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Storing your Woollens for the Summer

As the warmer weather has hit, most of us are popping our woollens away for the Summer - unless you are heading on a holiday somewhere snowy and exotic!

Many of us know (and probably because we've learnt the hard way) that little vermin like to feast on our favourite woolly clothes...and they aren't silly, your favourite pieces are often the tastiest! We have popped together a little guide to storing and caring for your Woolerina gear before you pack it to the back of the wardrobe.

1. Washing

Before storing wool, it should always be washed first - all Woolerina clothing is machine washable on a gentle cycle at, or below, 40'C  using a wool approved detergent. We recommend our all-natural wool wash, it has a beautiful Eucalypt smell which helps to keep any nasty critters at bay.

2. Drying

Do not tumble dry your Woolerina garments, simply lay them flat across a clothes horse over a towel.

3. Ironing

Use a steam iron on the wool setting (medium heat), lay the garment flat and lay a damp cotton cloth over the gament - this is important as an iron which is too hot will lead to discolouration or worst case, may leave a scorch mark.

 

4. Storing

Knitted garments should be stored flat in a folded manner, rather than on a hanger (hanging can lead to the garment stretching out of shape and the formation of bumps on the shoulders, where the hanger sits). Your woollen garments should ALWAYS be stored with a moth deterrent! We recommend natural products such as fresh bay leaves or whole black peppercorns (yes, the ones from the supermarket!). A few fresh bay leaves or mesh bag of peppercorns should be layered between your garments. Patchouli is another great deterrent - you can impregnate some oil on a cloth or cedar ball and then place this amongst your clothes. These products are completely safe to you and your garments. Should you wish to use naphthalene, always place the flakes or 'tablets' in the top of the storage area as the chemical gas they emit is heavier than air. If moths are a particular problem in your area, you can also pop your woollies into a zip-lock bag and pop them in the freezer!

I hope these four tips help to avoid any of the little critters destroying your favourite wool garments so they will be ready for next Winter.

Happy storing!

Pippa xx

Jun 04, 2019

Hi Diana, Yes you can absolutely store your woollens in the freezer when you’re not using them! We recommend popping them in there for a couple of days which is long enough to kill anything that might be living on your garments. You can then store them as per our recommendations above. You can also read further information on our most recent findings & storing in calico here – https://www.woolerina.com.au/blogs/news/our-new-storage-solution-for-your-woolies
Thanks! Penny @ Woolerina

WOOLERINA
Jun 04, 2019

hello

i want to ask you if it is safe for baby alpaca, alpaca ,cashmere,merino, to let them in the refrigerator for 3-4 months until the summer pass? without any deterrior on the quality of the wool………like soft, kepping warm ,etc

thank you :)
diana

diana
Nov 01, 2015

the tips were timely and well received. My husband has always hated the smell of mothballs but what to do? now I can try. the fresh non chemical answer. Always a pleasure to hear from the folk at Woolerina. Thanks.

maureen federico
Oct 28, 2015

Thanx for this very helpful advice, which I am sharing with friends.

Gavin Moodie
Oct 27, 2015

Thank you so much for the tips for storing my woollies. I think bay leaves will smell better than naphthalene flakes and I feel silly for not thinking of this deterrent as it is what I use in my pantry to keep moths away.

We’re coming into summer now, but it won’t be long before I am looking forward to what you have in store for the colder months.

Thank you again, Pat

Pat Marjoram

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