Latest / More Organised Less Clutter / 251. 5 Laundry Hacks for Washing Wool clothing
Transcript
- Narelle King: Welcome to More Organized Less Clutter, a podcast to empower individuals and neurodivergent families with practical, realistic tools to create a more organized, sensory-friendly, clutter-free, and intentional home that works with your lifestyle and brain, not against it. I'm Norelle King, a professional organizer and neurodivergent mum who understands the unique challenges of family life. I help people just like you simplify your space. Build sustainable organizational systems and create more breathing room physically and mentally. Every fortnight you'll hear solo episodes and guest conversations filled with practical strategies on decluttering, home organization, routines for neurodivergent families, mindful living, and how to build a home that feels safe, calm, and functional. You'll walk away with actionable takeaways you can implement even if you only have 10 minutes to spare. Have you ever shrunk a knit jumper in the wash, or been scared to wash wool at all, or wondered how often you really need to wash your knits? In today's episode of More Organized, Less Clutter, I'm going to walk you through a handful of simple wool care and cleaning hacks that protect delicate fibres and help your favourite knits last for years, not just one season. Let's jump into this More Organised Less Clutter episode. Thanks for joining me for today's solo episode where I'm going to be sharing simple wool care and cleaning hacks for your knits so that you can care for your wool and it lasts longer and it also looks better. I have five hacks that I'm going to share because wool is expensive. We want to be able to preserve it and it's going to last a long time if we look after it. So, number one hack is the unshrink trick. So You've pulled your wool jumper out of the wash and it looks like it belongs to one of your kids. Before you panic though, we it's not ruined. We can fix this. I have a little trick that you can use to like relax the fibers and gently stretch it back towards its original size. So how do we do this? Step one is you need to fill a sink or a bucket with lukewarm water. So it's it's not more than sort of 20 degrees. Then you're going to add two tablespoons of hair conditioner or baby shampoo. And this just helps to soften and relax the natural wool fibers. Number three, you're going to submerge the jumper fully and let it soak for about 30 minutes. No longer though. And then number four is when the 20 minutes is up, you're going to gently lift it out. You're not going to bring it, you're going to use The burrito method. I'm going to go through the burrito method in hack three. So you're going to use this using a towel, so you're not going to stretch it out of shape. Then number six, you're going to lay the jumper flat on a towel and gently stretch it back towards its original size and shape. And just focus on the length of the body and the sleeves are probably the main bits that have actually shrunk on you. And then Let it to air dry flat, not in direct sun. Now, this isn't a magic wand and it won't fit really extreme ⁓ shrinkage, but lots of cases it's turned a ruined jumper into something that you're able to wear again. And that's the main point. Hack two is a salad spinner drying trick. So for your small woolens like maybe hats or gloves, socks. baby knits as well. Now with these small knits, wringing the wool is actually the fastest way to ruin the shape. So by putting it in a small salad spinner, you're going to actually stop from stretching it. So you're going to hand wash your small woolen items in the gentle delicate wool wash and then you're going to just gently squeeze out the worst of the water but no twisting. Then you're going to put it into your clean salad spinner and give it a good spin, just like you would your salad leaves, which are quite delicate too. And the spinner will force out the excess water without pulling, wringing, or stretching the actual wool fibers. The benefit of using the salad spinner is that the wool is damp and not dripping, and the pieces that dry, that means the pieces are going to dry much faster. And they're going to keep their shape rather than turning into something weird and an unusual saggy shape. It's such a simple hack, but once you try it, you're never going to go back. Now, hack three is the tau burrito for bigger knits. So if you have a wool jumper, knit, cardigan, long scarf even that won't fit in a solid spinner, this is next your this is your next best way of. wring out the excess water from your knits. It's a real gentle way to get rid of that water and it's not going to damage the wool. So how do we do it? We lay a clean, dry bath towel flat on a surface. You place the wet woolen jumper on top of the towel and spread it out flat. And then you start with one end and you roll the towel up tightly with the jumper inside. Like you're making a burrito. And once it's rolled, then you gently press along the roll with your hands, maybe your forearms. You're not twisting and you're not pressing to encourage the towel to absorb the water. You're just pressing down. And then you unroll the towel and your jumper should now be just damp rather than soaking wet. And you're able to then lay it down flat on a towel or a drying rack. And maybe just reshape it a little bit before you leave it and leave it to air dry and not in direct sun. Now the benefits of using this burrito method with a towel is it protects the fibers and it again it's also gonna help your wool dry faster because you've taken all the excess water out of it and it's gonna stop being really heavy, which then that can also shape, that can also stretch the wool out of shape when it's on a hangout. Number four is the no wash steam refresh. One of the best things about wool is that it's natural, antimicrobial, and it's odor resistant. Wool doesn't need to be washed nearly as often as other fabrics. So if your wool jumper doesn't actually need a wash, it doesn't have a stain or a mark, then it just might need a refresh. So try this no wash steam hack. Hang it somewhere where it won't get splashed. But it will get plenty of the steam and leave it there during your shower and for a little bit afterwards while the room is still steamy. The warm steam will relax wrinkles and also refresh the fibers and lift light odors. So this is great for expanding the lifespan of your wool. Also, it's better for the environment when we're not washing all that often, and it also saves you time. money and energy because you're not having to wash items. Hack number five is to use a wool and delicate wash. And this is also at the right temperature. So when you do need to wash wool, the way you wash it really does matter. Wool fibers, as we've said earlier, are delicate and using the wrong product or temperature is usually where the things go wrong and that's when we might see it shrink. So choosing the right detergent, use like a wool or a delicate wash That's specially designed to clean gently without stripping or damaging the wool fibers. Most wools are best hand washed and in cold or lukewarm water, so around 20 to 30 degrees. Most silks are safest though in cold water. So if it's too hot, then you're going to risk it being shrunk. It's also gonna felt, which is when the fibers stick together and it goes really rough. If the water is too hot, this is when you risk it shrinking or felting. And this is when the fibers stick together and it goes all rough. And maybe even losing the softness and the really beautiful feel of the fabric. But some of these knits might have a composition with another fibre in it. So make sure you always check the care label and follow what it says for that specific piece. For wool garments that are labeled as mis machine washable. or superwash wool, they can cope with the gentle machine cycles. Others really just prefer to be hand gently hand washed. And when you combined the right product, the right temperature and the right drying method, you'll actually reduce your chances of disasters with your knits. So let's just recap those wool care and cleaning hacks. One, the unshrunk hack, which is using conditioner or baby shampoo, To wash your knits. Number two was the salad spinning drying trick for really small woolens. Number three is the burrito towel, and this is for bigger knits, and this is to get the excess water off it. Number four was the no wash steam refresh. And this is in between washes and also when you don't really have ⁓ stains or anything like that, and you just need to refresh it. And number five, Is making sure you use proper wool and delicate wash at the right temperature, which is never more than 20 degrees. And if in doubt, just check the garments care label. I hope by sharing these simple practical tips, I've helped you with feeling a little bit more confident caring for your woolen pieces so that you keep your favorite knits more than one season and your scarves looking beautiful for longer. And if you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend who loves their woolen jumpers, but maybe doesn't know quite how to look after it. Thanks so much for listening to More Organised Less Clutter. Do you have nothing to wear but a wardrobe full of clothes? Imagine mornings when you jump up, choose outfits that reflect your best self. A comprehensive guide walks you through each step to help you create a wardrobe that's both functional, organized, and full of clothes you love. Head to simply happy.com.au to the resources tab to get instant access today. I'd like to acknowledge the Wotherong people of the Kulin Nation on which this podcast is recorded as the traditional custodians of the land. I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.