Is it possible to wash 100% Wool pants at home?

[Alozano]

I bought a pair of wool pants from Banana Republic: Tapered Perfect Flannel Dress Pant

They're 100% wool cut from fine Italian wool flannel. They were on sale and sadly in my excitement I didn't notice the details on washing them which says they need to be dry cleaned. Unfortunately I don't live near any dry cleaning service, so that could be a problem for me. Does anyone know if there is a way to clean Wool yourself at home, without potentially ruining it? I heard you can spot clean it, or even put it in the washer, but you absolutely cannot put it in the dryer or it will ruin it by shrinking it. Anyone with experience know more about wool and if I can actually clean these pants when I need to without going to a dry cleaner?

 

[Leiker]

Yes, it's possible. I always use a dry cleaner, but there are a number of sites on the internet that describe how to handwash at home. Google "wash wool dress pants at home."

 

[rjc149]

In the interests of full disclosure (with the benefit of anonymity) I dry clean my worsted wool tailoring maybe once a year. Yep, trousers too. And I wear wool tailoring to work every day, even in summer. Unless there is a visible stain or they’ve gotten a soaking in rain, I hang the jackets and put the trousers in a trouser press after each wear, and give them a good brushing.

Frequent dry cleaning is not good for your tailored clothes and should be done periodically or only when necessary. You could definitely get away with a once or twice per year dry cleaning trip.

 

[double00]

felting happens in the wash : heat , water , soap and agitation .

if you are going to wet wash wool i'd do it by hand but things could still go wrong - if for instance there is interlining in the waistband and it's not preshrunk , then that could get blown .

if you try hand washing take measurements prior so if something shrinks you might still block them out while very wet , and then let dry completely before handling .

 

[Alozano]

In the interests of full disclosure (with the benefit of anonymity) I dry clean my worsted wool tailoring maybe once a year. Yep, trousers too. And I wear wool tailoring to work every day, even in summer. Unless there is a visible stain or they’ve gotten a soaking in rain, I hang the jackets and put the trousers in a trouser press after each wear, and give them a good brushing.

Frequent dry cleaning is not good for your tailored clothes and should be done periodically or only when necessary. You could definitely get away with a once or twice per year dry cleaning trip.

I saw something claiming wool tends to not hold smells or anything, is this true? If so, I imagine that would make it a lot more feasible to not have to wash wool all the time like with other clothing items then.

 

[rjc149]

I saw something claiming wool tends to not hold smells or anything, is this true? If so, I imagine that would make it a lot more feasible to not have to wash wool all the time like with other clothing items then.

Yes, wool is naturally anti-microbial, as most animal fur is.

Given that tailored wool clothing is not worn in direct contact with the body’s nether regions (armpits and crotch), it doesn’t absorb body odors to the degree that would require regular washing. If you wear a jacket in hot weather and neglect to wear an undershirt, it’s possible that the armpits will get a little funk, which can be remedied with a spritz of diluted rubbing alcohol or vodka and a good airing out. However, because I always wear an undershirt under a dress shirt no matter the temperature, there are two layers of absorbent cotton fabric creating a barrier for my pit funk to get to the jacket (and because I no longer wear a jacket in hot weather), I rarely deal with this issue.

Wool trousers simply don’t pick up body odor and really only need to be pressed and brushed after each wear.

The same goes for wool sweaters, which are worn in cool weather over other layers, so they don’t need routine dry cleaning.

Any wool clothing worn in direct contact with the armpits, crotch or feet, however, will get funky and will need to be washed regularly. I don’t dry clean wool socks though, they go in the wash.

 

[Axxl]

My advise: if really needed, you can wash them. Use cold water (around and not above 25 degree celsius) and a silicone free hair wash or wool degergent. Let a giod amount of water in your bathtub and add a tablespoon or two detergent/haircare. Put trousers in and let it soak. Very gently squeeze the fabric, then leave overnight. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm or cold water. Take a large towel and roll the trousers into it. Lightly sqeeze water out by pressing gently on the towel. Use a fresh towel and lay your trousers flat on top of the towel onto a drying stand. When dry, after 1 to 2 days, iron on low temperature with a cotton cloth between (eg dish towel).