Love Your Woollens: how to care for your Merino knitwear

March 02, 2018

One of the universally accepted facts of babies is that they are messy.  From their first forays into food and feeding, to the endless milk spits and the dribble of teething, to simple everyday muck and dust, even their nicest clothes will end up dirty eventually. With such a futile battle you would think that the luxury of merino wool is one to keep your little one away from, but here at Scarlet Ribbon Merino we believe otherwise.

Our baby knitwear is not just adorable and soft, it is also easy to care for, and the better you care for it the longer it will last. We design our pieces to be durable heirlooms, to be worn by child after child and loved for far longer than a single baby can wear them for. But the question is; how should you care for merino knitwear?

The first thing is to decide if it even needs washing. Merino is a wonderfully breathable fabric, and is odour resistant, so you might get away with a simple airing and it will be all good to go again. It also has anti-static properties that mean dust and grime take hold less easily and can be simply brushed off.

However, some things we cannot simply air away. In that case just turn your baby knits inside out, pop them in the washing machine on a 40 degree wool wash and let the convenience of modern life clean them up. No need for fabric softener or powder detergents, but keeping the spin cycle low and adding a little wool detergent is essential! Caring for merino need not be difficult; you can even tumble dry your Scarlet Ribbon Merino on the mild or low setting, or simply hang them up to dry.

And then, for those of us who do not quite trust wool in the washing machine (too many accidentally cropped jumpers over the years) there is always hand washing (and a couple of our styles in our oatmeal colourway do require this). If you choose to hand wash, then we recommend a simple 30 degree hand wash using wool detergent, gently massaged in and then rinsed out thoroughly. Then roll your merino up in a towel to get out excess water, and hang to dry away from direct heat and sunlight.

So, when your little one decides that strawberry marks would make a lovely fashion statement, do not despair. Step away from the bleach, check out our Caring For Your Merino page for extra information, and trust that your Scarlet Ribbon Merino knitwear will endure for many a wash.

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