Caring for Alpaca Products – Yanantin Alpaca

If you have an alpaca woolen product in your closet, you might wonder: is it possible to put alpaca wool in the washing machine? It is not possible to wash 100% alpaca wool in the washing machine, including the “hand wash” setting. The friction of the process causes the fibers to break, making them interlock, which results in a felted garment. And when that happens, your garment will be smaller, less soft, and tougher. But why do a lot of companies say you can wash your alpaca woolen clothes in the washing machine? Let’s dig into the alpaca fiber a little deeper. Why is it not possible to wash alpaca wool in the washing machine? A 100% alpaca woolen garment is too vulnerable to be washed in the washing machine. The alpaca fiber has minuscule scales. If they are rubbed together, they will get stuck on each other. When clothes are put in the washing machine, the machine movies the clothes around in order to wash them. It is this friction that causes the scales to interlock. When the fibers interlock, your garment will start to change its shape, texture, and lose its softness. It’s as if your garment becomes a felted piece of fabric. Felted garments are thicker and coarser. So you will lose some of the smoothness and softness that is alpaca wool is known for. Read more about felting in this complete article I wrote that you can find here: Does Alpaca Wool Felt? (And Why That's GOOD and BAD) The combination of water and soap makes the alpaca hair even more vulnerable to friction. It’s almost as if it makes the hairs “open up”, exposing the minuscule scales even more. Even without the soap, water alone is enough to make your garment felt. A felted garment looks, feels, and wears like a doormat. Can you use the hand-wash program on the washing machine? Even the “hand-wash” program on your washing machine is too rough for a 100% alpaca woolen garment. The hand-wash program still moves the garments around. So while it is a lot more gentle on your garment, even these minimal movements are too much for alpaca wool. The washing instructions for alpaca wool are to wash it manually. The reason for this is so that you can leave it to soak. Without touching it. Without rubbing it. Without tossing it around in the water. The reason why you can’t use the hand-wash program is that there is movement involved. And alpaca woolen garments should be washed without any movement. For step-by-step washing instructions, check out this article I wrote: How Do You Wash Alpaca Woolen Products? (Step-By-Step Guide) What happens when you put an alpaca woolen product in the washing machine? When customers buy Yanantin products, I make them pinky-promise me to never put their garment in the washing machine. But what happens when you put an alpaca woolen product in the washing machine? When you wash an alpaca woolen garment in the washing machine it will become: Less softSmallerLess drapey Less smoothMore water-resistantMore wind-resistant YES, there are actually two benefits of the dramatic outcome when you wash an alpaca woolen product in the washing machine. Felted fabrics are actually awesome for two reasons: they’re wind- and water-resistant. The tight texture of the material makes it harder for wind and rain to pass through. How do I know all of this? Well, because I (accidentally) threw my own 100% alpaca woolen sweater in the washing machine. WHOOPS! Let’s just say it was great material for a YouTube video… See for yourself what happened: https://youtu.be/uW4izdAqvcc When is it possible to put an alpaca woolen garment in the washing machine? That being said, if you have an old sweater, scarf, or pair of socks that you’d love to make more wind- or water-resistant, throw it in the washing machine! If the garment has very low alpaca wool content, you might be able to wash it in the washing machine. Whether that is possible or not depends on the mix and the % of alpaca wool. It also depends on what is blended with, and whether those materials are synthetic or animal fibers. I personally find that polyester-alpaca blends do not look well after being washed. Polyester is prone to pilling, so while you might not get a felted garment, it might start to create some fuzzballs instead. My advice is to stick to handwash. Wool blends in general are better washed by hand. Alpaca wool isn’t the only animal fiber that is prone to felting. Other types of wool risk the same fate if they get washed in the washing machine. More complicated blends with more than three different materials and/or a combination of synthetic and animal fibers may or may not be fit to put in the washing machine. Check your washing label and the washing instructions that you were given. Washable wool can be washed in the washing machine. However, as far as I know, there isn't much washable alpaca wool available. For other wools: check your manufacturer and the washing label to see if that is the type of wool that is used in your garment. However, be mindful of the potential chemical treatment of many “washable” animal fibers (read more on Holy Lamb Organics). Why can you machine-wash merino wool, but not alpaca wool? Based on what I've learned about both fibers, there are some differences that could explain why merino wool is more washable than alpaca wool: For example, merino wool has more lanolin than alpaca wool. That greasy layer is a way to protect the fiber. I'm guessing it helps make the fiber less prone to pilling or felting. And since alpaca wool is very prone to felting, it might be the reason why you wouldn't machine-wash the latter, while merino wool will survive just fine. Another reason could be that merino generally has a smaller micron-count than alpaca. Since the fibers are smaller, the scales are smaller and that helps them from getting tangled up. Again, making it less vulnerable to felting and/or pilling. The last thing I can think of is that merino wool might be treated to be more washable. If that is the case, your washing instructions will inform you of the right way to wash your garment. Similarly, it's possible that merino wool is more often blended with other synthetic fibers which improves washability. Again, check the washing instructions.