How I Wash Woolens

The two rules for washing woolens are:

1. DO NOT AGITATE.
   
   
2. DO NOT ABRUPTLY CHANGE WATER TEMPERATURE.

Other than that, woolens are much hardier than most people think, although I believe most knitters have figured this out already.

My woolen washing routine is a great exercise program. It requires five trips up and down the basement stairs to the washer. This is how I do it.

For this system to work, you need a washing machine that will agitate but not spin with the lid up.

If you have any concerns about the outcome, try your washing technique out with a swatch.

1. Trip 1.
   
   • Set washer for small load (optional), warm wash, and warm rinse.
     
   • Start wash cycle with lid up.
     
   • Add 1 capful of baby shampoo.
     
   • Do NOT add the items you're washing.
     
   • Go back upstairs, letting washer go through wash cycle with lid up and no woolens. It creates bubbles from the shampoo. It stops before it spins out.
   
   
   
2. Trip 2.
   
   • Washer is now ready to spin out.
     
   • Add woolens to warm water.
     
   • Carefully swish around to throughy wet, but DO NOT AGITATE.
     
   • Go back upstairs leaving woolens to soak for 10-15 minutes.
   
   
   
3. Trip 3.
   
   • Woolens have been soaking.
     
   • Give a final, gentle swish around in the water.
     
   • Shut washer lid.
     
   • Stand by washer while it drains and spins with woolens inside.
     
   • Before washer starts to fill for rinse cycle, remove woolens and set them aside.
     
   • Go back upstairs leaving lid up.
     
   • Washer fills with rinse water and agitates with no woolens in the water. It stops before it spins out because the lid is up.
   
   
   
4. Trip 4.
   
   • Washer is ready to spin out.
     
   • Add woolens to water and gently swish around. DO NOT AGITATE.
     
   • Put lid down and go back upstairs.
     
   • Washer will drain and spin with woolens inside.
   
   
   
5. Trip 5.
   
   • Grab woolens out of washer.
     
   • Lay them out to dry on a flat surface, patting them into the desired shape. This is my version of blocking.