SOFT touch

THE KEY TO PERFECT WOOLLENS – SUDSING

We’ll soon be getting our winter jumpers out and I like to give mine a wash before wearing them. I’ve had a look through one of my books from the early 1900s and found the proper way to wash woollen clothing using the method our grandmothers used to use.

It is a very delicate art because wool fibres can easily be wrecked if they are crushed or stretched, so you have to be gentle. Here’s how to “sud”. The writer would probably have used Lux soap flakes or grated Sunlight soap. You can now buy special wool wash in stores, so use that if you like:

“Allow the suds (this is water with soap added) to become cool enough to bear the hand comfortably before putting in the flannels. Wash one at a time as quickly as possible. Do not rub soap on them or rub them on a washboard.

Souse them up and down in the water, then rub together with the hands until cleaned. Do not wring by twisting, but squeeze out the soapsuds with your hands, shake out carefully, stretch, then wash in a second lather weaker than the first. Rinse in warm water near the temperature of the suds as possible, to which a little bluing may be added. Press out the rinsing water, shake vigorously and stretch the articles to prevent shrinking.

Pull each piece as nearly as possible into its proper shape and hang up carefully in such a way that the shape may be preserved. A clear, bright day with sunshine and a light breeze is desirable. Flannels should be taken down while still slightly damp and rolled up in a dry cloth. If the weather is not clear, they may be dried indoors, but not near the stove. The object should be to avoid extreme changes of temperature, as these cause flannels to shrink and become hard.”

I also add 1 tbsp white vinegar to the final rinse to get rid of any lingering soapsuds and any traces of artificial perfume. I’d also suggest not drying woollens in our harsh direct sunlight but put them under shade.