If you are the happy owner of an alpaca woolen garment, you have been warned that you shouldn’t wash alpaca woolen products (often). With that in mind, you are probably wondering, how do you remove smells from alpaca woolen items and keep it fresh?
can i buy prednisone in mexico The best way to remove smells from an alpaca woolen garment is by airing it in a misty environment (either in the window, outside, or in a bathroom while taking a shower). Dry-cleaning, steaming, or washing an alpaca woolen garment should get rid of persistent smells, but should be done sparingly.
While alpaca woolen garments are generally odor-free, there are several things you can do to freshen up a garment. Let’s see what ways there are to keep your alpaca woolen hat, sweater or throw smell good again!
How Do You Air an Alpaca Woolen Garment?
Rāhatgarh Airing an alpaca woolen garment to remove smells or freshen it up, is best done in a misty or foggy environment. This way, the steam and air get absorbed by the fiber, removing the old (bad) smells and replacing them with fresh ones.
The reason why misty or foggy environments work best for airing is because the wool fibers use that vapor to cleanse themselves from the inside. Wool fibers in general, and alpaca wool in particular, use their tiny scales to keep water outside.
Vapor, however, is small enough to enter and reach the core of the fiber, where the water condenses, which releases heat and then vaporizes out of the fiber. Vapor also maintains the fiber dry and protects it from getting wet. Therefore the garment is protected from potential pilling and felting.
Luckily, you can find plenty of those foggy environments in your own surroundings. For example:
- In the bathroom when you are taking a shower (not in the shower, but just in the bathroom);
- Hanging in the window on a cold, humid night;
- Outside on a misty day.
When you hang a woolen garment to air, make sure that the garment is as much supported as possible to make sure it doesn’t deform. While the garments won’t really get wet, the weight of the item can still increase because of the absorbed vapor. Due to the increase in weight, an alpaca woolen garment can stretch and lose its shape.
You can use a coat hanger to hang your garment, but make sure the weight is distributed evenly.
When you hang an alpaca woolen garment outside or in the window, make sure that it is protected from direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can make the fibers go brittle and break, which can cause it to lose its luster and color.
How Long Should You Air an Alpaca Woolen Garment?
As long as the alpaca woolen garment is not exposed to any dangers (like direct sunlight, a direct source of heat, rain, water, deforming, etc.) you can air it for as long as needed. Depending on how persistent the smells are, you might need to air an alpaca woolen garment for a longer period of time (4-6 hours).
Use your nose to tell you when an alpaca woolen garment is fresh again. You will notice instantly!
How Do You Steam-Clean an Alpaca Woolen Garment to Remove Smells?
Steam-cleaning can remove smells from an alpaca woolen garment, but needs to be done cautiously. You can use a steaming machine that is specially designed for steaming clothes, or you can use a steam iron. Always use a white pressing cloth in between.
When you are using steam to freshen up an alpaca woolen garment, make sure that the iron or hot steam never touch the wool. Direct exposure to heat can cause the fibers the break. Pressing an iron on an alpaca woolen garment will make the fibers lose their natural fluff and luster.
Essential when you’re using a steam iron is by putting it on the lowest (wool) setting. Never use an iron with only dry heat, as the temperature can cause the fibers to scorch.
You will need a pressing cloth or a cotton dish towel (make sure it’s white to prevent color changes to your garment!) to use as a shield between the iron and the alpaca woolen garment.
The steps are then as follows: (you can find a full step-by-step guide for ironing wool on TheSpruce.com)
- Put the garment inside out (or the “wrong” side up)
- Place the pressing cloth on the area that you are going to iron.
- Press the iron (lowest settings) and make continuous movements, never leaving the iron in one place.
- Keep moving the pressing cloth as you iron the entire garment.
If you are ironing the garment before storing it (over summer, for example), make sure that the garment is completely dry.
- For more tips on how to store alpaca woolen garments (over summer) check out one of my other articles: How Do You Store Alpaca Woolen Garments?
According to The Laundress, steaming your (woolen) clothes will kill bacteria and bad odors. Another benefit is that it saves you money on dry-cleaning and it removes wrinkles at the same time!
Can You Dry-Clean Alpaca Woolen Garments to Freshen them Up?
A safe way to maintain alpaca woolen garments fresh is by sending them to a dry-cleaning service. Specialists will know how to clean and freshen up alpaca woolen products.
Something to think about: sometimes dry-cleaners use harsh chemicals on your clothes. If you don’t want this, opt for washing garments at home instead.
Make sure that the dry-cleaning service you are sending your garments to knows how to treat alpaca woolen products!
Can You Wash an Alpaca Woolen Garment to Remove Smells?
A more profound and thorough way to freshen up alpaca woolen garments when you don’t want to use a dry-cleaning service, is by washing alpaca woolen products at home.
While the steps are easy, it is important to wash alpaca woolen garments carefully, because much can go wrong that will ruin your item forever.
- Check out my full step-by-step guide on how to wash alpaca woolen garments here: How Do You Wash Alpaca Woolen Garments?
- Let the garment soak in cold or lukewarm water;
- Use a mild detergent. Resolve it with your hands;
- Don’t brush or rub the garment;
- Rinse under cold or lukewarm water;
- Don’t wring or twist the garment;
- Squeeze out excess water by rolling the garment between two towels (without stretching);
- Lay it drying flat between two towels, in its original shape, on a flat surface;
- Do not hang dry;
- Do not dry near a direct source of heat.
For a visual aid, check out this video that I made washing my alpaca woolen hat:
How Often Should You Freshen Up/Wash an Alpaca Woolen Garment?
Alpaca woolen garments can be aired as often as necessary. Washing should be done sparingly. Depending on the purpose of the garment, you should wash, steam or dry-clean alpaca woolen items at least once a year. Always wash, steam or dry-clean before storing it over summer.
There are two reasons why it is recommended to wash wool sparingly. First of all, alpaca wool will maintain its natural luster, shape and softness better when it is not washed. Additionally, alpaca woolen garments don’t need to be washed often, since they are antibacterial and stain-resistant.
When a fiber is antibacterial, it means that it can slow down the growth or break down bacteria. Wool fibers are known to have antibacterial properties which means that they are very odor-resistant. Smells (like sweat) need bacteria to grow and become smelly. When those bacteria are absent (or limited) the fiber will not maintain bad smells easily.
- Read more about this in the full article I wrote about the topic: Is Alpaca Wool Antibacterial?
On top of that, alpaca wool has great wicking capabilities, which means that it can wick away moisture before it can penetrate the fiber. This comes in handy when liquid is spilled on alpaca woolen garments, preventing stains to a high degree.
Don’t believe me? Check out this video in which I spill RED wine on a WHITE piece of alpaca wool!
