How to wash mohair so that it shrinks?

Probably, almost all of us have at least one soft and pleasant-to-touch mohair item. Warm sweaters, dresses, sweaters, suits and even coats are made from the wool of Angora goats. Mohair is also used for rugs, bedspreads, curtains, blankets and carpets.

Caring for these woolen items is not easy. Washing them requires special delicacy. Of course, it is possible to resort to dry cleaning services, but in this case you need to know that mohair products wear out faster when dry cleaned. Therefore, it is better to choose regular washing.

Hat with pompom

There are two washing options here. If the pompom is made from the same yarn as the hat, then it must be washed together with the headdress. Most likely, the threads of the pompom have become matted due to washing, so after drying you will have to tidy it up and return it to its fluffiness. This is done with a wide-toothed comb, preferably made of wood. You can also straighten the pompom with a knitting needle, unraveling the thread. Do this carefully so as not to tear the threads out of the pompom.

With a pompom made of fur, things are much more complicated. Natural fur does not need to be wet, otherwise it can be damaged. You'll have to rip off the pompom. The headdress is washed in the described way, and the pompom is simply cleaned by dry cleaning, for example, using bran or starch.

What to do if you can’t rip off the pompom?

In this case, cunning housewives came up with their own way of washing. The pompom is simply tied tightly in film and tied tightly at the base. Then the cap is washed by hand, trying to prevent moisture from getting on the bag. Still, a little moisture may seep in, but usually this does not spoil the fur much. When the headdress is dry, the film is removed and the fur is combed with a brush.

Machine washable

In an automatic washing machine, mohair items are washed only in two cases:

if permitted by the manufacturer;
if the fabric is knitted from dense threads.

It is not advisable to keep mohair in liquid for a long time and exert active mechanical influence on it. And with machine washing, both are inevitable. If you still decide to wash the item in the machine, you should listen to these recommendations:

As with the manual cleaning option, each product is cleaned separately.
If powder rather than liquid detergent is placed in the cuvette, it is best to turn on the “baby comfort” mode, which involves double rinsing.
Before putting it into the drum, the coat or jumper is turned inside out, then carefully folded with the sleeves inward and placed in a mesh laundry bag. This will preserve not only the product, but also the mechanism of the machine, since it can become clogged with lint.
The panel sets the “delicate wash” or “wool” mode. The spin should be minimal (no more than 500 revolutions). If the item is small, it is better to turn it off. The same needs to be done with drying.

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How to revive used yarn: step-by-step instructions

Today I want to talk about a problem that some people encounter, but do not know how to cope with, namely, bringing yarn from unraveled items into proper condition.

Sometimes it turns out that you knitted something from beautiful, high-quality, expensive yarn. We wore it with pleasure for some time, after which it went out of fashion, stretched out, got boring, and so on. And the product lies on the shelf, collecting dust, and the hand cannot be bothered to throw it away, because money and colossal work have been invested, and there is no benefit, only sadness every time you open the closet.

Naturally, sooner or later it will occur to everyone to unravel the product and knit something else, especially since the yarn is luxurious with a rich composition. With difficulty we find the end of the thread carefully hidden in the seam, unravel it and... we get a curly, wrinkled, useless substance that looks like an anak or the wig of a famous singer from the 80s.

The fact is that during use we wash and dry the item several times. The threads are fixed in this position and when unraveled they become curly and thinner, as if caked. I initially knitted a sweater on needles No. 6, and after unraveling the threads were suitable for a maximum of No. 4.5. And the most unpleasant thing about all this is that if you knit something from such yarn, the fabric turns out to be clumsy, with loose loops, and looks sloppy and cheap. And nothing can be done about it. As a result, the following picture emerges: you again spent time and effort, but you ended up with something that can only be worn under a jacket for warmth. Well, okay, as long as the yarn doesn’t lie around.

But I have good news: threads can be revived! Of course, they still won’t be exactly like new, but they will become much better and smoother. And if you also choose a pattern that hides the unevenness of the fabric, then you can get a completely decent thing that you won’t be ashamed to wear to a party.

