Woolite for your Woolens?

Depending on your age, you might remember the days when TV commercials had catchy jingles: “you’ll look better in the clothes you wash with Woolite”.

I used to use it.  For handwashed items, and probably my handknitted items too.  That ended about 30 years ago.  Today we have a much larger selection of wool washes.  Eucalan and Soak are two customer favorites that are moderately priced and come in unscented as well as other mild scents.  These washes are geared towards handknits.  They are also rinse free, meaning you can soak them in water with the wash and not worry about any soap residue.  Less rinsing.  Less wear and tear.

What about the old Woolite?  Is it still around?  The answer is yes.  Is it a good option?  The answer is no.  First of all, it is not rinse free.  Think dozens of suds which you need to rinse over and over to remove.  Secondly, there have been reports of it stripping the color from hand-dyed yarns.  I have heard these reports first hand.  Not worth the chance, in my mind, even if you aren’t washing a hand-dyed item.  

And the final reason to use products like Eucalan and Soak, is don’t we all want to support the wool industry and small companies that make products to support us?  Especially in these current times, it’s important to choose products wisely.

Happy Washing!

Jennifer