Cleaning merino fiber or any other wool fiber:
As you may already know, you don't need to wash your piece after every use. Wool has self-cleaning properties: Put it in the open air and the odors go away.
Besides, the dirt stays on the surface of the fiber. You can just gently rub the stains to make them disappear. If the stain does not go away you can follow the instructions below for washing:
Washing an Aatise merino wool sweater
A) Handwashing (recommended):
Use a neutral ph detergent such as a mild soap or a special wool detergent.
Never use fabric softener or bleach.
Steps for handwashing:
* Prepare a basin with warm water (between 30° and 40°). Put the amount of detergent according to the instructions on the detergent.
* Dip your item in the water and immerse it completely.
* Stir gently for one minute and rinse your item several times with warm running water to remove any traces of detergent.
Caution: the temperature of the rinsing water must be the same as when soaking.
* Do not twist the wool to wring it out to avoid deforming it. It is better to gently squeeze your piece.
* You can also wrap it in a dry towel and press the roll gently to remove as much water as possible.
B) Machine wash (under certain conditions)
We recommend washing merino wool alone. By separating it from other textiles, your merino wool clothes and those made with other fabrics will last longer.
If you mix it with other items, please follow the guidelines below:
Wash similar colors together (light, dark etc)
Wash merino items with items of equal weight, avoid washing with a stiff item like jeans for example to avoid pilling.
Use a PH neutral detergent such as a mild soap or a special wool detergent.
Never use fabric softener or bleach.
Select the right program and the right temperature: You need a special wool program (fewer rotations so that the wool is not damaged and does not felt)
Attention: If you have any doubt about the reliability of your machine, it is better to wash your article by hand.
Do not exceed 30° for the temperature. It must be equal between washing and rinsing.
Spin program wool
Empty the machine immediately.
Do not use a tumble dryer, NEVER
C) Drying the merino wool sweater (for hand or machine washing)
Drying flat: To avoid that your pieces deform under the weight of water, it is better to dry them flat.
Protect merino wool from the direct heat of a radiator or the sun. Dry in the open air away from a heat source to avoid shrinkage.
D) Ironing merino wool :
You can iron on wool program (1 point) your merino wool piece, but there are precautions to take:
Do not iron back and forth on the merino material.
Simply place the iron on the area to be ironed for a few seconds.
Tip: If your item is very fragile, you can put a clean damp cloth between the iron and the wool.
D) Washing instruction signs for our merino sweaters::
Clothes moths, how to identify and get rid of pests?
What to do in case of a moth attack?
Through the open window between July and August, there are yellow moths that come to settle in dark and obscure places like your closets. They lay larvae that will feed on keratin, such as wool, hair, or feathers and make moth holes in your wool sweaters.
How to fight against moths?
To keep moths away, it is advisable to place scented sachets in your closet. Moths don't like strong smells at all and will not settle down.
Do not use naphthalene (forbidden in Europe since ...)
Don't put your sweaty clothes in your closet, air your clothes first so that they lose their odors.
Air your closets regularly
Place cedar wood, lavender bags, bay leaves, an orange pricked with cloves, fabrics impregnated with essential oils in your closets.
For essential oils you can use whatever you want: eucalyptus, thyme, lavender.
You can iron your sweater with steam (without touching your sweater). The larvae do not survive hot steam.
If you are victim of a moth attack: what to do?
- Remove all your belongings from the closet.
- Look for infected fabrics and pieces, look for larvae around the holes
- Clean the closet thoroughly, vacuum and don't forget the grooves and hard to reach places
- Vacuum and wash infected fabrics/clothing
- Repair the holes (for example, you can make an embroidery on a sweater to hide the hole).
- Store your clothes and check them regularly.