You’ve just purchased a wool bedding product, and want to take the best care of it possible. As a fibre, wool is part of many of our lives, though its care is often an enigma. Nobody wants to have their wool products end up like that proverbial wool sweater, washed once and shrunk from an adult’s to an infant’s size. So, how do you proceed? With mindful and informed care, your wool products can retain their vitality and provide comfort for many years.
Maintaining Vitality Through Fresh Air and Sunshine
Wool is naturally absorbent, and will take in up to 30% of its weight in moisture. As a primary care measure, we recommend that you ‘unmake’ your bed each morning. While this may go against many standards for bedding etiquette, doing so is of great benefit to the cleanliness and freshness of your bedding ensemble. Any moisture that was absorbed during the night will have an opportunity to disperse and evaporate, leaving your bedding refreshed and ready to rest within when you next use it.
Another routine practice we recommend is to ‘sun’ your wool bedding once or twice a year. Hanging or draping your wool bedding out in direct sunlight allows the fibre to be bleached, deodorized and disinfected through this natural process. After a long winter, this can be just the right step to take to revitalize your bedding.
Spot Clean, But Avoid The Wash
To spot clean specific areas of your wool bedding, gently run lukewarm to cold water directly through the area of focus. Do not submerge it completely, as this will result in a sopping wet product that might stretch, change form and need to be spun to dry. Once the area of focus is saturated, apply a small amount of either hydrogen peroxide or a biodegradable stain remover and gently work the suds through, ensuring that you do not agitate the wool. After gently working the suds through, run lukewarm water through your product once more and repeat the process if needed. Next, squeeze out the excess water, being careful not to wring the fibres, and finally, blot and wrap the wool product in a dry towel and hang or lay flat to dry.
We do not recommend frequent washing of wool products, as this increases the possibility of felting and malformation of fibres. All wool bedding products should be covered with an organic cotton sheet or casing, which, when washed regularly, should provide an adequate barrier from debris in your environment. However, if you need to wash your wool bedding, we recommend that you take great care in the process and follow the individual instructions given with your wool product.
Curbing Compression
As with all natural products, there will be some compression over a wool product’s lifetime. This is caused by our body weight gradually forming impressions on our sleep surfaces. To prevent premature compression of your wool mattress, topper or mattress pad, rotate it periodically before making your bed. Sleeping on a different part of the surface with each rotation allows for a more even distribution of the overall weight it is subjected to, thereby increasing the longevity of the product. In addition, to revive compressed toppers, gently pull apart the fibres of the top and bottom of the compressed area to restore the loft and pillow-like feel.
Revitalizing Your Wool-Filled Pillow
Head and body pillows, as with sleep surfaces, need similar care. If you notice irregular impressions beginning to form in your pillow, simply unzip your inner pillow casing to access the loose wool fibre, fluff it up to your satisfied loft, add additional fill if need be, and re-seal your pillow cover.
In Conclusion
Wool is hypoallergenic, resistant to dust mites, mold and mildew, making it an ideal part of your bedding ensemble. It is flame resistant, immensely absorbent and temperature regulating. With consistent and mindful care, your wool products can last for many years. For many, the merits of wool make it their fibre of choice.
