Care notes for wool throws

Wool is self-cleaning in a way almost no other fibre is. The scaled structure of the fibre resists dirt, and lanolin residue keeps odour from settling. Most throws that arrive at the studio for repair have been damaged by over-washing, not by use.

Air the throw outdoors on a dry, shaded day twice a year. A few hours in moving air does more than a wash cycle ever will.

Spot-clean with cool water and a little wool detergent, blotting rather than rubbing. Heat and agitation are what felt the fibres and shrink the cloth.

Brush along the nap with a soft garment brush to lift pilling before it knots. Store folded, never hung, with a cedar block nearby and no plastic wrapping — wool needs to breathe.

A full wash, if it is ever genuinely needed, should be by hand in cool water, pressed dry in a towel and laid flat. Once a decade is plenty.