What is it about washing a machine that ruins woollens?

[janek]

I have washed dd2's woollen gloves on a wool wash before with no problems. Today she was sick on her coat, so i put it in the washing machine (on a synthetic wash) and only once it was in there did i remember that the gloves were in the pocket!

Needless to say, they came out looking like dolls gloves. What causes this? Is it the spin? The temperature? What? Please solve this mystery for me!

It's the temperature

So if i'd put the coat in at 30 as i usually do rather than 40 as i did then the gloves may have survived?

Interesting. Thank you!