Wool Blanket Cleaning: How to Care for Your Wool Blanket Woodsman Style!

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Stay in the Woods,
Dan

[@teripittman]

I never dry clean. I am a knitter and spinner. I know how to handle wool. And I have three of your blankets and have washed one. It's important to not agitate and to wash and rinse in the same temperature of water. I filled the washing machine tub with cold water, used Eucalan soap, turned the machine off and put in the blanket. Let it soak awhile, spin out. Eucalan doesn't have to be washed out, but repeat the process to rinse. Let it air dry.

[@BradyPatterson]

^^^ This. I have a friend in the film industry that runs the costuming department for various shows and movies. Her particular "fetish" is vintage wool clothing and gear. This is the exact process she recommended and she cautions heavily against dry cleaning due to the chemicals used. I'm paraphrasing as I don't remember her exact language but it was something like "if you can afford to buy wool, then you can afford to wash it properly". She also recommends storing any wool in plastic totes that seal when not using daily.

[@xKarma93]

What do you mean spin out? Sorry I don’t have a drying machine but I’m assuming the process is the same? I just let the blanket soak in Eucalan and cold water and then just let it air dry?

[@teripittman]

@@xKarma93 yes, that works. If you have a washer, you can use the spin cycle just to get out the excess water after soaking it.

[@bcase5328]

As a fill-in dry cleaning between washings there is "fuller's earth", a type of clay dust. Use the brush to clean off the Fuller's Earth, then hung it up to air and sun. Or you could hung it up and beat it, then let it air and sun.

[@bcase5328]

Or, you can handwash through a series of soakings; wool dislikes wet agitation, (it may felt). [You must heavily blotting dry after rinsing, before air drying. (Blot, not rub. Don't wring.)]

[@jamescook1051]

I am 78 years old and still camp and bushcraft.......thankx for you videos and all the great tips.......keep it up Dan

[@richardstone5241]

Wow James, I'm 69 and still do the same and hope I am still going strong at 78. Well done and blessings to you!

[@davidwiser1113]

And I’m another old fart(69) and can’t get enough of camping. Hey, old guys rule! Lol lol

[@richardstone5241]

@@davidwiser1113 Yes we do! and, we need to teach the young ones, pass on our knowledge.

[@rw7594]

I'm only 48 and I hope to still spend time outdoors right up until the end. Good on you sir.

[@chriskitchen4772]

I hope to be doing that when I'm your age. Good for you ! Got 19 years to go.

[@desertgecko4549]

Hanging it in the Sun is best, but this also works on a cloudy day. Ultraviolet, or UV, from the Sun kills odor-causing bacteria. UV also gets through clouds, but not as strongly. Just like we can get a sunburn on an overcast day, we can freshen our wool and other articles. Good tips.

[@ladyofthemasque]

Dang, ya beat me to it! I was going to say that the UV rays from sunlight kill can many types of bacteria. Medieval dairy maids would use salt and boiling hot water on their dairy equipment to clean it, then set it out to dry in bright sunlight to further sterilize it. They didn't know what was doing the actual work, but they did know that the bright sunlight prevented things from going bad when making butter, cheese, and so forth. (They also knew that it made linens whiter, but even more, they knew that spreading linens over green grass got it whiter on both sides--not knowing that there are certain chemicals released by sunwarmed grass that helps with the bleaching effects, lol.) You can also sterilize water by using a clear plastic bottle, filling it 3/4ths of the way, capping and giving it a good 25 hard shakes (this increases the dissolved oxygen in the water, which helps it taste better), then filling it the rest of the way, then setting it in the sunlight on a clear sunny day (on its side, ideally at a slope to maximize sunlight across its surface), and within 6-8 hours, the bacteria in the water will be dead.

[@emmamoretti]

Okay cool my bf’s mom bought me a 50% alpaca/50% sheep wool blanket and I let it hang in the sun for a week to help some of the fuzziness matte down. Nice to know

[@desertgecko4549]

@@emmamoretti A sunny, breezy day is the best air freshener you can get. And a 50/50 alpaca/wool blanket sounds great!

[@jfsinc]

Bought a surplus wool blanket from sportsman guide. It was Russian. Smelled of moth balls. Ran it through the washer using woolite . COLD WATER ONLY. Then put it in the sun for a couple of days to dry. I repeated the process with fabric softener. More sun. I love that blanket. Heavy, warm and soft. Thanks for your videos. Always to the point. 🙏👍

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

Wool is the ultimate product. It’s anti microbial, anti bacterial, hygroscopic, water resistant, moisture wicking and flame retardant. It has sadly gone out of favour in recent years with made made fabrics taking the fore, which in the main are petroleum/chemical based products. Wherever possible I wear wool. I have summer wool clothes which are very fine, and winter wool which are denser. I also have two business suits made from super 120 wool which is almost as fine as silk! My prized wool possession is a raw woollen scarf which my grandmother hand knitted for me from hand spun fibres from family sheep back in 1975 - she made it to keep me warm in winter when I was based in Germany with the British Army.

