Five myths about wool – and why they don’t hold up
Let’s address some of the common misconceptions about wool – is it fact or fiction?
Should you always hand wash your woollen items? Can wool only be worn in the winter? Is all wool itchy? It may be difficult to decipher between what is fact and what is fiction about woollen clothing, but we will guide you through some of the claims and reveal those that are myths.
”You can never wash wool in the washing machine” – and 4 other myths about wool, you probably believed.
You’ve probably heard that wool is difficult to wash and believe that woollen clothing is just for winter and not summer. You may have also been told that you should be careful when dressing your children in wool as it is difficult to go back to other materials.
But are these even true?
We have delved into five common claims about wool, and found that really, they are nothing more than myths.
1. Wool is too warm
Whilst wool can help keep you warm when it is cold outside, it can also cool you down when you get too hot. It is the temperature regulating properties of the wool that mean it can be used in warmer temperatures too. Additionally, wool is moisture absorbing and will keep you dry, even when you are wet from sweat. So, ignore the myth that says wool can only be used during the winter; you can wear it all-year round.
2. Wool is itchy
You may remember your woollen sweaters from when you were a child that were itchy and uncomfortable, but wool production has progressed since then and a lot of woollen clothing isn’t itchy. For instance, you can buy soft merino wool clothing from DILLING. The wool we use has undergone an environmentally neutral treatment to remove itchy hairs, providing you with luxuriously soft clothing. If you want an even more luxurious product, you can choose our wool/silk blend products. It is also worth noting that wool is less itchy when warm, therefore you might want to wear it for a few minutes before saying it is itchy and no good.
3. Wool is hard to wash
Many people believe that wool items are difficult to wash and fear the day their favourite woollen sweater shrinks to size XXS, but actually it isn’t that difficult to deal with wool. If you buy DILLING’s wool clothing, you can machine wash it as long as you use a wool detergent and wool setting (30 degrees). You can also wash wool by hand, but don’t soak it. All woollen garments vary in what is the best way to wash them, so you should follow their specific instructions. It is also worth remembering that wool doesn’t need to be washed often, as it is self-cleaning.
4. Wool harms your child's ability to regulate their own temperature
Another well-known myth about wool is that once you start wearing it, you always have to wear wool. The myth suggests that wool clothing affects your child’s ability to regulate their own temperature, and they can’t go back to wearing cotton clothing without risking getting sick. Truthfully, wool doesn’t affect your child’s ability to regulate their temperature, so you can confidently wear wool one day and cotton the next.
5. Wool clothing is only available in dull colours
The belief that woollen clothing is dull and boring is very much a myth. It is true that for many years the wool market was dominated by natural wool, but today wool clothing comes in lots of different colours and designs. At DILLING, you can get products in neutral colours such as black, white, and grey, but also in rose, blue, green, and purple. So, you can feel stylish and colourful in your woollen clothing.
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