How to properly wash a down scarf at home

A fashionable accessory at all times, which not only emphasizes the femininity of its owner, but also provides warmth in any bad weather - a down stole. There may be only one problem with it - how to properly wash a down scarf if it becomes dirty or faded. But this is not a problem at all if you know how to care for it. Let's take a step-by-step look at the process of washing it at home and dispel the myths associated with how to wash a down scarf.

Step-by-step instruction

• The key word to describe how to wash a down shawl is “gentle.” Only handle knitted down products with care and very gentleness. They should not be pulled, brushed or twisted. Hand washing is carried out as follows.
• Prepare the shawl for washing. To do this, straighten the fluff by shaking the product thoroughly. If there are tangled lumps, comb the pile with a massage brush with smooth wooden teeth. At the same time, you must not touch the hinges, otherwise you may damage them.
• The scarf should be washed at temperatures ranging from 20 to 35 °C. To do this, take water into a basin, add detergent to it, dissolve it thoroughly, and then immerse the down product. Under no circumstances should you do the opposite, that is, immerse a stole or scarf in water and then pour in the powder!

Tip: to make the detergent dissolve better, you can first fill a basin with hot water, add powder or gel, and then let the soap solution cool. And only after the water has cooled, soak the down shawl in it.

• The woolen item is left soaked for half an hour to remove dust and dirt.
• You need to wash the scarf carefully. The movements should not be erasing, but reminiscent of making a snowball. That is, the shawl is gently gathered into a ball, kneaded and again unraveled in the water.
• Next comes the rinsing stage. It should be neat and thorough, changing 5-6 waters. All detergent particles must be washed out of the fibers. Here it is worth paying attention that it is best to rinse the product in the form of a gel rather than washing powder.

Tip: to prevent the woolen down item from becoming deformed, the water temperature during washing and rinsing should be the same.

• To wash a down item and get not a matted lump, but an accessory that looks like something you just bought, it is useful to use conditioner. It is added to the water during rinsing.
• You should remove the down stole from the water not by the ends, but by gathering it into a ball. Otherwise, the item may be stretched. To allow water to drain, place it in a net and hang it over the sink. When the bulk of the water has left the down scarf, it must be blotted with a hygroscopic terry towel.

• Direct final drying is carried out either on a special hoop or on a horizontal surface covered with a pique blanket (or white sheet). In the first case, you don’t even have to iron the shawl. In the second, to give it smoothness you will have to use an iron through the fabric in a gentle mode.However, it is worth remembering that ironing down products is not recommended, so it is better to dry them properly.
• Finally, you can comb the shawl pile again.

Myths or truth?

Anyone, even the most uninitiated, knows that a down scarf is not an ordinary thing and should be washed in a special way. At the same time, before washing a shawl, a woman is faced with some statements regarding the care of knitted down products at home. Let's see if they are so categorical.

1. Down items can only be washed by hand - machine washing is contraindicated for them.. Manufacturers of washing machines are convinced that their “brainchild”, when using delicate modes, is capable of washing even the finest cashmere. At the same time, many people have ruined their favorite knitted items by washing them in the machine, even in the “wool” mode. Of course, for the most delicate down scarves, hand washing is preferable. However, in extreme cases, they can be entrusted to the washing machine by selecting the delicate wash mode, BUT at the same time adjusting the water temperature to cold. That is, the temperature during washing should be as it is, without heating. As mentioned above, the water temperature during washing and rinsing must be the same, otherwise the product will shrink. If you do not adjust the temperature program, washing will proceed at t = 30 ° C, and rinsing will be done at the temperature that comes from the tap.
2. You should wash down items using special products for wool or silk. It is worth clarifying: it is prohibited to use powders with bleaching particles, but special products can be replaced with regular shampoo for washing hair. This is explained by the fact that wool is a natural material just like hair.The shampoo is designed to make hair silky, soft, and prevent tangling. So a down shawl can easily be washed with hair shampoo, and then instead of fabric conditioner, apply hair balm and rinse.
3. Down products are dried directly on a special hoop. This drying method is the most convenient, allowing you not to iron shawls and stoles after washing. However, there are alternative methods, for example, horizontal drying. The method of drying a down scarf or stole on a special hoop can be replaced by stretching it on the carpet. To achieve this, the scalloped product should be pinned to the carpet with nails or stainless steel (or copper) pins. In this position, the down item is left until completely dry and for another 12-18 hours.

Also interesting is the method of freezing (in the freezer) a damp down scarf. When exposed to frost, water droplets turn into ice crystals and are then shaken off the scarf. Snow and frost generally have a positive effect on down products. So, to refresh the shawl, you can roll it in snow in frosty weather, and then gently shake it.

Caring for down products is not as difficult as it might seem. One wash, carried out according to all the rules, will not spoil the item. But the third to fifth ones will still make themselves felt. Therefore, treat scarves and shawls with care. The less you wash them, the better they will look.