12 July 2016

Make your own natural woolmix

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A jumper in a basin of water

As winter approaches I busy myself sorting through winter clothes. I try to keep the clothes in my wardrobe, and the kids’ chest of drawers, focused on what we actually wear. Being frugal, few of my clothes are new or shop bought. As I sort through I focus on my blessings, on feeling blessed to have beautiful, warm clothes. And I like to extend this sense of gratitude by carrying out minor repairs and looking after my clothing.

Including washing.

Woollens need to be treated with care: hand-washed in a good quality detergent and dried flat. There are many commercial products available, but I like this eucalyptus wool mix made famous by Martha Gardner. She gave out the recipe freely over the radio and many people (including my Nana) faithfully copied it out and used it. Making this yourself doesn’t take much time and saves money.

A little boy picture on a bar of soap

The pure soap in this recipe works great with woollens. And the eucalyptus helps to deter bugs and crawlies from eating the woollens. Nothing worse than finding that something else also really likes your favourite retro Scandinavian reindeer jumper Great Aunt Myrtle spent months knitting for you.

Ingredients:

1 cake of pure soap, grated (I used Sunlight)
2 cups boiling water (optional)
1/2 cup methylated spirits
1 tablespoon eucalyptus oil

Metholated spirits, eucalyptus oil and pure soap

Method:

  1. Grate the soap. You can do this on the zester side of a kitchen grater, or you can use a food processor (cut into pieces first with a knife). I used a small, handheld, very retro moulinex that I purchased from an op shop for $2.

    Moulinex box

  2. My Nana used to combine all the ingredients together at this point and store. I find this works well enough, but the ingredients can go hard after a while – especially if they are not stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
  3. Another option is to dissolve the mixture in boiling water. First add the boiling water to the soap flakes, then stir to combine. Allow it to sit for around ten minutes, then add the remaining ingredient. Transfer to a container, and allow to set (it will become gloopy).

    a bowl of grated soap

  4. To use, take out a small amount (e.g. half a tablespoon) and dissolve in a basin of hot water. I allow the woollens to soak in this mixture, then I put them in the spin cycle of my washing machine allowing a short rinse. I then lay the woollens flat until they dry.

Natural woolmix on a windowsill

Cost comparison: 1.25 litres of commercial liquid, which has been watered down, costs around $7.36. My version costs $1.73, is better quality and I believe will last a lot longer.

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pink little birdie1:50 pm 05 Jul 16

rommeldog56 said :

Thanks for sharing this! Would soaking in hot water shrink it? I’m always so nervous about cleaning my merino jumpers – they are not cheap!

Don’t soak, warm water wash – pull out of the machine asap when done (or handwash) but don’t let wool sit wet. If you are particular about a item – get a bath towel lie the item flat on a bath towel then roll it up to gently wring, this may wet a few towels but is really gentle on wool and silk. Lie flat on a clothing horse.
Most mid range wool items can be just line dried like regular washing.

(Also Earth’s choice has a Australian owned and made woolmix that retails for $2.20 for a 1L Which woolmix are you buying for $7.36?)

No need to keep washing your natural fibre (wool, silks, cottons, linen etc) clothes after each wear. Just hang them on the line (not in the sun) for air for a couple of hours or so. Only wash when they are soiled with marks, but do not soak. Most merino nowadays should be machine washable, check the label.

Thanks for sharing this! Would soaking in hot water shrink it? I’m always so nervous about cleaning my merino jumpers – they are not cheap!

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