Tips for washing and keeping wool and felt coats new

Tired of dry cleaning? Learn how to wash wool and tweed jackets at home to keep them smelling fresh and pill-free .

How to clean wool and felt coats without losing their shape

Don't ruin your winter vacation photos with a stained and shrunken wool or wool coat. Instead, learn how to wash a wool coat and why machine washing shouldn't be your first choice.

Always check the washing instructions tag on the garment and follow them.

A general rule when washing any new item of clothing is to look at the label. They usually have clearly written care instructions, such as tumble dry, machine wash, etc.

Dry clean wool/wool coats whenever possible

When it comes to wool coats, most manufacturers recommend dry cleaning. If you've bought them secondhand and the tags are missing, err on the side of caution and take them to a dry cleaner. You don't want to accidentally discolor, shrink, or ruin a perfectly good wool coat, so the risk isn't worth it.

Hand washing is the best choice at home

Just one bad dry cleaning is enough to ruin the whole concept for most people. If you have some dry cleaning supplies or are on a tight budget, you can hand wash your sweaters and coats at home.

How to wash wool/wool at home:

1. Fill a bathtub or large container with cool to lukewarm water.
2. While the water is running, add the bleach, a wool-safe cleaner.
3. Soak the wool coat for 15-30 minutes, making sure the entire coat is immersed in water.
4. Rinse until water runs clear.
5. Spread flat to dry.

You can machine wash wool and tweed coats, but be careful.

Technically, you can machine wash wool and wool coats. However, not all machines are suitable for washing wool coats or washing machines. Tailored coats with heavy linings may not be suitable for being tossed around, and front-loading washing machines are not suitable for washing them.

However, if you want to try washing a wool coat in a top-loading washing machine, you don't need to change too much from your regular washing cycle.

If your washing machine has a wool or delicates setting, use that. But if not, use a gentle wash. Make sure you're washing on a cool setting and using a detergent that's safe for wool or wool. Give your wool coats a better chance of getting clean by placing them in a mesh laundry bag. This will help keep linings and hems from snagging or unraveling during the wash.

After washing, lay the jacket flat to dry.

Never use a dryer to dry wool or felt items.

One big no-no when washing wool or wool is to put it in the dryer. The heat from the dryer can cause the garment to shrink, and the friction can increase pilling. For wool, you should dry it the traditional way. If you are concerned about the texture, lay the coat flat to dry. Depending on the thickness of the wool, this may take a while, so don't drape it over any high-traffic areas.

You can also hang your wool coat to dry until it is damp, then transfer it to a soft hanger. A padded hanger will not stretch a wet wool coat as much as a metal or wooden hanger.

How to clean odors on wool sweaters

As an outer garment, coats are exposed to a lot of environmental influences. They can absorb all sorts of odors and the places we store them in can be a bit tricky to deodorize. To deodorize your coat, you can:

1. Use a steam iron: Sometimes, all you need is a little steam to remove odors.
2. Spray vodka on your shirt: It may sound crazy, but vodka can deodorize. However, test it on an inside seam first to check for any adverse reactions.
3. Pour baking soda on your coat: Baking soda is a go-to odor remedy, and it can work just as well on your wool coat. You should try this method in conjunction with washing your coat to make sure all the little baking soda particles are washed out.
4. Hang the shirt out in the sun for a few hours: The sun's UV rays don't just burn you; they can also remove odors. While a few hours in the sun won't fade the color, it's best not to rely on this as a weekly deodorizing method.

How to keep wool and felt from pilling

No matter how careful you are, natural fibers will pill. Win the war against pilling with these helpful tools:

1. Fabric Shaver: Professionals use a fabric shaver to remove lint at the source. If you're new to using one, try it on something less delicate than your jacket first.
2. Lint Roller: After each wear of your jacket, use a lint roller.
3. Lice comb: This is definitely the weirdest tool some people use to comb out the lint on their wool coats. But if you only notice lint in a few areas, you can use it to remove it.
4. Double-edged razor: If you have the steady hand of a surgeon, you can use a double-edged razor to brush straight into the lint.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 17 January 2025