How to wash wool socks in the washing machine and by hand

Preparing for washing

Before washing wool socks, do the following:

Turn over and shake out each item. Dust and small specks will fall out - this will help in washing.
Manually remove pellets, hair and stuck debris. It's better to use your fingers to avoid damaging the hair with scissors.
Multi-colored socks should be sorted and washed separately, otherwise they will fade. It is also better to separate light ones from dark ones.

If your socks are very dirty, you may want to soak them briefly. They do this:

Pour 5 liters of water into a bowl. Temperature - about 30 °C.
Add 10-15 ml of washing gel (liquid powder) or regular shampoo to the water. Sometimes it is replaced with grated laundry soap (no more than 10 g).
Additionally, you can add 2 tbsp. l. wool conditioner (Lenor, Neutrale, Sansin) or table vinegar (9%) - this provides better protection for wool fibers.
Leave for 15 minutes.

After these procedures, begin washing.

Handwash

It is believed that for sheep wool, this method is the most suitable, after which the product will not lose its appearance. The optimal temperature for washing such socks is no more than 30 degrees. This mode will not allow the product to sit down. Knitted socks should be washed by hand with a special liquid detergent. You can replace it with shampoo or gel.

After the soapy substance is diluted in water, place socks in the basin. If there is a fear that they may lose color, you need to add vinegar to the water (about 2 tablespoons per 5 liters of water).

It is necessary to wash for about half an hour, periodically kneading the socks lightly, but under no circumstances should you press or rub. After this, they need to be rinsed in several waters. In this case, you can add conditioner. Traditional squeezing is not suitable in this case: after the process, each sock needs to be rolled up and lightly pressed on it.

Washing in a washing machine

Any “washing machine” that supports a choice of washing modes and temperature settings is well suited for woolen products.

How to wash socks in a machine:

Turn inside out. In case of minor damage, they will be on the inside, and the appearance of the socks will not be affected.
Place in a mesh bag for washing. Optional, but reduces the risk of fabric stretching.
Pour in detergent and select a mode (more on this later).
Start the wash.
When finished, take out the socks and place them in a basin or on a terry towel to drain.

What is the best detergent to wash?

You need to add the following products to the washing machine:

washing gel (can be replaced with regular powder, but liquid is better - it is more gentle on wool);
conditioner for woolen fabrics (can be replaced with regular conditioner, labeled “for delicate items”).

If the labels of chemical products do not indicate how much to add when washing wool, take 1 capful of each. This “standard” volume will be enough for 1-3 pairs of socks.

Which washing mode to choose

If the “washing machine” has a manual temperature input, then it is set to 30 °C. And socks not made from pure wool (with the addition of cotton and synthetics) can also be washed in warmer water - up to 40°C.

It is best to choose “Wool” from the modes (if the machine interface is in a foreign language - wool or wolle). It takes into account the correct water temperature (30 °C) and the appropriate washing time. When there is no such mode, then choose any of the following:

delicate;
manual.

It is also worth turning off the spinning and drying functions, which are harmful to wool.

Machine washable

Many people are concerned about this process. But there is an explanation for this. Our mothers and grandmothers used old-style washing machines, where the strength and temperature of the process could not be adjusted in any way. As a result, woolen products after such aggressive washing either stretched or shrank several times.

It is much more convenient to wash woolen socks in a modern machine. This device has many modes, allowing you to choose the best option.

Machine washing process:

Select the “wool” mode or set it to hand or delicate wash.
All socks must be turned inside out.
Dark items can be washed, for example, together with trousers, if the selected mode is suitable for the latter.
You need to use specialized liquid products.
When washing white woolen socks, you can add soda along with the detergent - it helps to whiten the clothes.
The optimal temperature is 30 degrees.

Products can have a mixed composition (that is, they are made not only from wool, but also synthetics or cotton are added). All socks are sold with labels, where you can find out the composition and washing features. Products made of wool and synthetics can be washed at 40 degrees. You cannot twist them in the machine; after the process is completed, you should leave them in the drum for another 5-10 minutes to allow excess water to drain out.

Is it possible to wash wool socks with panties?

It is not recommended to combine wool socks with underwear due to the mismatch in temperature conditions:

to completely destroy germs and viruses on panties, the water temperature must be at least 60 °C - too much for wool;
Washing panties at 30°C does not completely eliminate the smell of dirty laundry.

But combining socks and panties is still acceptable. You must first soak the laundry in hot water (80 °C) for 20 minutes, and then let it cool. Most germs are killed and the panties can be washed with socks at a low temperature.

How to wash socks in a washing machine

Before machine washing, socks, like other items, are sorted according to color and fabric material.

The mode is set according to the type of fabric. If the soiling is not too severe, it is acceptable to wash them with the rest of your clothes.

It is worth knowing that colored items made from synthetics are highly susceptible to shedding, which is why it is better to wash them by hand or separately.

For cotton socks, machine wash temperature should not exceed 60 degrees. Any detergent can be used in this wash. It would be a good idea to add a little baking soda to white items.

To make washing more efficient, you can put several tennis balls in the washing machine.

How to wash by hand

Wash socks by hand like this:

Fill a basin with 5 to 10 liters of water (depending on the number of pairs of socks) at a temperature of 30 °C. It is better to use a thermometer, but you can also determine by touch - if your hands are warm, then the liquid should feel slightly cool.
Dilute 15-20 ml of liquid powder in water. If you don’t have it, shampoo in the same amount will do.
If the socks are colored, add 1 tsp. vinegar (9% solution).
Wash with gentle “crushing” movements, do not rub or squeeze too hard.
Rinse in water (same 30 °C). You can add 1 cap of conditioner to it.
Transfer to a dry bowl to drain.

