What Is Machine Washable Wool?

During cold winters, wool is undoubtedly one of the most functional fabrics for warmth. Many ladies desire a warm wool coat but are hesitant due to the complexities of caring for it. While wool offers excellent warmth retention, it also tends to shrink and shed easily. Therefore, wool garments generally require meticulous care.

However, the advent of machine washable wool has saved people a lot of trouble. You no longer need to dry clean or hand wash, but can just throw the clothes made of machine washable wool into the washing machine. So if you love the warmth and feel of wool but at the same time lack the time and energy to care for wool garments, then coats, skirts and pants made of machine washable wool will be a very good choice. If you’re curious about why machine washable wool can be machine washed, what other unique properties it has, and what you need to pay attention to when caring for it, then keep reading!

The Production Process of Machine Washable Wool

Why can machine washable wool be machine washed? This is largely due to its production process. By modifying the wool fiber structure through physical, chemical, or biological processes, the shrinkage and pilling issues of traditional wool products are solved. In general, the production process of machine washable wool can be divided into seven steps:

First, higher standards are required when selecting raw materials. Prioritize wool with uniform fineness and high quality, and reject inferior wool with high impurities and broken fibers. This is because wool with a more regular fiber structure is easier to process for shrinkage resistance. After that, it is necessary to remove grease, dust and sweat stains on the surface of the wool through mechanical stirring and with neutral detergent. During this process, the water temperature needs to be controlled at around 30 degrees Celsius to avoid damaging the natural structure of the wool fiber.

Then a carding machine is needed to break up and straighten the cleaned wool fibers, making the fiber structure more uniform after carding. The carded wool is then ready to be spun into yarn.

Now we come to the most core part of anti-shrinkage. This is the most critical step in determining whether wool can be machine washed. The main reason why ordinary wool shrinks during machine washing is that the scales on the surface of the wool fiber connect with each other when exposed to water, causing shrinkage. Therefore, the core of shrinkage-resistant treatment is to destroy or modify the scale layer on the surface of wool fibers. Currently, there are three main shrink-proofing methods. The most commonly used is chemical shrink-proofing, which slightly corrode the tips of the wool scales with chlorine-containing reagent, smoothing the edges and reducing friction and inter-fiber entanglement. Alternatively, oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide and potassium persulfate can be used instead of chlorine-containing reagents to soften the scale layer through oxidation. Using enzymes for shrink-proofing is a more environmentally sustainable approach. This process uses proteases to specifically break down the protein components in the wool scales, gently removing the scale tips and achieving shrink-proofing. This process leaves no chemical residue and minimizes fiber damage. Finally, physical shrink-proofing involves mechanically rubbing the wool surface with sandpaper or special abrasives to smooth the scale tips and enhance the shrink-proofing effect.

The shrink-proof wool yarn can now be woven into fabric. To further enhance the fabric's wrinkle resistance, high-temperature pressing or steam setting can be used to stabilize the fabric's dimensions and reduce shrinkage during subsequent washings. To restore the wool's soft feel, the fabric can be washed again to remove impurities and residual chemicals from the weaving process, and softener can be added.

Advantages of Machine Washable Wool

The biggest feature and advantage of machine washable wool is of course that it can be washed in a washing machine with water, which can save time and energy to a great extent. However, the advantages of machine washable wool are of course far more than that.

First, in terms of touch, machine washable wool is often softer and more skin-friendly than regular wool. This is because regular wool may have rougher scales that may cause discomfort to those with sensitive skin, while machine washable wool has its scale tips smoothed during the shrink-proofing process, making the fiber surface smoother and softer to the touch, reducing skin irritation and making it suitable for more people.

Secondly, compared to ordinary wool, which is prone to pilling and looking old, machine washable wool is less prone to pilling, can maintain its cleanliness over time, and is more durable. This is because machine washable wool is often produced with an anti-pilling finishing process, which reduces the chance of the fibers falling off and pilling due to friction.

The nature of machine washable wool also allows it to be worn in a wider range of scenarios and more seasons. Ordinary wool clothing, often considered formal due to its cumbersome care, is hard to integrate into everyday wear. Machine washable wool is just on the contrary. Whether commuting, relaxing, or enjoying light outdoor activities, it can be worn and washed at your favorite frequency, eliminating the need for meticulous maintenance. Furthermore, its easy-care nature reduces the need for seasonal storage, allowing some thin, machine washable wool garments to be readily available in the wardrobe throughout spring, autumn, and winter.

How to Care Machine Washable Wool?

Although caring for machine washable wool is much easier than caring for regular wool, it doesn't mean you can just throw your machine washable wool garments into the washing machine and forget about it. In fact, there are some precautions when caring for machine washable wool.

First of all, you need to carefully read the instructions on the product label before washing, such as whether there are special requirements for the water temperature for washing, whether the gentle mode is needed, and whether you can use bleach.

During the washing process, even if the product label does not explicitly require the gentle mode, it is recommended that you use the gentle or wool mode on the washing machine first. These modes have lower speed and gentler water flow, which can reduce friction and pilling on the fabric. In addition, it is best to use a detergent specifically for wool. Ordinary laundry detergents are often alkaline, which can damage the protein structure of wool fibers, causing the fabric to become stiff and fade. Wool-specific detergents are neutral or slightly acidic and contain wool-protecting ingredients to better preserve the fiber's suppleness. The water temperature should be kept below 30°C, as high temperatures can cause wool fibers to shrink. Even for machine washable wool, high temperatures can cause excessive shrinkage. We recommend washing directly in cold water.

During the drying process, natural drying is a more recommended method. Even for machine washable wool, high-temperature drying can cause the fibers to shrink excessively, stiffen, and even deform. After washing, avoid wringing the wwol garments. Instead, gently press to squeeze out the moisture. Lay the garments flat on a clothesline or clean flat rack, stretch it to its original size, and let it air dry in the shade. Avoid drying under direct sunlight, as it can fade the fabric, age and brittle the fibers. Hanging the garment to dry is not permitted, as gravity can cause the garment to stretch and deform the shoulders.

Since they are not easy to wrinkle, most machine washable wool clothes do not need frequent ironing. If ironing is required, be sure to use the low temperature setting, that is, the temperature needs to be controlled below 110℃. Even machine washable wool that resists pilling may still pill locally after long-term wear and friction. You need to use a special wool pill remover to remove it. Avoid cutting it directly with scissors or tearing it by hand.

Before storing machine washable wool clothing, make sure it's completely dry to prevent odors and mold. Add moisture-proofing and insect repellent among clothes while storing. If the clothes are accidentally shrunk slightly due to high temperature or violent washing, you can gently stretch them to their original size when they are half dry and lay them flat to dry and set.