional care, we can help you to facilitate gentle hand washing using natural soaps with our partnerwhich specializes in cleaning hand-woven kilims and Persians. If you would like to use this contact, please email us at info@balkanova.eco.

How to remove stains from wool

For localised soiling, use:

• - cold water
• - mild natural soap (e.g. Aleppo soap)

Avoid scrubbing - the wool can become damaged.

How to wash woolen clothes (merino, sweaters, socks)

The procedure is the same as for blankets:

• - wool / delicate washing programme
• • 25 °C (max. 30 °C)
• - without fabric softener
• - s with lanolin

Merino wool is finer, so it pays to be even more gentle.

Wool and merino wool garments can be washed safely in the washing machine on the wool programme in the same way as we have described for blankets:

• - Use only a lanolin product, not conventional means.
• - Do not use fabric softener.
• - Wash on the wool/soft programme with the lowest possible temperature, ideally 25 °C.
• - Do not wring or tumble dry wool products!
• - Let the water drain out first and then hang.
• - You can also wash your wool clothing and accessories by hand.

How to wash cotton bedspreads, towels and bath towels

Unlike wool, cotton is less sensitive:

• - cotton programme
• - temperature up to 40 °C
• - dryer is possible

For our cotton products, you can follow the same procedure as for washing regular cotton clothes. Select the cotton programme and a maximum temperature of 40 °C. You can also tumble dry our cotton products.

Summary: How to properly care for wool

• - wash wool as little as possible
• - treat her ventilation, sunbathing and freezing 
• - use low temperatures
• - avoid common detergents
• - use lanolin
• - do not dry in the dryer

Proper care will ensure that your wool products remain beautiful, functional and last for years to come.

If any of your questions are not answered in this article, email us at info@balkanova.eco