Washing Merino Wool

Merino wool is soft and easy to care for. If you follow our recommendations, the wool fibers will maintain their natural structure, and the garment will stay resilient and looking good even after frequent use.
 

Dry, air out, and reuse

Wool does not get dirty in the same way as other clothing, so you don’t need to wash wool garments very often. Dry them after use, hang them up to air, and use them again. Good for both your wallet and the environment! Machine washing consumes both water and energy.

Even though Brynje’s wool garments often can be aired instead of washed, they do still need washing from time to time. Washing helps the garment keep its shape. In addition, washing is important for durability because sweat contains salts that will gradually weaken the fibers over time.
 

Washing instructions

See separate washing advice for firefighters that helps reduce cancer risk.

Wool garments can be washed in the washing machine. The wool and hand-wash programs on modern washing machines are just as gentle as handwashing - often even gentler.

• Always use the wool cycle, max 30–40°C. Washing at more than 40°C on a regular clothing program is not recommended because it wears down the wool fibers. The garments may also shrink because a regular wash cycle exposes them to too much movement.
• Use wool detergent that does not contain enzymes or bleach.
• Dose the detergent for about a half-full machine. Too much detergent makes rinsing more difficult and results in poorer cleaning. Check whether your municipality has hard or soft water; soft water requires less detergent.
• No Brynje products need fabric softener. Fabric softener is an unnecessary cost and releases chemicals into the environment.
• Do not overload the washing machine.
• Wool does not tolerate chlorine and must not be soaked.
• Wool must never be tumble dried.
• Spinning at full speed is fine. This leaves the garments dry enough to be hung directly to dry without further treatment.

How to maintain the shape of your wool garments

• To help your wool garments keep their shape as well as possible, you can gently stretch them while they are still wet. Shape the garment back to its original form – and the best option is to let it dry flat.
• If the wool garment changes shape, it may be because you used the wrong detergent or washed it too often. If you hang dripping wet, heavy garments on a clothes hanger, they may also stretch out of shape.

Shrinking and washing at high temperatures

Many believe wool cannot be boiled because it supposedly shrinks. This is not true - wool can be boiled for those who wish to do so. To shrink or felt wool, it must be exposed to movement. The most common reason wool shrinks is washing on a regular clothing program with lots of agitation. If wool shrinks, you can try gently stretching it back into shape while it is wet. 

Washing at more than 40°C on a regular clothing program is not recommended because it wears down the wool fibers. The garments may also shrink because a regular wash cycle exposes them to too much movement.

Wool mesh shrinks easily, so it is especially important to wash it gently on a wool cycle.