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How to maintain alpaca wool?

Discover our collection, items in allpaca wool perfect to keep your skin warm and dry, no pilling
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"How to care for an alpaca wool garment? ", "Can I wash my wool sweater in the machine? "or "how to dry my wool sweater? "These are the most frequently asked questions. In this article, we share our knowledge of wool care with you, giving you some good tips.

It is true that Alpaca wool, not being known to everyone yet, can be a little bit mysterious. Moreover, that a large part of the wools can slacken in the wash, or on the contrary shrink, lose colour and shine, why should it be different for Alpaca wool.

Above all, Alpaca wool is known to have many beneficial properties. One of them being that this fibre is 4 times more resistant than sheep wool. So you can have less fear of seeing your garment deteriorate from wash to wash. On the contrary, Alpaca is a long-term investment and you can be sure to keep it for a long time in its original state.

How to maintain your clothes and accessories?

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Washing


The first essential element to properly maintain an alpaca sweater and keep it in perfect condition is to choose a good, gentle, and delicate shampoo with as little detergent as possible.  Too often people neglect this essential element and are disappointed with the result after washing despite many other precautions taken. You will find different types of natural and available products that are suitable for all types of delicate wool in our online shop.
Although alpaca wool is extremely resistant and performs much better than any other wool after machine washing, we recommend dry cleaning or hand washing in warm water (between 10 and 20 degrees), with a mild shampoo.

It is important to keep a constant temperature of between 10 and 20 degrees when washing your alpaca wool clothes because temperature variations tend to felted the alpaca wool (On the other hand, BellePaga Alpaca socks can be machine washed at 30 degrees Celsius with your other clothes and ordinary soap).
If you wash your alpaca clothes by hand, simply let the water run for the duration of the washing and rinsing to keep the same temperature. It is advisable not to wring or twist the garment after washing: simply and gently pressing to remove excess water will do the trick!

It is also advisable to wear plastic gloves so as not to damage the wool with long nails or jewellery.

As a reminder, alpaca wool is known not to retain odours or dust. You can occasionally place the garment on a flat surface, on a clean towel, and let it dry in the open air. Simply aerating it will give it a refreshing boost and prevent you from washing it cold or in the washing machine unnecessarily.

It is simply recommended to wash your wool clothes and accessories at the end of the season in order to protect them from mites that would invite themselves into these natural fibres.

 

Drying

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In no way can alpaca items go to the dryer! As said at the beginning, it is advisable to place your wool garment in a towel, so it will absorb excess water and your product will dry faster.
Choose a completely flat natural drying process (including the sleeves of your sweaters) to avoid stretching the fibres, and ideally in the open air, preferably not in direct sunlight.

 

Ironing

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It is true that alpaca wool is known for its ability not to wrinkle, so ironing is not necessary.
However, if the opportunity arises, we recommend simply place a cloth between the iron and the garment to avoid damaging it and adjust the iron at low temperature, without steam to have a smooth effect without damaging your alpaca garment.

 

Extend the Resistance of Alpaca Fibres

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It should be noted that alpaca fibre, when dyed, and especially during the first washes, will colour your water. Don't panic, it's perfectly normal.
Our only recommendation is to wash your items separately or with identical colours. Note that to fix the colours, simply soak your clothes in water with about 20% white vinegar.
To keep your fibres looking like new for as long as possible, there is a trick. Put your new mesh in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. The cold will cause the fibres to tighten and become more resistant. You can then do your laundry without worrying about a possible fibre breakage and therefore the appearance of pilling. Thank you for the thermal shock!
It is obvious that all the advice on this site is based on our expertise and the experiences of our clients.

 

Let's summarize

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Aerate alpaca clothing from time to time and when washing, check the water temperature carefully to keep it constant (always use cold water between 10 and 20 degrees). If you wish to iron alpaca wool, do not forget to separate it from the iron with a cloth and set the iron at low temperature, without steam. Socks can be washed at 30°C in a washing machine with ordinary soap. Never hang a wet Alpaca garment on a hanger because it can be deformed by the effect of the weight of the water and above all, you forget the dryer.
Caring for alpaca wool is not as complicated as you might think. If the care conditions are perfectly respected, your alpaca product will retain its colours and shine for several decades.
Now that you know the details of how to care for alpaca wool, we invite you to discover our collection of alpaca wool clothing and accessories without further delay!
Come and discover our women's collection, our men's collection as well as our entire home and decoration range.