Cleaning long wool coats!

[Anonymous]

The recent thread got me thinking. I don’t want all the chemicals used by dry cleaners. My wool coats are relatively gently used, but I’d still like to clean them this spring. Would it work to thoroughly brush them, and then steam at home? I can’t imagine putting them in the washing machine - these coats cost over $800 each! Worried they would not survive even a wash on my delicate cycle. Very grateful for advice - the more specific the better.

[Anonymous]

Jfc. Just take them to an organic dry cleaner.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t wash them. It’s not the wool, it’s the potential interfacing or other things in the coat that could be messed up.

Steaming is fine but periodically I would just suck it up and dry clean them. I don’t like dry cleaning either, but just hang them to air out after and get over it. You’re not going to sleep with the coat.

[Anonymous]

Dry clean.

[Anonymous]

These cannot go in washing machine.

Your options:

-brush and steam at home.
-hang out in the bright sunshine for several hours and brush
-take outside on a cold snowy day and cover in snow then shake and brush and let hang outside for a while. Best if sunny too.

[Anonymous]

I just dry clean mine at the end of the season. If you invest in nice coats, you should clean them as recommended if you want them to last and look nice.

[Anonymous]

I soak mine in a tub of cool water and Eucalan. Roll in towels to get out excess water. Steam if needed. Looks great and is very soft vs organic cleaners.

[Anonymous]

Wash in the bathtub. Hang dry but not in the sun.

[Anonymous]

Textile artist here. You 100% can wash your coat at home! You just need to be careful to avoid completing the "felting triangle". You know the "fire triangle" of heat+fuel+oxygen = fire? Well, moisture+soap+agitation= felt. So you can do as a PP suggested and get some wool-specific wash (Euclan's okay, Unicorn fibre wash is better, SOAK makes one, there are some boutique ones I haven't tried...) and simply soak the coat in a large tub. DO NOT SWISH IT AROUND. This makes felt. Some washes don't even need to be rinsed out, which helps reduce both your labor and your risk of felting.

Check the water temperature (hot water makes dye run, cold water sets stains, most washes call for lukewarm, check instructions). Watch for dye bleed, especially if you have a technicolor dreamcoat or anything that isn't a solid color. If your product requires a rinse, or if you just want to rinse any lingering product/scents away, a splash of white vinegar in the final rinse helps remove any smells.

When the wool is still wet, there's still a chance of felting, so don't rub it dry. Roll it up in an old towel or two, and gentle press the water out (step on it). then put it flat on racks to dry. You may want to take a steamer to it when it's dry to reshape.

Dry cleaning isn't great for fibers. Most of your "dry clean only" can be hand washed. Wool is definitely washable! Just watch out for that "felting triangle" and any loose dye and you should be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wash in the bathtub. Hang dry but not in the sun.

I'd recommend drying flat to preserve shape, and using a steamer as needed for any reshaping when dry. Hanging when wet can pull the garment out of alignment and leave bumps/weird drape

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These cannot go in washing machine.

Your options:

-brush and steam at home.
-hang out in the bright sunshine for several hours and brush
-take outside on a cold snowy day and cover in snow then shake and brush and let hang outside for a while. Best if sunny too.

If you have an old-style top-loader that you're sure doesn't agitate when the lid is open, you can use that as your wash/rinse bin. Let it fill as usual, put the coat in, let it soak with the lid open, remove the coat, close to finish cycle (skipping agitation, if your machine allows), and press coat dry while machine drains. Just triple check that it's not going to agitate (and make sure no well-meaning family member closes it when you're not looking). This makes draining the wash a lot easier.

[Anonymous]

https://www.unicornclean.com/ - THE best, imo. The power scour/beyond clean will clean anything out of your wool without breaking or damaging the wool itself. And the "unicorn baby" line is the same great products w/o scents

https://us.soakwash.com/
https://www.thelaundress.com/products/wool-and-cashmere-shampoo-16-fl-oz (this REALLY smells like cedar, which is possibly great for storage, but may require a rewash before wearing)
https://eucalan.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Textile artist here. You 100% can wash your coat at home! You just need to be careful to avoid completing the "felting triangle". You know the "fire triangle" of heat+fuel+oxygen = fire? Well, moisture+soap+agitation= felt. So you can do as a PP suggested and get some wool-specific wash (Euclan's okay, Unicorn fibre wash is better, SOAK makes one, there are some boutique ones I haven't tried...) and simply soak the coat in a large tub. DO NOT SWISH IT AROUND. This makes felt. Some washes don't even need to be rinsed out, which helps reduce both your labor and your risk of felting.