How to do it?

1. Unravel the knitted fabric. You don't have to wrap it in a ball. You will get a lush slide like the one in the title photo.

2. Place the end of the thread in the notch between the thumb and index finger of your left hand, bend it at the elbow and begin to wind the thread around it, with your right hand facing away from you. As a result, you should end up with a ring, one end on your elbow and the other on your hand between your thumb and index finger. In this case, the thread tension should not be too tight or weak. It's better to stick to the middle here.

3. Carefully remove the ring of yarn from your hand without losing the end of the yarn. Take a few threads and tie your yarn ring in 2-3 places. Remember which thread the end of the yarn came under, otherwise later, after processing, it will be extremely difficult for you to find it. You need to tie a ring of yarn so that it remains a ring and does not get lost in the process of resuscitation into a homogeneous pile of threads that cannot be untangled. At the same time, you cannot tighten the fixing threads too much, as a dent may remain on the yarn. But if you tighten it very loosely, the yarn will simply fall out of them and again get tangled.

4. Next, we begin steaming the yarn. It's good if you have a slow cooker, I have one here.

Pour water into it, insert a plastic steam basket, put yarn in it and set the “steam” mode for about half an hour. There should not be too much water, otherwise when it boils it will start to fall into the basket and wet the threads. If there is too little of it, it will quickly boil and you will have to add more and wait for it to boil again.

How to unravel felted wool

The process of dissolving an old knitted item begins with preparatory work.

Product preparation

Initially, you should remove all additional parts : patch pockets, belts, straps,

buttons, etc. Then you should thoroughly wash the product in warm water and dry it, but not completely.

IMPORTANT! It is necessary that the product remains slightly damp! This way the threads unravel much easier, without clinging or getting tangled with each other.

Completing of the work

The next step is to determine in which direction the item was knitted

: from bottom to top or vice versa.

ADVICE ! If you started knitting from the bottom, then first the collar is ripped off, then the sleeves, and at the end the seams on the shoulders and sides of the product are cut.

On each knitted piece you should find the end of the woolen thread, and start unraveling the clothes from there.

There is the least amount of hassle when unraveling home knitted clothes. There will be more problems with a factory-made product: it can be knitted entirely or in parts, and then sewn together. It is possible that the factory first wove knitted fabric, and only then cut out clothing parts from it and sewed them together. In this case, all the threads will be cut, and a long skein of yarn can be obtained from them only by tying their ends.

Attention! When unraveling, the threads need to be wound into loose balls. Worn threads should be immediately separated from more or less whole threads in order to use them in subsequent knitting for different areas.

Secrets and tricks

Tie the individual threads together with flat knots. At the same time, leave the ends of these threads at least a couple of centimeters long so that you can later thread them with a crochet hook.
New threads are added to the worn threads for strength, even in a variety of colors. The result is a melange yarn that is stronger and more elegant.
For items made from very tangled and very fluffy woolen threads, use the following product to make them easier to unravel . Warm water mixed with hair balm or shampoo is poured into a basin. Place the knitted product there for 15–20 minutes. Then, without removing it from the water, they carefully unravel it into threads.
When the item is too felted and this method still does not give an effect, you can try washing the woolen item in a machine with boiling water and cutting out all the fragments that cannot be unraveled.

Caring for mohair items

To get rid of wrinkles, new mohair clothes are hung in the bathroom, where under the influence of steam, all wrinkles are smoothed out.

Store mohair clothes on hangers in the closet or in special “breathable” covers. Mohair can be protected from moths both with the help of folk remedies (lavender) and with the help of purchased plates. It is important that mohair clothes are periodically ventilated.

If the mohair gets wet, there is no need to hang it on the radiator or dry it with a hairdryer. It is best to hang it on hangers and dry it at room temperature. Dirt from mohair clothing is best removed with a damp brush or sponge.

Mohair items can be dry cleaned. In this case, the best option for them is dry cleaning. However, it should be remembered that the passion for dry cleaning can ruin any item, including those made of mohair.

