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hand wash classic/dress wool trousers

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15K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  coase  
#1 ·
I nearly wear wool trousers everyday as I just feel it looks so good and classic, but I wear them too often and just wondered can I hand wash my dress pants? heavy/worsted/flannel wool? And is there any tips?:eek::eek::eek:
 
#2 ·
I'd say don't do it, and I'm a big fan of washing stuff. A woven wool is not as forgiving as (for example) a knitted wool. You may find that the weave crumples a bit (hard to describe exactly what I mean but the fabric will no longer be smooth). You may also find that the seams pucker. If there is some fabric shrinkage, it will likely be inconsistent with the (minimal) shrinkage of the thread used in the seams. The facing and interfacing fabrics will also react to wetness differently than the wool.

If you are determined to try, do it with an old pair of pants you no longer care about. Use cold water only. Gentle soap. Roll in a towel to soak up excess moisture. Hang to dry, using a pant hanger on the cuffs (so the pants dry upside down, the extra weight of the waist/pockets area may help ease them back to their regular shape). Keep them in a cool dark place to dry.

If you do decide to try it, good luck! And please let us know how it go
 
#5 ·
I've read posts in the past where people thought wool needed cleaning after every wearing like cotton but I'm sure a recent thread reaffirmed that less is more with dry cleaning.

Isn't there some Dryel thing that sorts out odors in a dryer? I've never used it.
 
#6 ·
I have washed various pairs of heavy wool trousers and riding breeches in the past - both cavalry twill and Bedford cord, the latter being an 80% wool 20% cotton mixture. This was in a machine set on a very low temperature and using special soap for woollens (called 'woolite'). They were dried by spinning followed by hanging on a line. There was no shrinkage, but ironing them was a chore.

The low temperature is crucial - I washed another pair of trousers, a heavyweight wool twill, at a warmer setting, and these shrank to the extent that the turn-ups had to be turned down afterwards. There was also some mild fraying around the waistband, although that may have been present before the wash.

Overall, I would say this form of laundering is preferable to dry cleaning, but there are definite risks involved. I have an aversion to dry cleaning chemicals so consider the risk worthwhile.
 
#8 ·
Unless there is a tag in the garment that identifies it as being made of washable wool, I would not recommend attempting laundering it unless you can afford (emotionally or financially;)) the loss of the garment. My wife has been able to successfully launder almost all of my wool sweaters, whether they were made of washable wool on not! She has not been so successful laundering wool dress trousers and has been banned from making future attempts at such. Hence my original caution to you, but do as you must and if you should attempt the inadvisable, let us know how they turn out. LOL. ;)
 
#10 ·
For lightly soiled trousers with no visible stains, I find the Dryel kit for the home dryer to work well. I've used it for scarves, sweaters, and pants without problems. I save dry cleaning for more serious cleaning.