Wool is the most forgiving fibre we work with. It resists odours, sheds dirt and recovers its shape overnight — which is why the best thing you can do for a good sweater is to wash it as rarely as possible.
Air it first
After a day's wear, hang your sweater over a chair back near an open window. Most smells are gone by morning. Brush it gently with a soft clothes brush, working downwards, to lift dust and keep the surface neat.
When it does need a wash
Use cold water and a wool detergent, never ordinary washing powder: its enzymes digest wool the way they digest stains. Press the sweater gently in the water — no rubbing, no wringing — and leave it for ten minutes. Rinse in water of the same temperature; a sudden change is what shrinks wool.
Many machines now have a wool cycle that is gentler than most hands. If yours does, use it, at 30°C at most and with the spin turned low.
Dry it flat
Roll the sweater in a towel to press out the water, then lay it flat on a dry towel and ease it back into shape. Keep it away from radiators and direct sun.
Store it for summer
Moths are drawn to the traces of skin and food on worn wool, so store sweaters clean. Fold them into a drawer or a breathable cotton bag with cedar blocks or lavender, and take them out to air once or twice over the summer.
