Air rather than wash. Most of what people wash out of wool is air-soluble; a dry, breezy day outdoors for a few hours does more than a wash cycle and does not touch the loft. Wash only when it is actually soiled.
When the label says machine washable: cold water, gentle cycle, wool-safe or neutral detergent, no fabric softener, no bleach. Tumble dry on low or lay flat. Never wash wool in hot water and never move it from hot to cold — the shock is what felts it.
When the label says dry clean or hand wash: fill a tub with cold water and a capful of wool wash, submerge, press gently, and leave it fifteen minutes. Drain, press the water out (never wring), roll in a towel, then dry flat away from direct heat.
A napped wool face will pill in its first season. That is the loose surface fibre working itself out, and it stops. Shave with a sweater comb or a battery pill shaver; do not pull the pills off, which drags fibre out of the cloth.
Machine wash warm, tumble dry medium. Cotton softens for the first ten washes and then holds. Skip fabric softener — it coats the fibre and reduces absorbency, which is the opposite of what you want in a towel.
Wash warm and dry on low. Linen relaxes and softens for the first dozen washes, then holds. Press damp if you want it crisp; skip the iron entirely if you do not.
Moths eat soiled wool, not clean wool. Store clean, in a breathable cotton bag, not sealed plastic. Cedar and lavender help; they are not a substitute for washing before storage.
Blot, never rub. Cold water for protein stains; a drop of neutral detergent in cold water for most else. If a stain has set, send it to us before you try anything harsh — we have taken worse out on the finishing floor.
We re-bind a worn edge on any wool blanket we wove, for as long as we are in business, for the cost of shipping both ways. Write to support@shuttlebrookwoolenmill.shop with a photograph.