# Can I hand wash a wool sweater? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311 "2006-08-19T03:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/1 "2006-08-19T03:14:13Z")
Label says no. Dopers say…? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/2 "2006-08-19T03:17:32Z")
100% wool? You should be able to hand wash gently in cold water with Woolite or some other very mild detergent. If it’s some sort of blend or an article of clothing with “sparkle” (usually some kind of mylar) in it, I’d go with the label instructions. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/3 "2006-08-19T03:19:56Z")
100% wool. I’m just worried that it will shrink. But if the water is cold I should be OK, right? (How can I be 33 and not know this?) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/4 "2006-08-19T03:21:44Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > 100% wool. > > I’m just worried that it will shrink. But if the water is cold I should be OK, right? (How can I be 33 and not know this?) Cold water and _gently_. Heat will “shock” the fibers and speed up the (in this case, unwanted) felting process, but even without heat rough handling will cause some fulling. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/5 "2006-08-19T03:23:07Z")
Cool. I’ll be as gentle as a little bunny. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/6 "2006-08-19T03:23:54Z")
And dry by rolling it up in a towel and then unrolling it and laying it out (sans towel) somewhere flat and preferably open (top of a net laundry basket/in a hammock/etc) and letting it air dry the rest of the way. Don’t wring the piece. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/7 "2006-08-19T03:25:32Z")
Hee…I only started felting knit pieces after I’d learned to wash them the right way. It’s HARD to overcome that “gentle” habit and slap the things around a little when you want it to felt… ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/8 "2006-08-19T03:26:01Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Label says no. > > Dopers say…? Does it say “Do Not Hand Wash” or “Dry Clean Only”? If it says “Do Not Hand Wash,” that scares me and I don’t hand wash. If it says “Dry Clean Only” I assume there is some sort of garment industry/dry cleaning conspiracy to get me to part with more of my money\*and will hand wash in cold water with Woolite. Don’t let it soak. Gently wash, and then carefully shape to dry flat. [sub]\*I am mostly kidding[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/9 "2006-08-19T03:28:10Z")
“Dry Clean Only” - I’m the same as you **delphica** - I assume that the manufacturs are in cahoots with the drycleaners. My rotten little weasel dog wizzed on the sweater, and I won’t be able to take it to the cleaners until next week, and that’s just plain gross. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/10 "2006-08-19T03:31:17Z")
Actually, [this](http://www.anthropologie.com/jump.jsp?itemID=12489&itemType=PRODUCT&iSubCat=266&iMainCat=11) is the sweater. Isn’t it groovy? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/11 "2006-08-19T03:41:51Z")
Ok, it’s dripping dry on my drying rack, which hasn’t been out of my laundry room since I bought the place 8 years ago. There were a couple of little balls under the arm pits so I just picked them off. I assume that’s what you meant by “felting”, right **jayjay**? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/12 "2006-08-19T03:48:50Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Ok, it’s dripping dry on my drying rack, which hasn’t been out of my laundry room since I bought the place 8 years ago. > > There were a couple of little balls under the arm pits so I just picked them off. > > I assume that’s what you meant by “felting”, right **jayjay**? That’s actually what folk in the fiber hobbies call “pilling”. It’s kind of a micro-version of felting. Actual felting involves large areas of the piece, and (notwithstanding horrible miscalculations in the handling of the piece) is sometimes done on purpose for particular effects (see the felted bags on [this page](http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/patterns%20for%20sale.html)). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/13 "2006-08-19T03:49:52Z")
Oh, and the pilling you picked off was probably accumulated through normal wear, especially in a potentially soggy spot that sees a lot of rubbing in everyday use, like the armpit. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/14 "2006-08-19T03:53:49Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > (see the felted bags on [this page](http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/patterns%20for%20sale.html)). Oooo - they’re so pretty! Curse you **jayjay**! Curse you straight to heck! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hand-wash-a-wool-sweater/369311/15 "2006-08-19T03:56:06Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Oooo - they’re so pretty! > > Curse you **jayjay**! Curse you straight to heck! Hehehe…\Excellent…\ I actually made a variant of the striped bag about halfway down the page for my mom for her birthday last year. I don’t have any finished or felted pics of it, though. ☹