Wool Fabrics Care Guide

Wool fabrics are prized for their structure, resilience, and natural performance qualities. With the right care, they will retain their shape, handle, and appearance for many years, but like all premium textiles Wool benefits from thoughtful handling. Whether you're tailoring a suiting weight, shaping a boiled wool jacket, or working with a soft flannel or melton, gentle care will help preserve its structure, drape, and finish for years to come.

This guide covers the essentials that apply across the board, along with a few extra pointers for Boiled Wool fabrics, where they need slightly different handling. As with all our fabrics, individual pieces can vary depending on weight, weave, and finish, so use this as your starting point and always test a swatch first if you're unsure.

All Woollen fabrics need slightly different treatment as they vary in weight, weave, texture and handle.

Please use this page as a general guide to caring for your wool fabrics.

Preparation for Sewing

Laundering

We do advise caring for your fabric prior to sewing, but only if you will need to repeat this process when your sewing project is complete. If no post-sewing laundry is required, then neither is the pre-sewing laundry. Some natural fibres are prone to shrinkage, and a fabric's properties may change once washed by you.

If you intend to pre-launder/treat the fabric do this before cutting. Use the same laundry method here that you plan to use once sewing is complete.

Dry Cleaning: Use a dry cleaning facility for a water-free and safe laundering process. The safest and most appropriate option for caring for wool fabrics.

Washing Machine: Some wool fabrics can be laundered in your domestic washing machine at home. Use a wool-friendly detergent, on an appropriate cycle (Wool or Delicates). We suggest conducting a wash test first, by cutting a small sample piece of fabric and measuring its dimensions. Wash this sample piece the way that you would expect to wash this type of fabric, as if it were a garment. Once the machine’s cycle has finished, leave to dry naturally. When dry, measure the size of the sample again and compare the size to see if any shrinkage has occurred. Make allowances for washing the remaining length of fabric. This process is not recommended for loosely woven fabrics.

Sink of water: More of a rinse than a launder. Fill a sink with cold water and add a small amount of wool-friendly detergent. Submerge the fabric and gently press it under the water. Do not rub, scrub, or wring. Let it soak for 5–10 minutes. Rinse in clean cold water, press out excess moisture, and lay flat on a towel to air-dry away from heat or direct sunlight

For very open/loosely woven fabrics we do not advise washing as these fibres are prone to severe shrinkage and would not be expected to be laundered once made up as garments. If you feel the need to wash such fabrics, we do stress that you wash a small sample sized piece first. We strongly advise taking extra care when handling new fabrics, Fabworks is not liable for any damage caused once it is the possession of the customer.

Drying

Never wring or twist wool. Remove excess water gently and reshape the fabric while damp. Where the fabric may stretch or lose its shape, drying flat is generally the safest option. Avoid direct heat, as this can cause shrinkage or distortion. We would recommend spot cleaning and refreshing your wool fabrics in order to avoid drying wool to keep it in it's best condition for as long as possible.

Refreshing & Odour Removal

Wool is naturally odour-resistant and often benefits from airing rather than washing.

Hang garments in fresh air to refresh between wears.
Use a clothes steamer to remove light creases and revive fibres.
Avoid direct heat or heavy steam pressure.

Pressing & Ironing

Use a low to medium heat with steam.
Always press from the reverse side or use a pressing cloth.
Do not stretch the fabric while warm.
A wool clapper can be used to help flatten seams - particularly useful during garment construction for a neat finish.

Proper care will allow wool fabrics to age beautifully, developing character while maintaining their woolly qualities.

We encourage careful handling of all wool fabrics. Please note that Fabworks cannot be held responsible for any damage once fabrics are in the possession of the customer.

Storage

Store garments on supportive hangers or folded carefully.
Allow space between garments to prevent crushing.
Use breathable garment bags for long-term storage.
Protect from moths using natural deterrents such as cedar or lavender.

Caring for Boiled Wool Fabrics

Boiled wool is a bit of a rule-breaker in the wool family, it's already been shrunk and felted during the production process, giving it a dense, cushioned handle that's more forgiving than a woven wool. That said, it still deserves a gentle touch to keep its lovely structure intact:

Washing: its felted finish makes it more shrink-resistant than woven wool, but we'd still steer clear of the washing machine. Use a damp cloth for spot cleaning, or an occasional gentle hand wash in lukewarm water with a wool-friendly detergent, is all it really needs.

Ironing: you'll rarely need to reach for the iron thanks to its dense finish, if you do, keep it low-medium heat with steam, and always press from the reverse.

Bonus: as it's knitted rather than woven, boiled wool won't fray, so there's no need to finish your edges, one less job for you and one of the many reasons we love Boiled Wool!