Most ruined jumpers are ruined in the wash, and almost always the same way: heat and agitation. Wool fibres are covered in microscopic scales, and hot water plus movement locks those scales together permanently. That is felting, it is what a machine wash does, and it cannot be undone. The good news is that washing wool properly is easy, and needs doing far less often than you think. Here is the method, and what to do when things have already gone wrong.
The short version
Hand wash in cool water with a wool detergent, press the water out without wringing, pull the jumper gently into shape, and dry it flat. Never machine wash, never tumble dry. That is the whole of the care label on Gloverall's merino knitwear, and it is not being precious: it is what the fibre needs.
Hand washing, step by step
Fill a basin with cool water and dissolve a small amount of wool detergent. Turn the jumper inside out, submerge it, and squeeze gently for a minute or two; do not rub or wring. Rinse in cool water until it runs clear. Press the jumper against the side of the basin to get the worst of the water out, then lay it on a towel, roll the towel up to blot, and unroll.
Drying
Lay the jumper flat on a dry towel or a mesh rack, pull it gently back to its proper shape, and leave it away from direct heat and sunlight. Never hang a wet jumper: the weight of the water stretches it permanently at the shoulders. Never tumble dry: that is the felting machine.
If it has already shrunk
Sometimes recoverable, sometimes not. Soak the jumper in lukewarm water with a generous amount of hair conditioner for half an hour, which relaxes the fibres, then ease it back towards its original dimensions while damp and dry it flat. Mild shrinkage often responds; a fully felted jumper, dense and stiff to the touch, will not come back.
Bobbles, and what they mean
Pilling is loose fibre ends tangling at points of friction, the forearms, the sides, under a coat's sleeves. It is normal in a knit's early life and it is not a defect. Lift bobbles off with a cashmere comb or a purpose-made de-piller, working gently across the surface. Fine merino pills less than most wools and settles down after the first few wears and washes.
Between washes
Wool cleans itself better than any machine does. It resists odour naturally, so a jumper worn over a shirt rarely needs washing more than a few times a season: air it overnight instead, and brush off any dry surface marks. When the season ends, store knitwear folded, never on hangers, clean, and somewhere moths cannot reach; cedar helps.
The Gloverall specifics
Most jumpers in the knitwear collection are 100% merino and hand wash only; the brushed lambswool Oxford takes a gentle delicate wash instead. The exact care instructions are on each product page. The coats are a different matter: wool coats, duffles and peacoats are dry clean only, and their working parts, toggles and ropes, can be replaced from the Care & Repair collection when the years catch up with them.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wash a wool jumper in the washing machine?
Not a Gloverall one. The care label says hand wash only, and machine agitation is the single most common cause of felted, shrunken knitwear, wool cycle or not.
Why did my jumper shrink in the wash?
Heat and agitation felted it: the fibre's scales locked together and pulled the knit tight. Mild cases can be relaxed with a lukewarm soak and conditioner; dense felting is permanent.
How often should you wash a wool jumper?
Far less than cotton. Wool resists odour naturally, so airing a jumper overnight after wear does most of the work; a few washes a season is usually plenty.
Should a wool jumper be dried on a hanger?
No. Wet wool stretches under its own weight, so a hanger gives you dropped shoulders and a longer jumper than you bought. Dry it flat, pulled gently to shape.
