Cleaning your Welsh textiles

As a general rule , all woollen blankets other than tapestries can be washed quite safely in your washing machine. Using a wool wash set to 30 Degrees, not a quick wash as temperatures vary.

Use a mild detergent such as Woolite & no conditioner. Harsh modern detergents contain enzyme eating chemicals which literally eat your pure wool textiles over time.

Dry as flat as possible & as quickly as possible to avoid musty odours & the need to press large blankets. I put mine over a big beech hedge in summer which allows the air to circulate without pulling the heavy blankets out of shape . In winter I put them over four chairs in front of the wood burner over night. ( beware , you`ll take the varnish off posh chairs!)

Sorry , they are permanent. Unless you deal with spills & such before they dry , you`ll just have to live with them. Nothing ( no matter what people tell you) will get tea & coffee or blood stains out.

Stain devils occasionally work on ink & washing up liquid has some success on oil.

On old textiles , especially those dyed red, Indigo & Purple ; test for colour fastness before submerging in water. if in doubt....Dry clean it!

Can be washed by hand BUT they are very heavy and awkward to lift once the are full of water. I recommend dry cleaning as the easiest route for cleaning them & it only needs doing every few years. Spills should be dealt with immediately.

Washing in a washing machine should be avoided as they are so heavy when full of water & bag between the two cloths. They never go flat after washing & I can spot them a mile off!

Before you put natural fibre textiles away for long periods; clean them, make sure they are completley dry & in a place where they cannot get wet ( airing cupboards are the worst culprits ). Most importantly , protect them from Moths by adding a moth satchet. ( You can buy these from me ).

Wool is self cleaning & over washing removes the natural oils & those added in the manufacturing process. So don`t put them through the wash too regularly. A couple of times a year is plenty. Before & after storing is perfect.