Hand washing- alternative to dry cleaning?

[Tom]

I have one pair of heavy wool pants, two wool sweaters, a partially wool suit, and a balaclava/pullover ski mask. The balaclava's laundering instructions are to hand wash, and I've done that. The others say "dry clean only". Is it possible to hand-launder anything made from wool?

Note to the vegans: I acquired the most recent of these items in 2000; I welcome any suggestions about how to dispose of them. But as things stand, I think I should wear these clothes until they are no longer useful and not acquire any more wool unless I can be sure this would not be harmful to sheep.

[Kentanner11]

wool can be hand washed as long as your are extremely gentle and lay it out flat to dry- not like on a clothes line.

[kazyeeqen]

I have never dry cleaned my hands... I always just wash them in the sink. hehe *giggle*

I don't know anything about washing wool, but I wanted to make that joke. The only thing I can do for delicate clothes is make it quick and hope for the best (I just throw it in with the rest of the laundry in the machine).

[hoodedclawjen]

i reckon it'd most likely be fine if you use cold water, a really mild detergent, and lay it out to dry.

the thing is, you don't know how the wool has been processed/fixed. i'd be inclined to go through the whole process just spot treating a teeny bit of each item that can't be seen, before washing the whole items, eg: a bit inside of the jacket near to the lining, inside the cuff, etc, first, to see what happens- better two wreck a quarter inch of a bit you don't usually see, than the whole thing.

this (http://www.ehow.com/how_5958_wash-wool-sweater.html) is a pretty decent instruction guide to follow. i don't know if you really need a hammock, but everything else advised is very sensible- especially the bit where you draw round it before you wash it.

stretching, shrinking, and stripping the oils out of the wool are probably gonna be your main concerns/things to watch out for, generally speaking.

[lobsteriffic]

I used to knit quite a bit with wool and the way I would wash those garments was with a very mild detergent by hand (be careful not to agitate the wool too much or else it may turn to felt, depending on how your things are processed). Then gently squeeze excess water out and lay it to dry. With sweaters you want to lay them down in their proportions they have when they're dry or it will stretch.

But once again, that was with hand knit stuff. Not sure how your stuff is processed.

[Tom]

Thanks everybody!

[LadyFaile]

i have a couple of wool sweaters. i just throw them in the washing machine with everything else. i was everything in cold. then lay flat to dry. one of them has shrunk in length a bit but they're both still in great shape otherwise. all of my other handwash and dry clean only stuff goes in the wash. i used to be really careful about what i put in the dryer though, anything that was handwash, dry clean, or might shrink or was particularly delicate i would hang to dry. but that was with an old machine or a coin-op neither of which had a low heat setting. now that i'm using my MIL's machine which is pretty new and does have a low-heat setting i throw absolutely everything in the dryer. we use a clothes line in the summer though as long as it's not raining.
although my ONLY black bra got literally ripped in half today in the dryer. the clasp on one end got caught under the edge of the drum and i guess the weight of the other clothes on top of it while it went around just snapped it right in the middle. :cry: so i'm going to get some mesh bags for washing delicates. i wanted to get some anyways, i'm always paranoid that sweaters will get caught on zippers and get pulls. and sometimes things get twisted up in funny ways and get stretched out so i want to start using bags for anything remotely delicate to help keep them nice longer. you can get them at dollar stores