All Ekotree knitwear is made using 100% natural luxurious yarns. We knit and finish our Irish knitwear in a special way to bring an intrinsic feeling of softness, comfort, and warmth to the wearer. Washing Ekotree knitwear correctly will multiply this feeling by helping you get even more wear out of each piece – ensuring its longevity, and making it worth every penny.But carelessly putting an Ekotree merino Aran sweater or Ekotree cashmere travel wrap into a washing machine with the rest of the laundry means it’s gone forever.

Preparation

There are several things you should have beforehand.

Basin

The basin should be big enough so you can easily rinse or swirl the garment. A small basin forces you to wring the garment, which is not recommended. Detergent/Soap: In general, you should choose mild detergent or soap for washing knitwear. There are special detergents available for knitwear in most big supermarkets. Towel: At least two big towels for drying.

Sheep’s Wool: Merino

We use superfine lamb's wool merino and it has amazing properties for winter wear – a low rate of heat release and it absorbs moisture readily. Merino can be wrinkled, twisted or stretched and recovers its natural shape rapidly due to its elasticity. It is also very strong. Merino has highest warmth to weight ratio for any wool type. It is known for extreme softness, superior shine and great breathability. It also has an extremely beneficial property in that it is naturally resistant to odours. Washing by Hand Use warm water and mix it with some mild liquid soap. You can use special wool washing fluids that utilises cold water but remember to read our care labeling first. Submerge the garment in the water and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Carefully rinse the garment in warm water. When you’re done with rinsing, squeeze as much water as you can from the garment.Remember to not twist or wring the garment. Wrap the garment in a towel. Gently squeeze or wring the towel. Unwrap, lay it flat on a new towel and let it air dry in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Remember: Never put a fine wool garment into a dryer/tumble dryer.

Dry Cleaning

If you don’t want to get involved with the whole process above, send your merino to the dry cleaner. Most merino wool apparel can be cleaned by a dry cleaner. However, you should be cautious because frequent use of harsh chemicals can negatively affect the softness and drape of the knit. NEVER put your lambswool merino in a washing machine, even on a wool cycle programme. NEVER put into a dryer.

Cashmere

Besides our lambs wool merino and alpaca there is only one yarn that we can safely say is softer. Cashmere is extremely soft, luxury fabric made from the hair of the Kashmir goat. Cashmere is actually the wool that grows beneath the goat’s coarser outer. It protects the goat from harsh winter weather and only a very limited amount of cashmere can be harvested each year. That’s why it’s considered a luxury fabric. Although it has the amazing properties of luxury fabric, cashmere is actually very sensitive. It’s not known for its durability. Again: NEVER put cashmere in a washing machine, even on a knitwear/wool cycle programme. NEVER put into a dryer. NEVER hang a cashmere sweater. It will cause stretch marks and lines.

Washing By Hand

Use warm water and mix it with a gentle detergent. There are special detergents for cashmere available (remember to read instructions before use). Submerge the garment and soak it for 10-15 minutes. Carefully rinse the garment in warm water. Press out or squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Do not wring it Place it flat on a dry towel, keep it away from sunlight and let it air-dry.

Alpaca

Fill a clean sink or tub with cold water and a small amount of mild liquid detergent like baby shampoo or a fine fibers formula. (Using hot water, or even two different temperatures of water, will “shock” the fibers, making them mat together and start turning into felt.) Do not use chlorine bleach or even gentle Woolite, as these harsh cleaners will cause damage. Soak the garment for 3 to 5 minutes, gently squeezing the suds through the garment. Avoid twisting, wringing, scrubbing, or otherwise agitating it, as this will cause felting. Dyed garments will have some chance of bleed, but since alpaca fiber takes dyeing better than most other fibers, this shouldn’t be a problem after the first wash. Rinse the garment twice in clean, cold water and gently squeeze out the excess. Be gentle handling it to avoid wrinkles and distortion. Lay the garment between two towels, roll up the towels and set it aside for a few minutes. Place the garment on a dry towel or sweater rack and reshape (do not hang to dry). Let it dry away from sunlight and direct heat. If the garment is wrinkled after drying, you can steam it lightly with an iron, or simply hang it up in the bathroom, run the shower, and let the steam ease away the creases. If you don’t have the time to hand-wash your alpaca garments, you can always take them to a professional dry-cleaner. Bring along any labels or care tags that came with the garment, and be sure to point out any spots and stains so they can use the best method to remove them.

Conclusion

Spending the time and effort hand washing your knitwear might not be very desirable thing especially when your schedule is tight. But as you can see, the sensitivity and value of our knitwear makes it worth your time. Moreover, it’s unlikely that you will have to wash your knitwear once every week, so why not dedicate a couple of hours (or a morning) one weekend to wash multiple items in one sitting? It’s actually recommended you wash your sweaters just once or twice every season in order to maintain their shape and resilience. If that still doesn’t motivate you to take greater care of the MONEY YOU have invested then consider the benefits: Properly washed Ekotree knitwear can last multiple years.