Handwash

Mohair yarn is delicate and high maintenance. The finest Kid mohair and royal mohair with very long pile are especially capricious. Products made from these types of yarn are recommended to be washed exclusively by hand. The following requirements apply to hand washing:

Find out what water temperature the manufacturer recommends. If there is no label, water is poured into the basin according to the standard:

for gossamer scarves and thin openwork jumpers, it should not be hotter than 35° (optimally 30°);
for outerwear made of thick Goating and Adult Mohair, the temperature (if heavily soiled) can be increased to 40°.

If you raise the water temperature above the recommended one, the product will lose its shape.

An important issue is the choice of detergents. Suitable for hand washing:

shavings of baby soap, dissolved in water and whipped into foam (alkaline laundry soap makes the fabric feel matted);
liquid wool detergent (powder will be difficult to rinse out);
shampoo.

Do not use detergents containing chlorine. Do you need to return the model to white? Add 2 tsp to the water. Boers.

If the water is hard, it should be softened, as due to excess salts, mohair loses its silkiness. To do this, add a purchased water softener or baking soda (10 g per 10 l) to the detergent. Before lowering the product into the basin, mix the solution thoroughly.

Mohair fabric does not tolerate prolonged contact with water, so soaking time should not exceed a quarter of an hour. In this case, only one item is washed at a time.

Intense friction and twisting are the enemies of any wool. During washing, the product is only slightly squeezed with your palms.

For rinsing, use water at the same temperature as for the main wash. Woolen models should be rinsed several times, changing the water. During the last rinse, add to the container:

for light-colored products - fabric or hair conditioner or 1 tsp. glycerin;
for colored people – 9% table vinegar (5 ml per 10 l) or pre-dissolved citric acid;
a mixture of ammonia (45 ml), turpentine (15 ml) and vodka (30 ml), if the surface is matted.

The clean item is immediately removed from the water and placed in a dry container for 30-40 minutes. The canvas is periodically slightly compressed, draining the liquid from the basin.

Care

In order for mohair products to delight you with beauty and warmth for a long time, you must follow the recommendations:

When purchasing clothing or knitting yarn, check the manufacturer's care instructions.
If the item gets wet, you need to dry it flat out, in a well-ventilated area away from heating appliances.
Stains and dirt are carefully removed with a damp sponge.
Dry cleaning by a specialized service is recommended.
In some cases, it is possible to wash items in a delicate cycle using special shampoos for washing woolen fabrics without twisting and spinning in the machine. Drying is done at room temperature. Hand-knitted terry cloth is not washable and requires dry cleaning. Important! Mohair items should not be dried on radiators.
Mohair clothes do not need to be ironed. They rarely wrinkle, and in this case steaming is used.
Items that have previously been dry-cleaned or washed and dried are put away for storage. They are carefully folded and packaged in special cases or bags. Regular ventilation and the use of moth repellents are required.

Proper drying

Typically, drying a knitted headdress takes several hours. Place the product on a flat surface with a terry towel. Change the towel to keep it dry. Under no circumstances should such items be dried on a radiator or near heat devices. Do not try to dry the item with a hairdryer. You should not dry your wool in the sun, hoping that it will dry out faster. The wool must dry only naturally. As you can see, there is nothing difficult about washing a knitted hat. Follow the rules for washing wool, dry the thread correctly, and then you can wear the hat for more than one season, and it will look like new for a long time.

Source

Useful tips

Remember that even new products need to be washed after knitting or purchasing. After all, when knitting, especially from light wool, the item gets dirty, and washing refreshes its appearance, cleans the new yarn of its protective coating, fluffs it up and makes it less prickly. If you don’t want to do laundry, then at least steam it and dry it flat.

It is recommended to hang new clothes or after the first wear in the bathroom so that they can straighten out in high humidity.

To give a matted item its original appearance, you need to soak it in water with 2-3 tbsp. spoons of ammonia, 2 tbsp. l. vodka and 1 tbsp. l. turpentine. Small stains on woolen items can be easily removed with a soft brush and soapy water.

