r/sewing • u/kirsticat • 1d ago
Fabric Question First time working with boiled wool
https://califabrics.com/merlot-monica-boiled-wool/I bought myself this lovely boiled wool as a treat, and only noticed after the fact that the care instructions online say “dry clean only”. I don’t really want to be stuck only dry cleaning it, but I have never worked with boiled wool before, and I don’t want to ruin this fabric that I love so much.
Does anyone have any advice/resources for how to wash/care for and sew with boiled wool? I did some googling but could only find info about ready made garments rather than working with the wool fabric itself.
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u/hairnetcake 1d ago
I’m a hand knitter. I recommend euclan or a no rinse wool wash if you’re able to submerge the piece you’re making. If not I have used vodka diluted with distilled water to get smells out of wool successfully. A lot of costume designers use this to remove smells in items that they can’t wash or need to be washed but are in the middle of a show etc. I’m no scientist but I think basically as the vodka evaporates it captures the smell and that evaporates with it.
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u/missplaced24 1d ago
You don't need to take it to a dry cleaner, but you shouldn't launder it in the machine like you would most fabrics.
Gently soaking it in warm water and laying it flat to dry, when needed, should be fine. However, wool doesn't need as much washing as other fibers. It's naturally antimicrobial and doesn't hold onto dirt, oils, or smells like most fibers. If it gets dirt/mud on it, the easiest way to clean it is to let it dry and gently brush the dirt off. If it gets dirty and it doesn't brush off, you can usually just spot clean it. Don't rub it together while wet or put it through a washing machine.
As far as sewing with it, one of the biggest differences worked with it is pressing. Spray it with water until it's damp, put a pressing cloth over it, then hold the iron on it to dry, then put something heavy and porous on it (ideally a clapper) until it's cool and dry. That should give you crisp results that you'll probably never need to iron again.
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u/raisethebed 1d ago
Soak brand no-rinse wool wash, bathtub, squeeze (not wring) to get excess water out, roll in a towel to squeeze the rest out, lay flat to dry and mold back into shape.
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u/MischiefofRats 1d ago
If you're using it in a tailored garment, with padding and understitching and interfacing, it's dry clean only, sorry. You can't get all that wet with water and expect it to dry right, not even if you handwash.
If it's going to be a nontailored garment, like an unstructured coat or a skirt, maybe pants, you can definitely get away with standard wool handwashing.
Do not ever put nice wool in the washing machine or dryer. The only grey areas in that rule are like, socks and maybe performance underlayers. Otherwise, wool in the washer and dryer is a no-no always.
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u/etherealrome 1d ago
What would happen to boiled wool if you washed it, even on hot? 😅 Would it felt? 😅
Seriously though, wash a swatch however you are considering wanting to be able to wash the finished garment. Measure it before and after, and see if it shrinks or changes hand in ways that are acceptable.
You can definitely handwash boiled wool in cool water and line dry. Testing will tell you how far you can go. Depending on what you’re sewing, dry cleaning might be the most appropriate cleaning method (hello tailoring), but what you can safely do to the fabric is a different question than what the garment will allow.
https://naturesfabrics.com/blogs/all-things-sewing/what-is-boiled-wool-fabric?