Wool Care Guide
Natural, Renewable and Biodegradable
Wool is 100% natural, 100% renewable and 100% biodegradable. Wool, by nature, is a circular fibre. Synthetic fibres are made from fossil fuels, so we only use them when they are essential.
Wool is 100% biodegradable so does not contribute to microplastic pollution in our oceans or on our land.
Finer than human hair, Merino wool can be softer than cashmere and is gentle on even the most sensitive skin. We use a lambswool merino which is the first sheering giving a really soft and supple yarn. Spun in Yorkshire by a family firm, the largest employer in the region.
Care
Wool garments need less laundering, reducing energy and water consumption as well as maintaining the garment’s ‘as-new’ appearance. A wool sweater can be worn 14 times before washing. Increasing its number of wears to 400 across its entire lifespan can reduce the environmental impact of that garment by up to 68%. Source:Woolmark
You can find all of our Knit Care products here
Airing
If you have no stains on your garment airing works well. I lay my knits flat on a clothes airer and leave outside on a nice day. You could pop them also on a supportive hanger for an hour or so on the line, do not leave them longer or the yarns can stretch. You could also use our refresh, soften and protect spray which you can find here
Washing
If you do need to wash, we advise handwashing in a cool water, tepid at best. You should use a wool detergent such as our Eco Wash which you can find here.
- Wash your garment inside out.
- Fill a sink with lukewarm water, add a wool detergent. Swirl it around to mix it into the water.
- Soak for 10 mins, gentle agitation if required is ok. No rubbing!
- Rinse with luke warm water
- Finally rinse cold
- Do not wring the garment. Gently squeeze the moisture and transfer to a clean bath towel laid flat on a table.
I demonstrated this on my Instagram account and you can see that here.
Also here, and here are 2 more instructional clips.
Drying
Use the towel to swiss roll the sweater! Gently squeeze out the moisture.
Finally place on a fresh towel, reshaping whilst damp on the table and allow to dry away from direct sunlight. Here is a video to show you some more tips.
Storing
Store folded in a drawer or on a shelf. Do not hang as this will damage the wool fibres over time. You can use cedar balls, lavender bags or other products to deter moths.
Piling
Not a fault, but the result of friction and the natural of soft luxury yarns. The more loosely spun a yarn, the more luxurious it tends to be, which allows fibres more opportunity for friction and in turn, pilling. Be mindful of bag straps across your knitwear. Use a pilling comb or debobbler to remove pills now and again, after you wash the item. To purchase a Black & Beech pilling comb click here
Here is a link to an electric debobbler this one and here is a another instructional video.
Repairing
We will provide you any yarn your need and spare buttons etc if you need to replace, just email us hello@blackandbeech.com
You can opt to learn to simply mend small holes if you do get some. Moths can be inevitable pests over the years.
Resting
Rest wool garments for 24 hours before wearing again. This gives the natural resilience and spring in the wool fibre time to recover and return to its original shape.
Long-term storage
Since food stains and body oils attract moths, you should ensure your wool garment is clean before packing it away in airtight bags or containers. Ideally use a moth repellent but do not place directly on the garment. You can purchase our natural moth repellent bags here
I hope that you’ve found this helpful, and we appreciate your investment in these luxurious beautiful products.