Mohair clothes should be hung on soft hangers for storage.

Proper care of woolen items will allow you to preserve the original beauty of your items for a long time and increase their wear life.

Cleaning methods

If the wool is not very dirty, you can clean it using the dry cleaning method. But here you need to know that not all chemicals are suitable for cleaning it. Sometimes it is enough to treat a separate stain with a cotton swab and a soap solution warm to 30°C. Then rinse with clean water and blot the area on both sides with a terry towel. After cleaning, the product must be laid out on a cloth for subsequent drying.

IMPORTANT! Do not try to dry the treated wet area with a hair dryer.

If the item requires special cleaning, you can contact a dry cleaner, but know that they will not give you a guarantee that the wool will not lose its appearance.
If you decide to wash your mohair yourself, you can use either the hand washing method or the washing machine. But to do this, you need to know a few rules that will prevent you from ruining an expensive item.

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– I bought myself a mohair hat, very beautiful. I wore it all winter, and now the question arose of how and what to wash it with. I’ve never worked with mohair before - I’m very afraid of ruining the hat. What to do?

It is best to wash any mohair products by hand - this is the safest option, since mohair is a soft and delicate material that requires delicate care.

When washing, use only liquid detergents for delicate fabrics, without bleaching or other aggressive components in the composition . The powder cannot be used because it is poorly washed out of mohair fibers, which requires additional active rinsing. As a result, the structure of the yarn may be damaged. If you don't have liquid detergent, use regular hair shampoo.

Algorithm for washing a mohair hat by hand:

Mohair should not be soaked.
Mohair products should be washed and rinsed in water at the same temperature. Temperature fluctuations can have a detrimental effect on the material, ruining it.
Pour water into a large basin. The water temperature should not exceed 35 °C, and if the hat is made of fine mohair, then 30 °C.
Dilute detergent or shampoo in water. There is no need to pour the product directly onto the mohair.
Place the hat in the basin and carefully wash it using gentle, lightly pressing movements. Do not rub or twist under any circumstances, otherwise the wool will mat and the hat will become deformed.
Only one item needs to be washed at a time. You cannot wash several mohair items together, even if they are the same color.
Rinse the hat, replacing the used water with clean water several times. During the last rinse, add a little hair conditioner or vinegar to the water at the rate of 5 ml per 10 liters of water. This will help the mohair maintain its shine and softness.
Lightly wring out the hat and wrap it in a towel to absorb excess moisture. Then spread out on a flat surface, turning occasionally, until completely dry.

If you decide to machine wash your mohair hat:

There should be a machine washable symbol on the hat's label.
The hat should be made of thick mohair.
The hat must be turned inside out and placed in a special bag for washing.
Select manual or delicate wash mode, temperature not higher than 35 °C.
The spin and dry function must be turned off. Even when machine washing, it is better to rinse mohair items by hand.

Below you can find instructions on how to remove various stains, as well as reviews of laundry products and fabric care equipment.

— Anna Titova Dry cleaning technologist

How to dry mohair and can it be ironed?

An item hung on a rope, hanger or the back of a chair will stretch out, but the mark of the fold will remain on it.

Mohair should only be dried in a horizontal position.

When the canvas swells in the basin, the model is wrapped in a towel and gently squeezed so that water is absorbed into the fabric.
The product is unrolled and laid out on the table, with a cloth that absorbs water well placed under it. The mohair is turned over during the drying process.
Do not expose mohair items to bright sunlight, hang them on a radiator, or use hot air.

Ironing fabric, especially openwork knitted fabric, is highly discouraged. If there is an urgent need for this, the model is turned inside out and processed with an iron set to minimum power through a thin fabric. But there are many ways to iron things without an iron; for example, a steam bath is suitable for sweaters and other mohair items.

To make the pile fluff up again, comb it with a soft brush, put the item in the freezer for 2 hours or hold it over steam (hang it over a container of boiling water or turn on very hot water).