[@michaelschmitzerle2587]

Wool is basically hair. Wash your wool blanket like you’d wash your hair, with a mild shampoo and cold water. I’ve been doing this for over fifty years. My Hudson’s Bay and Whitney blankets still look new.

[@faramund9865]

Okay but it's dead hair, which means it can't smear itself with oils. It may look new, but is it also as warm?

[@michaelschmitzerle2587]

Yes it is. In fact it tightens up the fibers a bit to make it more wind proof. All hair is basically dead . One can even add a small amount conditioner to the wash to make it a bit softer.

[@phillipadams4738]

I’ve smoke all my blankets in evergreens. I have some for bushcraft also have 2 for each person in the house. It’s a great air freshener for the bedroom.

[@debraallen63]

The smell Ike pine!

[@Friedbrain11]

Our favorite time to hang clothes outside along with quilts and blankets was the winter. The dry air dried the stuff on the clothes lines fast and the articles smelled so good after they warmed up inside the house.

[@mattinman6791]

Dan, I caught my blanket on fire. No just kidding, thanks for the video. Great info!

[@ladyofthemasque]

If you have problems with the smoke from a campfire (and I can understand that), then after you've deodorized it with smoke, just get it wet again, rinse out the smoke, and let it air dry. The trick is not to agitate or rub or handle the wet wool too roughly, since that can cause the fibers to start to tangle together. Wet hair (which is what wool is) stretches, and when it dries, it shrinks...so if it tangles up during the laundering process more than it was before, of course it'll shrink smaller once it's dried! That's why you always treat it gently, and you always dry carefully, too. (Sweaters should be dried flat so they don't get stretched out of shape, but blankets aren't quite as shape-dependent.)

[@teebteeb1268]

Wife picked up one of your blankets for me for Christmas at your Locust Lake camp store... high quality and as an outdoor professional / bushcraft enthusiast, I would highly recommend it. Great job in there, by the way; vast improvement.

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

One would be surprised at how well the old "hang it up outside" works for smells. A good day, maybe two hung up on the front porch and it'll smell like nothing. At least it has worked with all my comforters and hunting clothes.

[@stuartclark8910]

When "smoking a blanket" I've found some fresh wild mint, and put that on the fire. Gives you a nicer minty fresh smell 🇬🇧

[@crepuscularwintersky]

This is awesome advice! I just wanted to chime in though, you mentioned dry cleaning your household wool blankets - I hang mine up when I get up in the morning and they stay smelling fresh practically forever.

[@robertbooth3699]

After smoking the blanket lay it on a green lawn on a sunny day for a few hours. The sun interacts with the oxygen coming off the grass and the general sweeness refreshes things nicely.

[@marclucier2533]

I have two military wools for outdoor use. I just air dry them and call it a day when I come back from the woods

[@JD-gn6du]

I keep one in my truck in the just to have as spare gear in the event I need it.

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

I had wool diaper covers for my son's cloth diapers. I washed them in warm water, with Woolite, then in a second bath with a dab of lanolin (melted in very hot water first) to waterproof them again. Then, I rolled them numerous times in a bath towel to squish the water out and let them air dry somewhere warm. I bet you could do the same with blankets, but it would take some doing! I haven't washed any of mine yet.

[@HighColorado]

I am not sure we have legalized the smoking of recreational blankets in Colorado at this point ... only allowed in cases of medical necessity.

[@debraallen63]

LOL 🤣🤣 Better check your local Laws everyone 😂

[@jackvoss5841]

For removing dry mud, loose dirt, etc, I might hang it, let it dry, and use a carpet beater. Carpet beaters aren’t made any more, bushcraft up green withes to tie around into a beater. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@mendyviola]

Throw it in the washing machine (without an agitator) using the hand wash /wool cycle an woolite. Roll it between some clean dry towels to soak up as much water as possible. Lay flat or hang dry outside in the sun. That’s how I’ve been cleaning my wool for decades.

[@bcase5328]

"Roll it between some clean dry towels to soak up as much water as possible" is what I meant by blot.

[@apocosy]

Good advice. I'd personally never dry clean, I've hand washed many wool blankets with great results, just be gentle.

