HOW TO WASH WOOL CLOTHING

I get a lot of questions about whether these jumpers need special washing. I’m so used to hand washing that I don’t see it as any sort of barrier anymore but I understand why people think it’s a turn off or a hassle. I suppose the thing that makes up for it is that you really don’t have to wash it that much. It can go for weeks without getting smelly or dirty, and anyway, you can machine wash them but only on a wool cycle using wool detergent.

• First, take the jumper off really small children when they are eating in a high chair. Or use a good bib. If you do that, I promise you don’t need to wash them very much.

• I wash them twice before I send them out so they are hard to shrink. If you’re brave, try a wool wash, with wool detergent at 30 degrees, no hotter. If you’re not so brave stick to 20 degrees. I wouldn’t recommend tumbling but if I’m in a hurry, I do, only when they are almost dry (never put them in sopping wet) and on a gentle care spin only for 10 mins max.

• If they are really grubby or have loads of food on them, hand washing will be more effective. Use Woolite or SOAK, follow the instructions. Rub the soap into the dirty bits carefully so you don’t ‘felt' the wool. Wring out, wrap in a towel, stamp on the towel.

• Hang the jumper/s over the back of a chair or near the fire or over the bannister (ie. something wider than a washing line). I don’t bother drying them flat as I don’t think it makes a huge amount of difference

• Voila, that’s it. Clean and dry and ready to wear again.

• Other than that, the only other care instructions I would share are to make sure the moths don’t get it.