# washing mole hair sweater



## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

HI there. My sister knitted me a couple of mole hair sweaters years ago - drop dead gorgeous both of them and the warmest things I've ever donned - I can stand in a blizzard and not feel it. i think I have the yarn right - it's the itchy kind many folks can't wear - looks soft and fuzzy, people always want to pet me when I wear them out....

anyway, they're old and desperately in need of washing. I was told though that they can't be washed, not even dry cleaned...????

Well, certainly not in a washer - even on gentle, this I know - so I waited as long as I could and decided that there's no loss in trying.

I hand washed them in cold water in the sink with Woolite. (Interestingly, the instructions for hand washing aren't even on the bottle anymore - I guess hand washing is a lost art too these days). Problem is - I could not get enough water out after rinsing - they're pretty heavy sweaters - so had to gently wring them. I flattened them (blocked them?) on towels and have them laying flat now to dry out -but they seem really long - as if they'd fit a gorilla. I probably should not have wrung them out, but I didn't know what else to do - they're still pretty loaded with water.

Will they shrink up a bit after drying?Do I risk four or five minutes in the dryer on gentle after a while? How can I get them back to a reasonable shape? 

Thanks in advance for your advice. 

- waterlogged in Seattle


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## Waiting Falcon (Nov 25, 2010)

Mohair or any wool , have towels and roll the wet garment up in the towel. You can put it in the drain board or somewhere the water can seep out. You can gently squeeze water out but never wring. And never hang wet , it has to dry flat with no weight on it to retain shape. 
I have left wool sweaters etc. Rolled in a towel for may 24 hours before carefully laying flat on a thick dry towel.
But you probably have not ruined it. Least I hope not, worst comes to worst it may be felted.


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

Good advice. You have a nice sister!

You can lay out the sweaters and block them to the correct dimensions while they are still damp.

Some years ago, Woolite changed the formula to remove blood, perspiration, etc., from exercise clothing which is primarily synthetic fibers. That formula contained enzymes that digest proteins so it was recommended that it not be used on protein fibers like wool, silk, mohair, alpaca, etc. NOW, having said that, I don't have any documentation that indicates that the formula is still the one for synthetics. 

I use a mild dish detergent or even a cheap shampoo to wash raw wool, my woolens and similar garments. Lots of water--always the same temperature so you don't felt the fabrics--then a glug of vinegar to remove any residue and more rinsing. Roll in towels as the previous poster mentioned and lay on a flat surface to dry. I have some old window screens that I lay across a folding laundry rack--works like a champ because air can circulate through everything.


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