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Can I wash a wool jacket without ruining it?


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I was blessed with a beautiful black wool pea coat. The only problem is the previous owner had a tan dog and a white cat so it has alot of hair. I used a piece of tape to remove as much as I can, but it still needs to be cleaned better. Can I wash it and hang it to dry? The tag says nothing about cleaning.

 

It states it's:

 

60% wool

30 % polyester

5 % rayon

5 % other

 

The inside is 100% polyester

 

Thanks!

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I would add to not let it agitate very much either. Just fill, agitate a few times, then drain.

 

 

 

I have successfully washed almost everything, except dh's suits, on the wool cycle. The only problem I ever had was with something lined, which your jacket is. If the lining is longer than the coat when you take it out, stretch it back into shape (and size) before letting it dry. In the worst case, block it like a newly knit sweater.

 

 

 

The 30% poly should make it washable though.

 

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Wash it in cold, very little agitation, and hang to dry.

 

My boys all wear 100% wool jackets in Canada on their canoe trips all summer, and I have no problem washing the jackets when the boys come home. You should do just fine.

 

Ria

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I panic with the idea of washing a coat but I do wash everything else except my husband's suits. I'd take it to the drycleaner and let it hang for a while before I wore it. You won't have to clean it for ages or years unless you get a white dog or tan cat. :)

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Thank you all. I do have a handwash/wool cycle on my machine( A front loader if that matters?), but I don't know if that means it wont spin it? I am going to try washing it this afternoon and I hope it comes out nice!

 

I would think it won't spin or will only spin really lightly. I have washed things on the wool cycle on a front loader and they come out fine. I do echo the person who said to make sure you shape it while wet. Excellent advice.

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Thank you all. I do have a handwash/wool cycle on my machine( A front loader if that matters?), but I don't know if that means it wont spin it? I am going to try washing it this afternoon and I hope it comes out nice!

 

Spinning does not felt wool, agitation does. Go ahead and spin as much water out as you can.

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  • 3 years later...
Guest janice844

I washed a 100% wool coat yesterday. Today I washed a 100% Llama coat. First I brushed bits out of the pockets and cuffs:

 

I have a very large sink and half filled it with cold water and some wool detergent adding quite a lot of cheap hair conditioner and the same amount of fabric conditioner. I fastened the coat and laid it flat (ish) in a mesh bag. I lowered the coat in and agitated slightly for 2 minutes and then left it for 10 minutes to soak. I gently turned over the bag and had another go at agitating without overdoing it, then left if for another 10 minutes. I let it drain, squeezed the water out gently and rinsed with copious amounts of cold water with hair conditioner and fabric conditioner, then spun it on 1000 and hung it on a shaped hanger overnight, it's absolutely perfect! It's a £300 Winsmore coat and cost me £10 from Ebay.

 

The Llama coat is much heavier and a 60s original which I imagine would have been very expensive, I washed it in the same manner but this time the water looked dirty so I drained it off and repeated the process with clean water and the additives. I rolled up the mesh bag and drained it in my front loading washer. Then I rinsed it in the washer with lots of hair conditioner and fabric conditioner and spun it on 1000. It looks so good I've actually tried it on wet! It still fits me perfectly and I can't wait for it to dry. This coat was about £20 from Ebay and almost perfect condition for it's age. I might iron the linings a bit with a cloth on top. I'm so glad I didn't waste time, petrol and £18 having these 2 coats cleaned, as I've washed them myself I know they are clean, neither smelled or looked particularly dirty but it's nice to be sure.

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