Part 2 - Washing Woolens
Now that you have completed Part 1 - De-Pilling & Bushing or if you have skipped that part and just joined us, it's that time of the year when you don't wear alot of those heavy jumpers and don't have too many blankets and throws around.
Lets wash those favorite jumpers, blankets, throws and whatever else you would like to pack away until it starts getting cool again next year.
Also condition and keep them protected from those nasty little creatures.
Washing Jumpers, let's start with them and we all know that 'Hand Washing Woolens Is Best', our mothers told us, how many times!
Merino, lamb, whether sheep, alpaca, mohair and cashmere use the same cleaning process for all and all you will need is a bottle of our Eucalyptus Liquid Laundry Detergent and a bottle of our Pure Radiata Eucalyptus Oil on hand.
Hand Washing -
I half fill the laundry tub as it is up high and you don't have to bend over as you would over a low bucket or bathtub, save your back for now.
Make sure the water is only just warm/luke warm/tepid.
Add 15mls of our euco liquid laundry detergent to the water and with your hand swish it around blending it into the water.
Now you can add your jumper pushing it under the soapy water then swirl it gently around for about 30 seconds, and then let it soak for about 30 minutes.
After soaking, drain the dirty water and refill the tub so that it just covers the jumper with clean cold water. Again, gently swirl the jumper around in the water and gently rolling it into a ball bringing it up the side of the tub then pressing the soapy water out of it.
This can be done a few times like you are kneading scone or pizza dough and avoid your gut feeling to wring it out.
Wringing the fibers wet when they are at their weakest, you might end up with a out of shape jumper.
On the last rinse I add 20 - 30mls of our pure radiata eucalyptus oil into the cold water, just enough water to lay the jumper in, then add the jumper swirling it back and forth in the small amout of water then pull the tub plug out and keep rolling and gently pushing the water out of the jumper.
By adding the euco oil in last, most of the oil will stay in the jumper even while drying.
This will keep your jumpers soft, fresh while in storage bags and keep those nasty little creatures at bay.
When you think you have enough water out of the jumper lay it out on a drying rack under a varandah out of the sun untill it stops dripping bring it inside to totally finish drying.
Make sure all items are dry before storing away.
For larger items do them in the bath the same way.
Maching Washing -
If you are lucky enough to have a machine with a wool cycle on it, use it, it's not off limits. The only thing that can happen is not checking the cycle and having the machine on too high and over agitating it causing shrinkage.
Get a large mesh washing bag and put the jumper inside then zip it up and place it in the washing machine.
You can do a few jumpers if you have more than one mesh washing bag and a large machine.
Use 15mls of our euco liquid laundry detergent for front load machines even if their is more than 1 jumper in it and 20 - 30mls of our radiata eucalyptus oil in the fabric softener part of the machine.
For a top load machine use 30mls of our euco liquid laundry detergent and the same amount of euco oil at the end.
Select the delicate or wool cycle on the machine and make sure the water temperature is cold and the spin cycle is on low.
Once the machine has stopped, take the jumpers out of the machine and mesh bags promptly, this will reduce creasing.
Lay them out on a drying rack same as above.
Next week we will cover our last part, Part 3, we'll be in the final leg of our end of winter clean n store. We will be protecting again and finally packing away those winter warmers that you have selected to go another year.