What absolutely cannot be done?

When cleaning wool products, it is important to remember the main taboos. If you do not follow the washing rules, woolen socks can not only shrink by a couple of sizes, but also lose their softness and heat-saving properties, become covered with pills, and change color. The main recommendations are:

Avoid temperature changes during washing. You need to immerse wool in water of approximately one degree, both when cleaning and when rinsing;
Prolonged soaking is strictly prohibited. Woolen items can be left in the water to soak for a maximum of 15 minutes;
washing in hot water is prohibited, the temperature should not be higher than 30°C;
You should use special detergents for wool: gels, capsules, plates. Dry powders should be avoided;
Do not actively rub woolen socks or twist them during spinning;
It is prohibited to dry wool products by hanging them on a clothesline or laying them on a radiator, heater, or electric dryer. It is not recommended to speed up the drying of things by blowing them with a hot hairdryer;
Ironing wool according to general rules is prohibited.

If you follow all the recommendations, wool socks will remain the same shape and color after washing, will not lose their softness, and will remain warm. Whenever possible, it is better to wash wool products by hand. Having given preference to machine cleaning, the main thing is to choose the right program, do not forget to turn off the automatic spin cycle, sort things and monitor the temperature of the water heating.

Interesting:

How to wash socks correctly
Washing white socks in the washing machine
Where do socks go from the washing machine?
Washing knitted items in the washing machine
Sock washing machine
Products for washing woolen items in the washing machine

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How to remove an unpleasant odor

There are 2 effective ways to remove odors from wool fabric. They should be applied right before washing:

Dilute acetic essence or citric acid in cool water. Proportions - 3-4 tsp. products for 1 liter of water. Soak the socks until they are completely immersed in the liquid and leave for 20-30 minutes.
Turn the socks inside out and wet them (you can use a cold tap). Lather the inside with laundry soap (72%) and leave for 30 minutes. There is no need to rinse - you can wash it right away. This method is not suitable for bright colors - laundry soap makes them fade.

How to wash socks correctly - basic rules

As stated above, different socks require an individual approach, however, preparation for washing and its basic rules are the same for all things:

before washing, they need to be separated by color and type of fabric;
children's things need to be separated from adults' ones;
It is better to soak light-colored items in advance: wet them, soap them with laundry soap and leave them overnight in a container of water. This will allow you to wash them later without much effort and problems;
dark-colored items can be washed without pre-soaking;
before washing the socks, it would be better to turn them inside out and connect them together with a clip;
if the socks have been worn once and they are not too dirty, they can be washed in a machine by folding them in a ball;
when washing by hand, it will be convenient to put socks on your hands like mittens, soap them well and rub them with movements like when washing your hands, but with a little more effort;
It is better to dry socks together, hanging them in pairs or fastening a pair with one clothespin.

Important! Do not dry white socks on batteries, they may turn yellow; the best option is to dry them in the fresh air. Products of dark colors can be dried on radiators without fear.

How to dry socks

Woolen products are not recommended:

hang on a rope - wet wool becomes very heavy and stretches from its own weight;
put on a heated radiator - the material becomes rougher from such proximity;
place on a fan and dry with a hairdryer;
expose to sunlight.

Dry wool socks horizontally, in a basin or on a terry towel that does not shed. Ventilation in the room helps dry the wool faster and preserves the pleasant smell of the detergent.

How to wash wool socks

Wool socks, like other items made from this material, are best washed by hand to avoid deformation and pilling.

But if certain conditions are met, they can also be placed in the washing machine. In this case, you should set it to “delicate wash” or “wool” mode, and the water temperature to 30 degrees.

When hand washing woolen socks, they should be carefully and carefully washed in special detergents, squeezed lightly in the palms of your hands, and dried by laying them out along their entire length on a horizontal surface.

To prevent pilling, add a delicate fabric softener to the water.

Additional Tips

A few tips to help extend the life of wool socks:

You can buy a device for removing pellets. It is more convenient than picking with your fingers.
Socks should not be hung vertically; they should be stored in a drawer or on a shelf, folded in half.
A drawer with socks cannot be filled to capacity, otherwise the wool will wrinkle.
Before putting them on, it is advisable to air out the socks - turn them inside out and shake them.
Tablets and sachets with scents of lavender, citrus and chestnut help protect products from moths.

Rules for drying socks

In order not to reduce all the efforts put into washing to zero results, you should take a responsible approach to drying wool socks. Any hanging from a rope is not permitted. Under their own weight, wet items can stretch and become deformed. Also, you should not place them on all kinds of heating devices and heating devices, or blow them with warm air. Direct exposure to the sun is best avoided to prevent fading and drying out of the fibers.

Like all woolen clothing, socks are laid out to dry on a dry terry towel. The place should be with good ventilation. This will prevent stagnation of moisture and unpleasant odor, the sock will dry out faster and be ready to serve its intended purpose.

Now any housewife can tell you how to wash wool socks. The detailed instructions provided will help you wash your socks from dirt at home without unpleasant consequences such as shrinkage, stretching, matting, or loss of color saturation.

Wool socks are an indispensable item in your wardrobe during the cold winter. In order for them to retain their beautiful appearance longer and keep them warm well, they need to be washed and dried correctly.