How to wash a merino wool garment:
Whether it is a T-shirt, sweatshirt, sports bra, tights, briefs or leggings, buff, hat or even gloves, all the trekker's clothes can be made of wool. This is why the washing should remain easy: no need to do it by hand or with a special washing product!
What are the steps to washing a merino wool product?
- Turn the woolen clothes inside out and put them in the machine.
- Use your usual washing product, preferably a liquid product.
- Start a normal wash cycle at 86°C.
How to dry merino wool
Do not put it in tumble dryer, whatever the situation. This could shrink the garment: a quick air dry is the best option.
What's more, you can skip your ironing duties because, in the long run, it damages the fibers.
How can I prevent holes from appearing in my garment?
Let’s be honest, your merino wool product can get caught in a branch, but those are the risks of getting out into the countryside. Wool is a little more delicate than synthetic textiles or cotton, but its advantages are such that we quickly forget this. This is also why we have developed products that are reinforced by adding a polyamide fiber which covers the wool.
But overall, when we think of wool, we think... moths! Damaging your clothes on the trails is one of the risks of trekking, but it's always frustrating to bring out your things to find holes, when they had been properly folded away in a closet.
What can you do if your woolen clothes have fallen victim to moths?
You have to act quickly to get rid of the remaining larvae, then you can move on to the next section: how to repair the snags in my merino clothes.
Here are some tips for getting rid of moths:
- Take all your clothes out of the closets and vacuum everything! And I mean, everywhere: what about the grooves in the doors or any cracks? There may be larvae and eggs hidden in there.
- Lay out all your clothes in the sun and the fresh air.
- Wash all the clothing. You can vacuum it (now that the vacuum cleaner is out) before putting it in the machine.
- Once washed, put it all way, ideally in airtight containers or in your closet, with some cedar wood and dried lavender.
And of course, if there are some holes, it's time to learn how to darn the wool (or give your clothes to an experienced seamstress).
How to repair my merino wool product
Your merino wool garment has a hole and you want to fix it rather than throw it away. To start, well done! We will try to help you with a few key tips. However, please note: if the fabric has big tears or if the holes are caused by wear (threadbare fabric = you can easily see through it), the repairs suggested here may not work...
To repair a hole in a merino wool sweater, here are a few suggestions:
- You've snagged the sweater: a thread of the product has been pulled and it is sticking out. Above all, resist your first impulse, which is to cut the thread. If you cut it, you are going to get a hole. Take a needle to thread it back inside.
- You have a hole with a few dropped knit stitches (a bit like a hole made by a moth): you can opt to darn your garment or, depending on the location of the hole, why not take the opportunity to embellish it with a pretty sewn patch? It will add some personality to your outfit and you will like it even more because you made it yourself (or not, we won't judge). One thing is for certain, you can make it last longer and that's really cool!
Darning the wool:
- Use a sewing needle and a thread whose color matches that of the garment.
- Take a reasonable amount of thread: between 30 and 40 cm (11'' to 15'').
- Pass the thread through the needle and tie a knot at one end.
- Start sewing from the inside to the outside, so that the knot of the thread is on the inside the garment.
- Create a weft, from top to bottom, without drawing the edges of the hole too close together.
- When the hole is covered, change direction (from right to left) by making the change of direction from the inside of the garment to avoid it being too visible.
- Tie the final knot on the inside when you are happy with the result.
Patching the wool:
- Follow the inscriptions on the patch packaging, especially for the pressing time.
- Put a clean towel on the garment to protect it from the heat of the iron.
- Press the iron on the cloth under which the patch is located, on each side of the garment.
- If you want to make sure the patch is secure, you can also sew it without going into too much detail.
