How can I get rid of a strong barn-like odor in a new hand-knit Irish fisherman's cardigan? It really smells!
Question:My husband bought the 100% wool, cream-colored sweater in London and it smells strongly of animals... just like a barn! It's beautiful, and I want to be able to wear it, but don't know how to get the smell out of it and am afraid of ruining it. Any advice, anyone?
Answers:
Try this stuff called Approach. I used to use it on my ex g/f's wool sweater when it reeked of cig smoke.
I sprayed the sweater all over heavily, then turned it inside out and sprayed it again. If the odor was heavy I'd do it twice, stretching slightly to help it get inside the fibers.
It's a water-based natural spray, so there are no chemicals to damage the wool. I've yet to see an odor it can't tackle so I'd say give it a shot.
Good luck!
Get rid of the Irish fisherman that's inside the cardigan.
Febreeze. It's worked on pretty much everything for me.
I would take it to a dry cleaners.I would ask them if they have cleaned an Irish knit before...that would be the best way. If you wash it yourself do it on a gentle cycle and dry it flat don't hang dry.hope this helped.
Hand wash it in COLD and with a mild soap, like Woolite. DO NOT PUT IT IN A MACHINE! You will have to squeeze the water out of it and then, reshape it and lay it flat on a towel to dry. It might shrink a little. Wool smells like sheep when it is wet. Someone either made it in a barn, wore it in a barn or the wool was stored in a barn.
That's the oil that is in the wool and I agree that it does smell. take the sweater to a professional laundry place and have it drycleaned. That will get rid of most of the smell. If it still reeks, febreeze it over and over and it will eventually wear off with use.
Woolite changed its formula and is no longer suitable for washing wool. (Go figure.) You can buy woolwash at any yarn store (http://www.eucalan.com will send you a free sample for a self-addressed stamped envelope), or use a tiny amount of shampoo.
Soak in lukewarm water & the woolwash (or shampoo) for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze the suds through the sweater. If you use Eucalan, there's no need to rinse. Gently squeeze the water out, then roll the sweater in clean towels & press out as much water as you can. Do not wring!
Lay the damp sweater on a thick layer of clean, dry towels. (The bathroom floor will work, as will a bed or large table.) Gently push it into the desired shape. (This is called "blocking.") Let dry. (If you have a big, clean, mesh screen to lay the sweater on, even better. That allows air to circulate.)
I cannot stress the word "gently"enough -- agitation causes felting (aka fulling). Not a good thing!
Try putting it in the dryer, AIR ONLY with a dryer sheet. I spin, so the smell of sheep goes with the territory.
I would put it in a trash bag with backing soda because backing soda is a natural order absorber. I'd leave it in there for a couple of days. It will work because it takes the smell of smoke out of clothes.
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