Handwoven shawl

Caring for handwovens is easy!

Many people think that all handwoven items are really hard to care for.  This couldn’t be further from the truth!  Here are tips for keeping your handwoven items looking new.

First, remember that the sun is the enemy of any textile.  It makes me cringe when I see a quilt or a handwoven blanket casually thrown over the back of the couch, where it sits in the sun, day in and day out.  The sun will bleach out the colors, causing faded areas.  Plus the sun’s rays will weaken the fibers, eventually causing them to disintegrate.

Don’t hesitate to use your handwoven item, but don’t leave them in the sun for months on end.  (This goes for quilts, as well.)

The easiest way to wash a handwoven shawl, throw, or scarf is to put it in the washing machine.  Yep, you heard me right.  The secret is to NEVER allow the washer to agitate.  Simply run some cool water into your washer and add either a small amount of laundry detergent, or shampoo.  Shampoo is formulated to gently clean your hair, and it’s also a great way to gently clean handwovens as well.

How much shampoo to use? I usually use a blob about the size of my thumbnail.  If you use too much, it’s hard to rinse out.

Once you’ve run enough water into the washer, turn it off, and gently add the scarf or shawl.  Swish it around in the water to be sure it’s wet through.  Then leave it to soak for an hour or so. You may want to leave a note on the washer that says “Don’t start the washer,” especially if there’s anyone else in the household who may think you forgot to turn on the washer.

Why shouldn’t you agitate it?  Well, you’ve probably seen wool sweaters at the thrift store that look like they would fit an elf.  When wool goes through the washer and dryer, not only does it shrink, but it also felts into a tight, thick mass.  Many a pretty sweater has met a sad fate when someone accidentally ran it through the washer and dryer.  Don’t let this happen to your handwoven item!

Once your scarf or shawl has soaked for a while, you’ll want to swish it around in the water again to loosen any remaining soil.  Then put the washer on the spin cycle, and spin the water out of it.  Take handwoven item out of the washer, and run some rinse water in.   Don’t let water run directly onto your scarf or shawl because it could cause felting.

You may want to add a small amount of hair conditioner to the rinse water.  This will soften the fibers, as well as making it smell nice.

Add your shawl or scarf and swish it around in the water to rinse it.  Spin out the water, and then throw your shawl over a shower rod to dry.  Depending on the humidity in the air, your shawl will dry within 24-48 hours.  If the heat is on, it’ll dry faster.

Wool holds a lot a water, and takes longer than you would think to dry.  Be sure your item is completely dry before storing it.

If your item is wrinkled, you may want to steam it with an iron.  Don’t press it, as this will flatten the weave.  Hold the iron above the fabric and let the steam penetrate it.  This helps to relax any wrinkles.  You’ll need to hang your item up, and let it dry completely before putting it away.

The best way to store handwoven goods?  You may want to wrap a scarf around an empty paper towel tube.  This prevent folds from setting in during storage.  I’ve found that folding a shawl in half and hanging it over a plastic hanger is a good way to store a shawl.  You do get a fold in the middle, but you can steam it out when you want to use the shawl.

How To Wash A Handwoven Bag

You can put a rag bag through a wash cycle in the washer.  But avoid the dryer.  Tumbling it in the dryer can break the warp threads, causing your bag to self-destruct.  Just hang it up and let it dry.  You may need to reshape it a little bit, but I’ve always had good luck washing my handwoven bags.

If you have any questions, please email me, and I’ll be glad to help you out!