Check the water temperature (hot water makes dye run, cold water sets stains, most washes call for lukewarm, check instructions). Watch for dye bleed, especially if you have a technicolor dreamcoat or anything that isn't a solid color. If your product requires a rinse, or if you just want to rinse any lingering product/scents away, a splash of white vinegar in the final rinse helps remove any smells.

When the wool is still wet, there's still a chance of felting, so don't rub it dry. Roll it up in an old towel or two, and gentle press the water out (step on it). then put it flat on racks to dry. You may want to take a steamer to it when it's dry to reshape.

Dry cleaning isn't great for fibers. Most of your "dry clean only" can be hand washed. Wool is definitely washable! Just watch out for that "felting triangle" and any loose dye and you should be fine.

OMG. I'll be taking mine to the drycleaners, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Textile artist here. You 100% can wash your coat at home! You just need to be careful to avoid completing the "felting triangle". You know the "fire triangle" of heat+fuel+oxygen = fire? Well, moisture+soap+agitation= felt. So you can do as a PP suggested and get some wool-specific wash (Euclan's okay, Unicorn fibre wash is better, SOAK makes one, there are some boutique ones I haven't tried...) and simply soak the coat in a large tub. DO NOT SWISH IT AROUND. This makes felt. Some washes don't even need to be rinsed out, which helps reduce both your labor and your risk of felting.

Check the water temperature (hot water makes dye run, cold water sets stains, most washes call for lukewarm, check instructions). Watch for dye bleed, especially if you have a technicolor dreamcoat or anything that isn't a solid color. If your product requires a rinse, or if you just want to rinse any lingering product/scents away, a splash of white vinegar in the final rinse helps remove any smells.

When the wool is still wet, there's still a chance of felting, so don't rub it dry. Roll it up in an old towel or two, and gentle press the water out (step on it). then put it flat on racks to dry. You may want to take a steamer to it when it's dry to reshape.

Dry cleaning isn't great for fibers. Most of your "dry clean only" can be hand washed. Wool is definitely washable! Just watch out for that "felting triangle" and any loose dye and you should be fine.

Yeah sure, this is fine for a sweater. But depending on the coat and how it’s constructed, you might be f$&ed. The wool will be fine but coats can have interfacing and whatever else inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Textile artist here. You 100% can wash your coat at home! You just need to be careful to avoid completing the "felting triangle". You know the "fire triangle" of heat+fuel+oxygen = fire? Well, moisture+soap+agitation= felt. So you can do as a PP suggested and get some wool-specific wash (Euclan's okay, Unicorn fibre wash is better, SOAK makes one, there are some boutique ones I haven't tried...) and simply soak the coat in a large tub. DO NOT SWISH IT AROUND. This makes felt. Some washes don't even need to be rinsed out, which helps reduce both your labor and your risk of felting.

Check the water temperature (hot water makes dye run, cold water sets stains, most washes call for lukewarm, check instructions). Watch for dye bleed, especially if you have a technicolor dreamcoat or anything that isn't a solid color. If your product requires a rinse, or if you just want to rinse any lingering product/scents away, a splash of white vinegar in the final rinse helps remove any smells.

When the wool is still wet, there's still a chance of felting, so don't rub it dry. Roll it up in an old towel or two, and gentle press the water out (step on it). then put it flat on racks to dry. You may want to take a steamer to it when it's dry to reshape.

Dry cleaning isn't great for fibers. Most of your "dry clean only" can be hand washed. Wool is definitely washable! Just watch out for that "felting triangle" and any loose dye and you should be fine.

Yeah sure, this is fine for a sweater. But depending on the coat and how it’s constructed, you might be f$&ed. The wool will be fine but coats can have interfacing and whatever else inside.

Exactly. Between the structure, the lining, the pockets- no way would I attempt to wash a long wool coat in the bathtub then air dry.