pgjackson

Just got a merino wool jersey in the mail that I bought from Bonktown. Fits great and super comfy. My question is is it OK to put it in the dryer after washing? The directions say nothing about drying. Just says wash in cold water. It would actually fit perfectly if it shrank a tad, but I don't want to ruin it. I used to have a really nice wool commando sweater that my wife put in the dryer once. Now it fits a 6 year old girl. Thanks.

Velo Gator

Wool in the dryer? NEVER.

Velo Gator

Best is to lay it on a towel and roll it up then out.

Again, dryer - NEVER!

jr59

Velo speaks the truth!

Seattle Forrest

Putting wool in the dryer doesn't just shrink it, but hurts its ability to wick and to insulate when wet.

echappist

i'd also make sure to wash it using a sweater bag and detergent specific for woolen material. Anything wool deserves kid glove treatment as that's how the garment treat you

canam73

Fwiw, I happened to have merino turtleneck from steep & cheap sitting at my desk. It's tag says "tumble dry, low heat". I'm sure it doesn't prolong it's life any, but I know some of my merino stuff has survived the dryer.

thesmoothdome

I bought a Walz wool cap with ear flaps that I wore once before my wife tossed it in the dryer. Ended up donating it a friends kid because there was no way it would ever fit me again.

x136 

I sometimes put Smartwool socks in the dryer to no ill effect (due to the amount of other materials in the weave), but other than that, I agree.

I wash all of my wool (merino or otherwise) clothing on cold, and lay it out to dry. Don't worry, it's wool, it will dry quickly.

dorkypants

Someone "helpfully" tossed my wash in the dryer (set on High) with my Swobo merino jerseys in the load. They shrank from a loose, long fit to snug and too short.

tuxbailey

I wash mine in cold water with other stuff but line dry it on a hanger.

Walter

I hang dry all of my kit but am particularly careful to hang dry my Swobo jersey.

Brian Ratliff

dry flat. I'll dry wool socks and gloves in the dryer, but never a wool jersey.

lpolliard

Woolite...is it for wool?

WhyFi

+1.

Also, any time you wash any wool shirts/jerseys, it's a good idea to zip up the zippers - it's a little less abrasion and it adds up over time. (This is actually sound advice any time you're doing laundry, but wool does deserve special care)

LorenzoNF

If you haven't had a wool jersey or clothing before you'll be surprised at how fast it dries anyways. As above, hang or lay flat to dry. I hang all my wool jerseys and bibs to no adverse effect.

DOS

I have a smartwool base layer shirt, a canari wool jersey, and a woolrich merino wool sweater. I usually don't put thjem in the dryer all both have gone through the dryer on more than one occasion with no ill effect. The Jersey and sweater say "tumble dry low" while the base layer says to dry flat.

surgeonstone

Wool is wonderful and you will see some sellers tell you it is okay to machine wash gentle and in some cases that it is eve okay to tumble dry delicate. NEVER listen to them . Wash it yourself in warm water, gently rinse and squeeze out water. Use Woolite or similar facsimile. NEVER hang it, it will stretch. Lie flat on a towel. Consider any talk by manufactures that it is okay to dry and wash in machines as a ploy to get you to buy.
Sounds like a lot to do but like making bread- it has its own rhymes an smells and I don't mind doing it. Plus you get to wear WOOL- the smartest fabric out there.

teterider

Here is the other thing - store it in a bag.

Moths love Merino wool. They ate holes through one of mine before I stored the replacements in bags. They just went for the thin Merino wool jersey and not the wool/synthetic blend ones or even the pure wool sweaters.

I used to think that moths getting to clothes was thing of the past, something a grandparent would worry about with their mothballs. I mean where the hell did they even come from. Well however, they sniffed out that new Merino wool jersey, got in the house somehow, and went to town.

Spiduhman

All bike kit, save fair weather socks, air dry, saving wear for activity and washing.

Only everyday clothes, sheets, towels, rags, and workclothes ever see a dryer 'round heah.

Not quite true "thirft" (like walking barefoot to save boot soles - the Scotch, I tell ya'), but I am cheap.

Nachoman

Last time I accidentally dryered my wool sweater it ended up looking like it would fit a small child.

rogerstg

A tip for those that shrank their wool in the dryer. Gently handwash the garment using hair conditioner, then block it on a flat surface and let it air dry. It works best on soft fine wool.

nixternal

This is exactly how we would wash our Navy wool back in the day, cheaper than the cleaners. The other thing, which someone said, is roll it up in a towel, which works. We used to roll it in a newspaper instead, same outcome.

Archergal

Some wool is superwash and can be washed in the machine and dried in the dryer.

It's never a bad idea to dry wool garments flat, though. You can get a no-rinse cleaner like Eucalan or Soak too. I have a top loading washer. I can fill the tub with warm water and one of those cleaners, put my wool stuff in, and let it sit (no agitation.) Then go straight to the spin cycle and spin the water out. Dry flat.

I know not all washers have this ability, but you can also just fill up the sink with warm water and do the same. If your washer (front or top-loader) has a spin cycle you can go straight to, you can get water out of your garments MUCH more quickly than if you wrapped them in towels and stomped on them.

A wool garment that has shrunk in the wash has felted. Its structure has changed, and most of the time you will get minimal to no size recovery, alas.

Archergal, knitter, handspinner, weaver. Knows something about wool.

rogerstg

It's a matter of degree, but my actual experience is that you do get significant recovery with hairconditioner, sometimes close to 100% with some garments.