CARING FOR WOOL FABRICS

Wool is one of the most versatile and serviceable fibers available, but it does require a considerable amount of care to keep it looking good. Wool can be found in a wide variety of fabric weaves and styles. Here’s a listing of the many fabrics made from wool:

Beaver cloth is a heavy woolen over-coating, napped and pressed down to resemble beaver fur. This fabric is also a plush fabric that is used for hats.

Botany/Merino wool is a fine wool made from worsted wool yarn.

Broadcloth is an all woolen or worsted fabric with a velvety feel.

Challis, a lightweight soft wool in plain weave, has a printed or woven design or flowers.

Cheviot (usually Scotch wool) is soft, fine wool that is heavier than serge.

Chinchilla cloth is a heavy, spongy woolen overcoat fabric with a long nap that has been rubbed into a curly, nubby finish.

Donegal was originally a thick and warm homespun or tweed woven by Irish peasants in Donegal, Ireland. Donegal now describes the wool tweed that has colorful thick slubs woven into the fabric.

Felt fabric is a compact sheet of entangled, not woven wool, fur, sometimes cotton fibers. The felt is produced by processing a mat of fibers with moisture, heat, and pressure.

Flannel wool is a soft, lightweight fabric with a nap on one or both sides.

Gabardine is tightly-woven wool twill with a high sheen. This fabric is excellent for tailoring and wears well.

Glen Checks are usually seen in menswear and originated in Scotland. It is characterized by a variety of small, even check designs.

Harris Tweed is a hand woven fabric from Scotland with a soft feel.

Heather Mixture describes tweeds and homespun’s that have colors of heather and sand of the Scottish heather fields.

Herringbone wool is woven into a twill fabric that is reversed at regular spacing, creating a saw-tooth line.

Homespun is a loose, strong, durable woolen woven either by hand or machine with a coarse feel.

Houndstooth Check has a four pointed star check in a broken twill weave.

Jersey is a knit fabric that is usually knit in fine wool but can also be found in silk, and man-made fibers.

Lambs-down is a heavy knit fabric that has a spongy fleeced nap on one side.

Linsey-woolsey is a coarse fabric first made in Lindsey, England, of wool combined with flax or cotton.

Loden fabric is a thick, soft, waterproof, windproof, wool used in outerwear that has a characteristic green color.

Mackinaw fabric is a heavy double fabric in striking colored patterns.

Melton is a heavy-tick, short-napped fabric without a finish press or gloss.

Merino wool is soft and luxurious, resembling cashmere. This term is also used to describe the finest wools.

Oatmeal Cloth is a durable, soft, wool with a pebbled face.




Panama Cloth is plain, woven, worsted wool, sometimes resembling the texture of Panama hat.

Petersham is a very thick, waterproof woolen coating, usually dark blue, and is used for men’s trousers or heavy coats.

Pilot Cloth is a coarse, heavy, stout-twilled woolen fabric that is heavily-napped and navy blue. Used by seamen.

Poodle Cloth is made with a boucle yarn and resembles the Poodle dog.

Sharkskin is a woven wool fabric with warp and filling yarns of alternating white with black, brown or blue.

Tartan is a twilled plaid design, originally Scottish.

Tweed is roughly-textured wool cloth, originally homespun and slightly felted. This fabric is sturdy with a mottled color.

      Regardless of the type of weave or fabric made from wool, it has some common traits that make it desirable and popular in a variety of uses. Wool fibers are crimped and curled and create very insulating fabrics. This makes them wonderful for top-coats and winter clothing. Wool is also very absorbent, and can soak up 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling heavy or damp. The absorbency also means that the fabric breathes well and the absorbed moisture is evaporated into the air around it. This wicking action makes wool fabrics comfortable in both hot and cold climates.

      Wool fabrics also contain lanolin, which makes the fabric naturally resistant to stains and odors. Most soil and stains on wool fabrics sit on top of the fibers and can easily be brushed away. It’s the stain resistance and odor-repellent nature that make wool so durable and long-wearing.

Taking Care of Your Wool Fabrics

      The following are tips for properly caring for your wool garments. Some garments will come with specific instruction for cleaning and care by the manufacturers, and should always be followed. For those items without such care instructions, here are some useful guidelines:

      Give wool garments a 24-hour rest between wearing. Hang on shaped or padded hangers, leaving lots of space. In general, wool fibers will shed wrinkles and return to their original shape. Be sure to empty all pockets, remove belts and hang the garment with all closures zipped and buttoned.

      Fold any woolen knit fabrics for storage rather than hanging them. The knits will be stretched by their own weight and may not “bounce back” if left stretched for too long.

      Brush wool fabrics to remove surface soil. Use a damp sponge for knits and finer fabrics.

      Refresh your wool garments quickly after wearing or unpacking by hanging them in a steamy bathroom. Moisture from the steam will remove wrinkles.

      If your wool garment gets wet, dry the garment at room temperature away from heat. If there's a nap, brush with the nap to avoid compacting the fibers and creating a felt effect.

      Remove spots and stains promptly. Once allowed to set, these stains become harder to remove because of the way wool responds to friction and stronger temperatures. If you have any doubt of being able to remove a stain yourself without harming the fabric, have the garment professionally cleaned.

      Keep moths away by storing wool with fresh cedar blocks.

      Dry clean once a season (or when stained), and especially before storing.

      Always use steam when pressing wool. Use the wool setting. Avoid pressing wool totally dry. When possible, press on the reverse side of the fabric. When you have to press on the right side, use a press cloth to avoid a shine. Lower and lift the iron, don't slide it back and forth. Prevent imprinting inside detail by placing a piece of brown paper or tissue paper under folds, seams or darts.

      If you properly care for your wool garments, they can become heirlooms. Wools very nature makes it a durable fabric, and with proper care, and selecting garments that are cut in classic styles, you’ll find you have clothing that will last your lifetime, and can be enjoyed by those generations to follow.

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