How to wash a shawl

A down shawl is one of the most delicate products that requires careful care. Thin down threads must be washed carefully, following the rules and recommendations. How to wash a shawl at home so as not to spoil the product or tear it, we will write about this below.

Hand or machine wash?

The first question that arises when you need to refresh a down product is how to wash it - in a machine or by hand? It is not recommended to wash a down shawl in a washing machine, even if your “home assistant” has super delicate modes, for example “Down”, “Wool and Silk”, “Hand Wash”. Keeping a shawl in a drum for a long time, and even a rotating one, can damage the product.

After machine testing, the shawl will stretch and lose its original appearance.

The most dangerous are perforated surfaces inside the drum and rib punches, which in one way or another harm delicate fabric. It is very possible that the shawl will not noticeably suffer from one machine wash, but if you repeat this procedure 2-3 times, you will lose the product. So, to the question of how to wash a shawl, in a machine or by hand, we answer - definitely by hand!

Washing rules

Before we move on to learning the basic rules for washing a shawl, let's look at the procedure that will help us wash this capricious product by hand. The rules will then help us clarify some of the nuances of this process. So how to wash a shawl with your own hands?

First, we take the shawl in our hands, shake it properly, and then use a massage comb with rounded teeth to comb it.
Next, take a wooden or plastic comb (preferably wooden) with fine teeth and comb the product again.The teeth should not be sharp and there should be no burrs on them.

Be careful when combing, do not hit the loops or pull out the threads.

Fill the bathtub with as much water as possible. There is no need to spare water, otherwise washing will be ineffective. The water temperature should not be more than 30 degrees, it should be cool to the touch.
Dissolve laundry detergent in water.
We dip the shawl into the solution for a short period. You cannot soak the product for a long time, as this will spoil it; 10 minutes will be enough.
We begin washing the shawl with very gentle movements. This type of washing will resemble rinsing, since it is almost impossible to rub the shawl in any way.
Next begins the grueling rinsing stage. You need to rinse quickly so that the product does not dangle in the water for a long time, and you will have to change the water several times. Thorough rinsing is the key to quality washing of a shawl. It is very important to take into account that you need to wash and rinse the shawl in water at approximately the same temperature +-5 degrees, otherwise the shawl will shrink several times due to the difference.
When you rinse for the last time, add a capful of wool conditioner to the water to make the product soft and airy. If this is not done, a freshly washed shawl will feel like a washcloth to the touch. By the way, you can cook DIY homemade fabric conditioner, the shawl will definitely not suffer from it.
Next you need to drain the water and let the water drain from the shawl. Then the washed shawl needs to be dried, but we will talk about this a little later.

Now we have smoothly approached the basic rules for washing a shawl, which should never be neglected. They are very simple, so everything will be clear to everyone right away.

You cannot pull the shawl by the corners, even inadvertently, as this will inevitably deform the product.
Never pour washing gel directly into your shawl. First, dissolve the gel in water, and only then put the item into the solution.
Opening the water too much and then throwing a shawl under it is also unacceptable. It is not permissible to rinse the product in the shower.
Under no circumstances should you rub the folds of the shawl against each other, as is done when hand washing. The product will not survive such a mechanical impact, and if it does, the appearance of the shawl will change for the worse.

What detergents to choose for washing

Contrary to popular belief, a shawl is not too picky when it comes to detergents, although there is a rule - no loose powders. And even more so, you should not use products with optical brighteners, enzymes and other chemicals. Any eco-friendly liquid washing gel will do, as well as liquid soap, soap shavings and even hair shampoo. By the way, many housewives even put hair shampoo in first place.

If you use soap shavings, then before washing, pour boiling water over it so that the soap dissolves, then this slurry can be poured into a previously prepared container with water.

products suitable for washing shawls

Tested several times, the loose powder causes the delicate downy surface of the shawl to curl and the product becomes shabby. Such a shawl can then only be worn at home; you won’t appear in public wearing this! Those who have already washed a shawl unsuccessfully ask the question: how to restore the product, or at least make it not so scary? The answer is clear - no way. The actions that are proposed by users on thematic forums are, to put it mildly, ineffective. So it’s better to do everything right right away.

How to dry the product

You will have to dry the shawl in an unusual way, since if you hang it on a rope along with other things, it will stretch out and become unusable. What do you mean by "unusual way"? This product should be dried on a special frame or simply on the floor. The point is to slightly stretch the shawl on the frame and secure it in this state until it dries completely. Only in this case will the product retain the shape it had before washing.

stretch the shawl to dry

You can secure the shawl to a frame or to the floor using regular pushpins. The main thing is that the place where you will dry the shawl meets certain requirements:

no direct sunlight;
must be warm, dry and ventilated;
no artificial heat sources, such as a radiator, fireplace, heater, etc.;
no drying cabinets, much less drying machines; it is best to dry the product at room temperature.

drying cabinets cannot be used

To make the shawl dry faster, you can place a dry sheet or terry towel under the frame, which will draw out most of the moisture. When the sheet becomes wet, it is removed and another one is laid. Usually two sheets are enough.

dry the shawl on a flat surface

So, we figured out which way is better to wash a shawl, by machine or by hand. It turned out that the manual method is the only possible one. We were able to briefly describe the entire process of washing a shawl, and at the same time provide expert advice regarding this process. We looked at which washing products are best to choose and what to do with the shawl after washing. In general, if you intend to wash such a thing, read this article and go for it - you will almost certainly succeed in the best possible way. Good luck!