To ensure the longevity of your merino wool clothing, proper storage is crucial to protect them from damage.

Some easy tips to remember:

• Hang wovens, fold knits
• Air garments after use to release any moisture or odour
• Always clean garments before storing away as food stains and body oils can attract moths
• Consider using airtight bags or your INTACT calico garment bag for an extra layer of protection

See our essential guide to storing your Merino wool clothing here.

One of the benefits of merino wool clothing is that its naturally odour resistant. This means, you can wear more, and wash less. Getting upwards of 20 wears before you even need to think about washing your wool clothes. Not only does this use less water and less energy, ultimately helping you treading a little lighter when it comes to the environment, but it can help prolong the lifespan of your garment. 

Some things to remember when washing your merino wool garments:

• Always use a trusted wool wash and avoid fabric softeners and regular detergents (they can sometimes be too harsh and cause damage to the natural wool fibre)
• Generally, hand wash is always recommended 

Hand washing your merino wool garments is a simple, easy and effective way to clean your garments.

Simply:

• Fill your sink or bucket with lukewarm water
• Add the wool wash
• Gently agitate the clothing in the water 
• Let soak for 5 mins 
• Rinse thoroughly with clean water (avoid any wringing or twisting)

To avoid any shrinking, stretching or discolouration, it’s important you dry your merino wool garments properly so as to ensure they maintain their shape.

Some helpful tips:

• After washing your garments, always lay flat in the shade to dry
• Avoid exposing them to direct sunlight or heat, as this can cause the fibres to become brittle and potentially create discoloration 
• Allow the garments to air dry naturally (avoid the dryer as the heat and tumbling can lead to you shrinking and damaging your items)
• After drying, let the garments rest for up to 24 hrs before wearing or storing, this rest period can allow the garments to fully recover and return to their natural shape.

While merino wool has a natural resistance to wrinkles, lightweight knits tend to take a little longer to shed their creases than chunkier knits.

Here’s how you can remove them without causing any damage:

• If there are light wrinkles, you can try using a damp cloth and gently press it onto the wrinkled areas. The moisture and heat from the cloth will help release the fibres and smooth out the wrinkles
• Alternatively, you can use a steam iron on either a low or specific wool setting. Ensure the iron is held a couple of centimetres away from the garment before letting the steam penetrate the garment.
• A great travel hack is to either hang your woven merino wool garments (blazers, pants, dresses) or lay flat your merino wool knits in the bathroom while you’re showering. The steam can help remove any wrinkles.

Wondering why your merino wool clothes have holes in it? Moths and silverfish can be a common nuisance for wool clothing.

To help protect your garments, consider the following:

• Always wash your wool clothes before storing. Remember, food stains and body oils can attract unwanted critters
• Consider using airtight bags or your INTACT calico garment bag for an extra layer of protection
• You can use things like cedarwood, lavender or moth balls and place these in with your wool items to act as a repellent. 

It’s important to be mindful when wearing your INTACT merino wool garments and not to rub up against rough surfaces as without the proper care, snags, nicks and holes can unfortunately appear. When you do find holes in your merino wool items, all you need is a simple needle and thread and 5 minutes to have them looking brand new.

How to darn your merino wool clothes:

• Turn your garment inside out
• Thread your needle with the same colour yarn and tie a knot so it doesn’t pull through
• Start 2-3mm out from the inside of the hole, and sew, linking through the existing yarn left to right until it’s closed.
• Once you get to the top of the hole, tie a knot and cut the loose thread.

A natural process, pilling refers to the process of small balls of fibre that appear on the surface of your clothing.

Pilling forms as a result of normal wear and tear from things repeatedly rubbing against the garments so this is why you’ll commonly find it appearing in areas such as the underarms or inside of your pants. Contrary to what some may think, it’s not a sign of poor quality, instead is due to the shorter yarn length of merino wool fibres compared to synthetic, man-made fabrics.

To remove pilling:

• Use a fabric de-piller specifically designed for wool or if you have a razor blade, you can gently run this over the surface to remove the pills. Take care not to cut the garment.
• Regularly removing pills will help maintain the appearance of your merino wool clothing however be gentle and avoid excessive shaving as it can weaken the fabric over time.