[@aaronb7800]

Thanks for these tips! I found two wool blankets at local antique fairs last summer and now I know how to care for them. One stays in my car this winter and the other works great for camping.

[@thesteveshowfoodfestroadtest]

Killer tips! I love a smokey wool blanket! Heaven!

[@earlshaner4441]

Good afternoon from Syracuse NY USA brother and everyone else

[@gerardmartyn1738]

I the Navy several times a year we would do air bedding. Bed ticking and blankets. It works. Put it in the sun and air. Great video as always 👍

[@cynthiawigington1236]

Is the blanket you sell wool from New Zealand? It looks really nice. I think I'm going to get one. Nothing better on the planet than a good wool blanket.

[@CHUNKYNUGGET666]

Thanks mate wool is awesome!

[@cillaloves2fish688]

Thx Dan!

[@jenniferbauman4802]

Good video. God bless. From Glenn CATT in Massachusetts.

[@dr.johnwatson2503]

Never put an alpaca into a wash machine. They don’t like it and they may bite you if you try!

[@tinamathews3379]

lol

[@mrbakerskatz]

I’m bad for washing my alpaca’s and I don’t get right after them to hang them up ! That really aggravates them !

[@richjoebushcraft]

They are known to get SUPER dizzy in the spin cycle.

[@katiobrien7854]

And don't forget alpacas are for external use only! 😁

[@PlayaSinNombre]

😂 or spit in your eye…

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Thanks Dan, very good tip.

[@Hemp1972]

I bought three New Zealand 100% pure sheepwool blankets. I love 'em but they did shrink. Sleeping as a baby I do. 🔆

[@slipbobberwilli]

Sir I think you've smoked too many blankets 🤣

[@louiehuckle1177]

Awesome thanks Dan

[@richjoebushcraft]

Be careful when smoking wool blankets... You should only smoke the filtered ones, otherwise you'll get lung moths.

[@davesprague2445]

Loved the info, thanks Dan

[@josephperreault4988]

Thanks, you.

[@andrewbeattieRAB]

EXCELLENT VIDEO

[@benkeyes5010]

HAHAHAHA! Full belly laugh at the first second of the video. Great tips. Thanks as always.

[@macmanmcmaster4]

I just received one of your Fantastic wool blankets for Christmas !!! Great video.

[@dalemeyer8207]

I lik putting it in the dryer with no heat and tumble the blanket with 6 tenis balls....I also do this with my down sleeping bags and jackets. Thanks

[@faramund9865]

Was literally wondering this today, walking in my long wool coat in the rain and dirt.

[@mister-action1]

Great info!

[@gaveintothedarkness]

Cheap bottom shelf vodka in a spray bottle is good if you want to get rid of stank - apparently it used to be an old theatre trick? Good if you need to get rid of smell quickly.

[@debraallen63]

I've used a baking soda and water spray and I've heard of vinegar and water but have not tried it.

[@Hairball786]

Thank you, Sir.

[@preparetothrive9871]

Specifically searched for this cause I need to clean mine and didn’t want to harm it.

[@groundfog]

Great video!

[@faramund9865]

I really prefer my wool blankets to the duvet. I feel as though a lot of nasty stuff piles up in these duvets wheres the wool blanket will be clean after shaking and beating the dust out and letting it air and sunbathe for a while.

[@DanielSmith-yu9wq]

Smokin' video.

[@tomcranks]

On the subject of washing, have you cleaned that filthy vest yet? Spot treat the whole front with Dawn and let soak before washing in the machine.

[@freddyoutdoors]

Ace tips and trick cheers dude

[@margueritemitchell1829]

Hello from British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦🖐👍♥️🌲🚴‍♀️🛣🚍❄🌨🥳🐪🥓🍳🍲🦝🏒

[@debraallen63]

Cool tips 👍 Blessings 🙏

[@Flashahol]

How about using a vacuum cleaner? No one ever mentions that, yet it will do nothing to harm it except for the motorized brush. ...which reminds me that some people do say that blankets with tons of fluffy hair are warmer.

[@pennsyltuckyreb9800]

Yes, long nap wool blankets like Hudson Bays and Witney's tend to be the warmest because of that. But you can equal or even surpass that warmth with two thinner wool blankets because it traps more warm air.

[@Flashahol]

@@pennsyltuckyreb9800 Good point.

[@danieljones2183]

Hey Dan, my wool blanket has a small hole in it. Is there a way to repair it before it becomes a large hole? I'll be watching for that video.

