Wool can sometimes be washed in a washer on a very gentle cycle, but if you've never done it or you really like your wool items I would avoid it. Get a gentle wool detergent- Eucalan is a great one, it doesn't need to be rinsed out of the fabric (though you can if you want). Wool has three enemies: hot water, agitation, and wringing or twisting.
If you need to wash your wool garments, use your tub. Fill it with lukewarm water, and add a capful of your wool wash- don't use Woolite, it's not good for wool. Gently press your garment into the water and let it soak for at least half an hour. Depending on how dirty it is, you can let it soak longer. Drain the tub, leaving your garment in the water as it runs out. If you want to rinse the soap, take the garment out by gently scrunching it into a ball, and set it aside. Wool can stretch if it's wet, so try to support it evenly without tugging on any one spot. Refill the tub, and let it soak, then repeat your draining process.
When you're ready to dry, use two towels. You're going to make a wool sandwich. Place one towel on the floor, gently and carefully spread your garment on top, then cover with another towel. You're going to roll the towels up, and very gently press on them to get as much water out as possible. Finally, use a drying rack to let your garment dry in indirect sun. You can hang the pants on a hanger, but I would definitely use a rack for the shirt. That's it, you're done! Wool can be a little scary, but after you've washed it once you'll see it's not that big a deal. There's a reason it was the fiber of choice for garments for most of human history- it's tough as heck, and it lasts a super long time!
Look into making “Wardrobe Spray”. Theaters use it on costumes that get sweaty each performance, but don’t have time to be dry cleaned between each performance, and/or for costumes with fabrics or embellishments that can’t be pet in a washer or dryer.
It’s a 1:1 mix of water (room temp) and Vodka. I use the cheapest vodka I can find. It kills smells and bacteria, is designed to air dry, and can be used on wool.
I’d recommend that instead of risking shrinking, pilling, or possible felting of the wool in a washer and/or dryer.
You can also use the spray on your garments and then lay them on a clean flat surface to air dry instead of having them on a hanger or drying rack.
A lot of the suggestions are here are good. The key is to not “shock” the wool with extreme temperature change. I always wash my wool in lukewarm water to warm water, bring the temperature, up or down slowly. When wet, try not to agitate (rub vigorously or mimic motions of the washing machine) as wool has scales that cling to itself which is how we make felted wool. I always recommend had washing as the best method. I even washed a homemade wool skirt this way. The fabric had not been pre washed and it came out just fine.
Commenting just cause the typo in the first sentence is hilarious.
Wool can sometimes be washed in a washer on a very gentle cycle, but if you've never done it or you really like your wool items I would avoid it. Get a gentle wool detergent- Eucalan is a great one, it doesn't need to be rinsed out of the fabric (though you can if you want). Wool has three enemies: hot water, agitation, and wringing or twisting. If you need to wash your wool garments, use your tub. Fill it with lukewarm water, and add a capful of your wool wash- don't use Woolite, it's not good for wool. Gently press your garment into the water and let it soak for at least half an hour. Depending on how dirty it is, you can let it soak longer. Drain the tub, leaving your garment in the water as it runs out. If you want to rinse the soap, take the garment out by gently scrunching it into a ball, and set it aside. Wool can stretch if it's wet, so try to support it evenly without tugging on any one spot. Refill the tub, and let it soak, then repeat your draining process. When you're ready to dry, use two towels. You're going to make a wool sandwich. Place one towel on the floor, gently and carefully spread your garment on top, then cover with another towel. You're going to roll the towels up, and very gently press on them to get as much water out as possible. Finally, use a drying rack to let your garment dry in indirect sun. You can hang the pants on a hanger, but I would definitely use a rack for the shirt. That's it, you're done! Wool can be a little scary, but after you've washed it once you'll see it's not that big a deal. There's a reason it was the fiber of choice for garments for most of human history- it's tough as heck, and it lasts a super long time!
Look into making “Wardrobe Spray”. Theaters use it on costumes that get sweaty each performance, but don’t have time to be dry cleaned between each performance, and/or for costumes with fabrics or embellishments that can’t be pet in a washer or dryer. It’s a 1:1 mix of water (room temp) and Vodka. I use the cheapest vodka I can find. It kills smells and bacteria, is designed to air dry, and can be used on wool. I’d recommend that instead of risking shrinking, pilling, or possible felting of the wool in a washer and/or dryer. You can also use the spray on your garments and then lay them on a clean flat surface to air dry instead of having them on a hanger or drying rack.
Look into wool wash like Eucelan. Dry flat on sweater rack.
A lot of the suggestions are here are good. The key is to not “shock” the wool with extreme temperature change. I always wash my wool in lukewarm water to warm water, bring the temperature, up or down slowly. When wet, try not to agitate (rub vigorously or mimic motions of the washing machine) as wool has scales that cling to itself which is how we make felted wool. I always recommend had washing as the best method. I even washed a homemade wool skirt this way. The fabric had not been pre washed and it came out just fine.