Care of wool

Thank-you for purchasing a handwoven textile from Born in a Field. I hope that your piece will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Please note that I cannot accept responsibility for any damage caused to your item as a result of cleaning, washing or repairing. If in doubt seek advice from a professional dry cleaner. If you have any issues please do get in touch and I will do my best to resolve it for you.

Here is some helpful advice:

Washing Wool Wool has an amazing ability to absorb and desorb moisture. The surface of pure wool makes it easy to brush dirt off and for stains to lift out. This means that woolen items should need very occasional if at all washing.

For small items, careful handwashing is usually the safest and gentlest way to clean your item. All of my handwoven blankets and cloth are wet finished after weaving to ensure the soft finish.

Only wash when necessary.
Use warm but not hot water (maximum 30°C) with a mild detergent suitable for wool.
Leave to soak for a few minutes then move the item around very gently to wash. Do not rub, squeeze or wring woolen textiles as this can damage the fibre.
Rinsing water should be a similar temperature to the water the item was washed in – extreme changes in temperature during washing can also cause wool to felt and shrink.
After the final rinse, Roll or gently squeeze in a clean towel, ease the item into shape and leave to air dry naturally. Lay the item to dry. Do not put the item directly on heat and never tumble dry.
Press at a low temperature setting whilst protecting the surface of the wool with muslin.

Some items may be machine washed using your machine’s special wool setting at 30°C maximum and a specialist wool detergent for a maximum duration 0f 35 mins - No spin. Please only machine wash if you have tried and tested the wool setting on other pure woolen items.

Dry cleaning is often preferable - please seek advice from your professional dry cleaner.

Protection from pests. Moths love dark, warm, undisturbed places, so pose the greatest risk to wooly textiles when they are not being used regularly and are in storage. To prevent damage:

Always ensure your wooly items are clean and completely dry before storing.
Give storage areas a regular vacuum.
When not in use for long periods, store items in sealed clean boxes/bags preferable seperate the items and use natural moth deterrents, replacing every 3 months during storage.
General Care - Please take care of your handwoven piece. If the cloth gets a snag it can often be easily repaired with a needle or crochet hook. Carefully trim any loose ends of fringing as and when necessary and bobbling can easily be removed without any harm to the product or of course contact me for advice.

With this care your woollen item will last a lifetime.