How to clean your textiles

How to wash wool?

Machine wash is possible depending on care labels but always with extreme attention to high temperature, spin cycle too fast, overloaded machine etc. Dry cleaning may be another possibility but always check your care label.

Generally, you may follow these cleaning instructions for woollen jumpers:

• Hand wash in lukewarm or cold water, do not exceed 40° as warmth increases felting;
• Wash separately bright and dark colours to prevent any accidental dyeing;
• Use specific washing detergent with materials of animal origin (such as Mir Laine, Woolite, etc.) as other washing liquids may damage the fibre;
• Do not soak more than 10 minutes, do not rub;
• Rinse in cold water without adding softener;
• Do not wring but use a towel to absorb excess water;
• Dry flat and do not hang as wool can easily lose its shape.

Meaning of main cleaning logos

In the list below we specified all the cleaning logos that may be found on the items sold in store.

Soak your new woollen item in cold water for at least 12 hours, before any first wash.

This technique will suppress “primers” used for fabrication and fix colours. Soaking will prevent woollen item from shrinking.

Pre-soaking will protect bright colours for a long time.

Washing

• The tub logo indicates if your item may be machine-washed or hand-washed.
• Figures inscribed in the tub specify maximum washing temperature in Celsius degrees.
• A single bar under the tub advises smooth machine treatment and refers to specific washing programs for sensitive items. A double bar signals extra-sensitive items requiring extra-smooth washing programs such as woollen items.

Hand washing. Items to be hand washed. Water temperature: 30°C to maximum 40°C depending on items. Dissolve cleaner in a large quantity of water first. Soak items then stir gently. Do not rub, twist or wring. Rinse carefully, press to remove water then spread flat at desired shape. Quick wash coloured and sensitive items. Do not soak too long or pile up wet items.

Coloured items (up to 30°C): dark multi-coloured, polyester, cotton or mixed items. Use matching program.

Delicate items (up to 30°C): modal, viscose, polyacryl, polyester or polyamide. Reduce amount of laundry in the machine. Use matching program. Do not wring or wring very gently (crumpling might occur). Reduced frictions, normal rinse and reduced wringing.

Fragile items (up to 30°C): machine-resistant woollen items. Very smooth frictions. Reduce sharply amount of laundry. Use matching program.

Coloured items (up to 40°C): dark multi-coloured, cotton, polyester, mixed items. This program has normal frictions, rinse and wringing.

Delicate items (up to 40°C): modal, viscose, polyacryl, polyester or polyamide. Reduce amount of laundry. Use matching program. Limit pre-wash to dirty laundry. Do not wring or wring very gently (crumpling might occur). This program reduces frictions, rinses at a decreasing temperature, and reduces wringing.

Fragile items (up to 40°C): machine-resistant woollen items. Very smooth frictions. Reduce sharply amount of laundry to a third of normal amount. Use matching program.

Coloured items (up to 60°C): non high-heat resistant, cotton, modal, polyester and mixed coloured items.

Coloured items (up to 60°C): easy cleaning items. Reduce to 2 thirds amount of laundry. Use matching program.  Limit pre-wash to dirty laundry. Do not wring or wring very gently (crumpling might occur).

Boiling-resistant items (up to 95°C): cotton or linen items, white, dyed or colourfast. Fully load the machine. Use matching program after removing stubborn stains.

Boiling-resistant items (up to 95°C): delicat cycle. Easy cleaning laundry, resistant to high temperatures. Reduce amount of laundry. Use matching program. Use pre-wash in case of stains. Do not wring or wring very gently (crumpling might occur).

Do not wash. These items are not water-resistant. They might be sensitive to water or may not be machine-washed because of their size.

Bleaching

The logo triangle shows if item may or may not be bleached.

Chlorine bleach: empty triangle allows dissolved chlorine, cold or oxygen bleaching.

Oxygen bleaching: striped triangle enables only oxygen bleaching (included in universal detergent) and does not accept chlorine.

Do not bleach: crossed triangle prohibits bleaching. Use only bleaching-free detergents.

Drying

• A logo square refers to drying. A circle inside refers to use of dryer.
• Points inside refer to drying temperatures.
• When this logo is missing, we may rely on washing and ironing logos. If allowed at high temperatures, drying in a dryer will be easy. If more restrictive, take extra-care when using dryer. Drying programs does not indicate which textiles may or may not be dried in the dryer.
• Specific items, such as cotton knitwear (shrinking might occur), woollen items (felting might occur), silk items and polyacryl items (heat-sensitive), net fabric and curtains (crumpling might occur) should not be dried in the dryer.

Normal use of dryer: no restrictions (70°C).

 Moderate use of dryer: reduced frictions and temperatures (up to 60°C).

 Do not use dryer: use of dryer is prohibited.

Ironing

• The number of points appearing in this logo corresponds to ironing temperature (traditional iron, steam-iron or travel iron, ironing machine). Irons and ironing machines on sale feature fibre characteristics corresponding to each temperature.
• Choice of maximum temperature depends only on cleaning instructions, not on item composition.
• Without cleaning instructions, use number of points as guidance rather than item composition as materials present in small amounts are not necessarily signalled.
• Pay attention to honeycombing and brackets. Some items with underlined tub logo are not always to be ironed if they were immediately hung, after or without wringing, or spread flat at desired shape.

 High temperature ironing: for linen and cotton. Iron items when damp. For sensitive items prone to pressure or gloss stains, use cloth in between or iron inside down. Steam-iron allowed.

Medium temperature ironing: for wool, silk, polyester and viscose. Use damp cloth in between, or use steam-iron. Apply iron gently to avoid item to lose shape.

Low temperature ironing: for lyacrylic, polyamide (nylon) and acetate. For sensitive items prone to pressure or gloss stains, use dry cloth in between or iron inside down, avoid item to lose shape. Take care when using steam-iron (preferably use normal iron).

Ironing prohibited. Items showing this logo may not be ironed.