How do I wash wool trousers??

be-happy_2

Update:

Hand washed them and dried on the line. They have shrunk a bit, but are otherwise fine (they were too big anyway so now fit perfectly lol).

LITTLEMOO_3

I've had some wool trousers for years and I've never dry cleaned them - always in the machine. I try to put them on a low woolie wash but sometimes I forget and put them in my ordinary wash!

If you're really worried you could try putting them in a pillow case first.

Seakay

A machine wool wash should be fine for wool fabric trousers.
If you can get them out of the machine after the rinse but before the spin then drip drying will eliminate a lot of the need for pressing.
I started machine washing my dinner suit (with a skirt, but the same principle) when I realised that dry cleaning was actually wearing it out faster - in fact the lining material started to disintigrate, especially on the skirt which was getting the most wear anyway ( I was sitting down mostly as I was wearing it at work when I was an inspector in a casino).
I dried the jacket with a rolled up towel shoved down both sleeves and hanging it up on a broad hanger rather than a wire one - just needed a little touching up with an iron - always do lapels from behind them, not from on top on the right side or you end up with knife edge creases. I allowed the jacket a couple of turns of the spin just to shake most of the water out and then got it out of the machine to drip dry, the skirt too.

Angelina-M

I've been ill so still havent gotten round to pressing these trousers, however they look to have dried ok... just very creasy.

Hopefully I'll feel up to pressing them in the next day or two and can report back on the success... hopefully!

whatatwit

Angelina-M wrote: »

I've been ill so still havent gotten round to pressing these trousers, however they look to have dried ok... just very creasy.

Hopefully I'll feel up to pressing them in the next day or two and can report back on the success... hopefully!

I noticed the update and wondered if we had a sucess story or if they now looked like this. :eek:

Seakay

Angelina-M wrote: »

I've been ill so still havent gotten round to pressing these trousers, however they look to have dried ok... just very creasy.

Hopefully I'll feel up to pressing them in the next day or two and can report back on the success... hopefully!

If looking like a nightmare to iron or press, rinse again and hang up to drip dry - this should take out a lot of the creases and give you a head start.

Grandmasu

I have just returned from a shopping trip with a pure silk suit with fully lined skirt. It is summer weight and says "dry clean" only. I hope from taking advice from all you good people regarding the wool trousers that I also might be able to machine wash on a very gentle wash.

I do hope so it was only £7 and will look really smart for work and very economical if I can wash it.

Good luck with your trousers Angelina.

pigpen

wool stuff I sling in the WM on the wool cycle.. and press while damp.

Silk.. I will not even buy it.. it is impossible to get it decent looking washing it in the WM.. it always shrinks.. whatever cycle you put it on and you have to iron it when quite damp or the creases are in it forever. NASTY stuff.. EVIL stuff.. Creation of the devil!

Jei70

Peartree wrote: »

It actually makes me quite cross when you see dry cleaning labels on so many fabrics which clearly aren't.

How do you know which ones are or aren't? I'm afraid I'm rather ignorant about fabrics and whether they can be laundered in a WM, handwashed or dry cleaned. Is there a website or even a book about this?

Angelina-M

Well I finally ironed (pressed) the trousers. They washed well so no complaints there however it was a real pain getting a crease in the front. They already had a crease in them and I kept doing tram lines down the front

I think I will do them again but find a better way to iron them as I was clumsy