Dry cleaning Merino wool

[rosiebl]

My DH has bought a very expensive merino wool jumper. It requires cleaning after he foolishly wore it on a night out with friends (beer spillage). The tag tells me that it's dry clean only. I took it to Timpsons dry cleaner who told me that because of the brand (Canada goose) they would need me to sign a waiver that if they damage it, they are not liable! I did not leave it there but I'm now stuck. Canada Goose customer services are not providing any assistance (a single dry cleaners in London can do it but I live hundreds of miles away).
Talk to me about how you clean merino wool. Label has a P in a circle if that's relevant.

Sorry it's an F in a circle!

I have a few merino jumpers - Gap not Canada Goose! - all happily go in the machine!
Though I understand why you might not want to risk it.

Hand wash it will wool safe detergent

Cold water, don’t agitate it much. Then gentle roll in a towel and press down to help dry it. Dry flat on another towel or g DH flat across several bars on a clothes horse.

This might help OP. People who handknit clothing wash it very carefully. The wool can be very expensive and then you spend hours knitting it. www.woolandthegang.com/blog/2015/01/how-to-wash-your-wool

Your husband can hand wash it. Don't know why it's your problem...

@Solidaritea

Your husband can hand wash it. Don't know why it's your problem...

Maybe her DH isn't on MN and OP is trying to help him. Some couples do that you know.

I use the wool wash in my machine for merino. DH has a ton of merino jumpers and they all go in the wash.

@Solidaritea I do all the washing in our house, for DH, and DC. I collect, wash, dry and put it away without any help. Its OK to do the washing for other people!
DH earns the money. Swings and roundabouts.

The P just tells the dry cleaner which chemical to use.
Personally I would hand wash it, (or more than likely use the wool setting on my machine). Just be very gentle and don’t agitate it too much. After you’ve gently squeezed excess liquid out you can lay it on a towel and roll it to help dry. I put small hand knit things in my salad spinner to dry them a bit but a man’s jumper probably won’t fit!

Dry it flat on an airer not on a radiator

We wear a lot of wool in our house - live in the North Pennines so it's cold and wet and we spend most of our time outdoors. Wool is so much better than anything else at keeping you warm especially when wet.

I put all wool clothing in the machine on a handwash cycle no more than 30° and slowest spin available) because machine doesn't have a wool setting.

The things that ruin wool when it's being washed are temperature changes in the water (think hot to cold and vice verse) and agitation. If you pick a wash setting which minimises these you should be fine.

I wash my merino wool at 30 degrees

I accidentally washed my DHs merino wool jumper in a 40° degree wash, it became a bit more snug fitting.
Then I accidentally washed it in a 50° wash. It now fits me but is like crop top on DH!
I bought him a new one for Xmas!

Thanks for all the info all. I'll send my DH a link to this thread and see what he thinks about throwing it in the machine on hand wash/wool setting.
For those wondering why I'm Cinderella, DH doesn't have a MN account, he's working offshore at the mo, and I am laundry chief in this house anyways. He's a wonderful DH and does many house jobs when at home, but he's horrendous at laundry!

I would hand wash - then spin on wool cycle - dry flat or on a padded hanger

The knitwear section of this link may be useful
Cleaning instrctions

I do merino, mohair, cashmere, alpaca, and lambs wool in the machine on the wool cycle. Tough wood I have never come a cropper yet!

(I also do all the laundry in this house. DP does loads of other stuff, it all evens out.)

I handknit socks out of all different kinds of wool, plenty of merino ones over the years.they all go in the machine on a handwash cycle, lowest spin setting with non bio detergent, very occasionally I have a tiny bit of shrinkage but thats generally not been with merino

I accidentally felted some merino wool in the machine on 30 degrees which wash (not superwash) so just be sure your happy with your decision. It seems my mistake ear the wrong setting from reading here. I'm thankful I didn't test it out on the cardigan I spent 4 weeks crocheting 🤯

Quick wash

Mistake was

Sorry typos

I have lots of merino garments, and they all go in the washing machine!

Dry clean merino wool? Good heavens, how silly! The clothing brand has said dry clean to deter returns if people wash and accidentally shrink their products. You can absolutely wash wool, though best not to very often unless you’ve spilled beer on it. Just air your woollens between wears and all will be well. For something with a spillage, gently hand wash in warm water and a wool wash detergent. Gently squeeze the fabric to avoid felting it, rinse in cold water and give it a short spin. Dry flat. Do not ever peg out on a line, especially wet - that will not end well. If your machine has a cold/hand wash setting on it, you can safely use that.

Wool is hair. Basically you need to wash it as if it was your hair.

Just-warm water with some liquid wool wash. Soak a little/squeeze but don't scrub.
2 x rinses in just-warm water with a drop of fabric conditioner.

Lay the jumper flat on half a bath towel, then fold the towel over and roll it up - you can then give the bundle a firm squeeze which will take out most of the water.

Then lay the damp jumper oven an airer in a warm place and it should dry overnight.

*over an airer

Most wool/cashmere jumpers will go in a gentle/"handwash" machine cycle fine. Generally the looser/fluffier/more handknit-like, the more likely they are to need an actual hand wash. If it was a £300 jumper I might invest ten minutes hand washing it.