Does Merino wool HAVE to be dry-cleaned?!? (Or hand-washed?)

[YoureBreakingMyHeartCecilia]

I have always successfully washed eg Uniqlo merino sweaters on the wool cycle on my machine; 20 degrees, 400 spin, in a laundry bag for extra protection. Flat dry.

I’ve seen a pricier merino wool dress that I LOVE the look of, it says dry clean only. As it’s more expensive than my Uniqlo stuff I don’t want to buy something I can’t wash for fear of ruining it!!

But I’ve really never had a problem (v carefully) machine washing pure wool.

I avoid hand washing too btw as I am CRAP at it (and maybe I’m extra pongy or something but I can never get stuff feeling properly fresh from hand washing 😳)

Should I risk it?

I wash mine in a wool cycle in the machine but I have had a cardigan in the past that shrunk to a size of a child’s cardigan even on a wool wash.

Ah thank you Snark… it’s obv a risk!!

The dress is by Cos if that’s useful info? Not bought wool from them before so don’t know how it washes. Always been happy washing their other fabrics.

Wool cycle in machine.

I thought the beauty of merino wool was that it was easily washed? I've always washed mine, but that's that the label says to do.

It frustrates me when manufacturers say dry clean only, seemingly just to protect themselves. I mean why does a polyester dress need dry cleaning?

My Seasalt merino jumper went very bobbly and matted after washing in the machine on a wool wash so I now hand wash it.

I never wash wool, only dry clean,
Cashmere I wash by hand , no issues .

If it's lined I would not risk anything but dry-cleaning. If unlined, I'd be nervous about a dress. Too much risk of the shape never being the same again. I think I'd judge based on how heavy the material was. You can get some amazingly thin/lightweight merino garments that simply do not stand up to the most careful machine or even hand washing . I speak from bitter experience.

I never can get my head around the concept of dry cleaning being better for certain garments. It’s literally a huge ‘washing’ machine filled with chemicals that replace the detergent. And the crap that gets scraped out of it….

CoS stick dry clean labels on an awful lot of their stuff. I actually try to keep my washing of wool to an absolute minimum. I spot clean and air outside and now and again fold them in a sealed bag inside the freezer for 24 hours. If I am absolutely forced to wash it, I do it inside out in a large mesh bag, wool specific detergent on a 20 degree wool wash. For something weighty like a dress I’d roll in a towel till nearly dry then finish off flat as possible. But after a couple of horrific allergic reactions to chemical finishes, I just never use dry cleaners these days. I’ve even washed real leather trousers with success.

Great tips cherries thank you!!
Thanks all!
I love the dress so much I might risk it. It’s a pretty loose, shapeless t shirt style so I’m not too worried about it losing shape (typical Cos, it has almost no shape to start with 😆)

I wash all of my COS wool clothes in the wool cycle and have never had a problem. Their labels used to say hand wash but then changed, presumably to avoid people trying to return things?

Nah, I think wool wash should be fine...but please don't sue me if that turns out to be terrible advice

Just for interest it’s this one

www.cosstores.com/en_gbp/women/womenswear/dresses/product.oversized-fit-wool-t-shirt-dress-grey.0996204004.html

Not everyone’s taste I know but I love this sort of thing.

So unlined and not too delicate and pretty shapeless!

I think I’m going to risk it!

If your machine has a cold setting, any wool should be safe with that. If you hand wash, try using a mild shampoo rather than a detergent - will dissolve better and scent your clothes nicely, and leave them in good condition. And rinse very thoroughly in cold or cool water followed by a short spin.

To add to cherries very good advice, wool does not like temperature shocks, so keep washing water and rinsing water at the same sort of temp (cool or cold). Agitation encourages the wool fibres to clump and felt, so, if hand washing, just pat the garment gently with the flat of your hand. Sqeezing/wringing/rubbing distorts shape (which is why cherries mesh bag is such a good idea).

It’s not only temperature that can results in misshapen/ shrunken clothes it’s the water itself because of the effect on the fibres.
If you look at the cos website they have other merino items that say machine washable so I would be wary as they’re not putting it on as a blanket warning. You can get dry cleaning tumble dryer sheets to freshen up and then take it in less frequently for a proper clean. I don’t think this is an easy care everyday dress though. At £89 i would probably stay clear personally. If it was cheaper I’d take a chance

[quote BabbleBee]I never can get my head around the concept of dry cleaning being better for certain garments. It’s literally a huge ‘washing’ machine filled with chemicals that replace the detergent. And the crap that gets scraped out of it….

Yes, agitation plus heat will felt wool, hence the shrinkage. Most good quality wool/cashmere does not need to be washed all that often as it’s self cleaning. Air carefully between wears and you shouldn’t need to wash things that often unless you spill something on them, of course!

I would think dry cleaning was more for tailored wool garments with linings etc. A knit should be hand washable wth a wool detergent but that takes a bit of care to dry flat and reshape, I expect they think nobody can do this so stick an idiot proof dry clean label on. Makes a joke of the environment responsible bit.

Sqeezing/wringing/rubbing distorts shape (which is why cherries mesh bag is such a good idea).

So how do you dry it? After a hand-wash, the clothes are dripping wet, or do we hand-wash differently? My wool didn't survive the tumble dryer so i would only dry it naturally but how do you get it dry enough to hang without flooding the floor

What PP means is don't fiercely squeeze and scrub your garment within an inch of its life.
With my handknits, I wash in lukewarm water, one lukewarm rinse then squeeze the worst of the water out without twisting/ stretching. Then lay out in a bath towel, fold over and loosely roll up. You can then squeeze the towel quite hard, your garment will be damp when it comes out. You can then put it on an airer to dry flat.

It's like washing your hair, rewards a little care.

Honestly we live in merino in the winter and all of it goes in regular wash just fine.

That's an excellent tip about squeezing out woolens in a towel. Thank you.

I tend to handwash woollens at the same time as a dark wash in my washing machine. When the cycle has finished I add the woollen to the drum and give it another spin.

Should add I only ever wash using cold water, use minimum washing powder, and would never put wool in dryer omg it will definitely shrink.

The Cos dress looks like some weird felted kind of fabric so it might well be less washable than the usual kind of merino wool garment. They usually have a fine smooth knit which is quite stable but merino is just the breed of sheep, the wool can be spun or treated in different ways.