[@farstrider79]

I believe that's be called "sewing." Relatively new technique, not sure if it'll catch on, but it looks promising.

[@faramund9865]

@@farstrider79 Savage, but true.

[@Idrivthetrain]

@@farstrider79 you are a baa-aaa-aaad man. Holy sheep!

[@danieljones2183]

@@farstrider79 sewing is one thing but this repair is closer to weaving.

[@bcase5328]

@@farstrider79 "Mending", to be more exact use the term "Darn". There are videos which will show you how to do it.

[@jeffreiss3585]

Ya need ta clean that vest..😂

[@richjageman3976]

I have been hanging mine in the sun and then smoke to get rid of any no seeums that might have hitched a ride.

[@gregmatchett7110]

Isn't beating it off the tree going to be pretty tough on the fibres?

[@joselsolorio5035]

What about taking a leaf blower to one, I find that shaking or beating the dead skin cells/ dust out of mine is a lot of work and never gets it 100% dust free. At almost $50 a blanket to dry clean around where I live, little pricy for me. They are merino wool king blankets for in home use only, only had them for about a year and new to the wool game. So last thing I want to do is f them up. Did the vacuum thing at first but didn't like seeing the fibers getting sucked up into the canister. Thats got to add up over the years if I continued, thin the blanket out. Shit, the first day I used them my 2 year smashed a banana into it for almost 10 minutes, I was livid! The idea of drying these blankets out after any kind of home wash sounds like an all day ordeal!

[@pamelacarnes9652]

It seems like dusting it with baking soda before all the brushing, beating and airing would help.

[@RealJohnnyDingo]

every time I see this Thumbnail I'm thinking wow, that is a really short skirt 😅

[@Hawgryder]

I hated these wool blankets in the military. I do own a lot of Merino wool. Superior and lightweight.

[@faramund9865]

We've really not only gone reverse in some aspects, but also spinning out of control. We used to wear capes, wool blankets over our wool coats. Then came the wool overcoat, lovely big wool coat that replaced the cape. Why would we go aaaaaaall the way back to dragging a blanket around, unless it's for sleeping under, when we can just wear those badass overcoats over our wool coats. Modern military clothing is shite, because apparently the best way to cut on expenses is to make really shitty clothing.

[@pennsyltuckyreb9800]

Military wool blankets aren't 100% wool, are thin, and were meant to be used indoors on barracks cots, not outside. They're also very scratchy. There is a huge spectrum when it comes to wool blankets from crap to luxury.

[@Hawgryder]

@@pennsyltuckyreb9800 the green ones we had were 100% wool. That was early 80s and prior. Not sure what they use now.

[@pennsyltuckyreb9800]

@K H Well they're all over. I don't know if the ones we had in 2005 were 100% or not. Either way, they're indoor rack blankets, not the type of blankets you want for outdoor sleeping. But 2 of those together could work fairly well outdoors in cold weather.

[@BM-hb2mr]

By smoking blankets and tests it actually seals the pors on the material. Also real 100% wool won't grow very much if any bacteria on it because of the natural wool that its made from. Like wool sucks they were made for military fir a very long time because of keeping bacteria off of the soldier. 100% wool is very hard to find and when you do it's quite expensive but well worth it

[@stevestumpy6873]

If you get Covid, you won't be able to smell the blanket.

[@mrbakerskatz]

🍔🍟🥃

[@Raven1816]

Don't dryclean your wool or down good people.... You can do it yourself minus the carcinogens 🎉

[@bobscar327]

Your channel is the best. Good, solid info. & advice. Thanks.

[@andrewwatkins9901]

Hey there. So what is your routine for washing merino wool socks? I assume you wear them being a woods guy?

[@debraallen63]

They're easy to wash & rinse by hand in a mild soap (I use a Charcoal soap) and just hang them up to dry.

[@andrewwatkins9901]

​@@debraallen63 I wash mine on the wool setting on the washing machine. Once air dried they always come out crunchy around the foot and heal erea. Not sure why, anything I can do to fix this or prevent this in future pairs of socks?

[@lindamon5101]

Clean wool in snow.

[@MikeycatOutdoors]

What happens if your blanket gets so rank from bean soup that you hang it up and it rains on it? After the rain, it's still hanging out to dry in the sun. Would that hurt it? Just curious.

[@mrbakerskatz]

No !

[@farstrider79]

Never get anything wet!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MikeycatOutdoors]

@@farstrider79 what about Woolite? 😅

[@MikeycatOutdoors]

@@farstrider79 what if you're bushcrafting with a lady friend and she gets a little hot by the woodstove and gets a lil bit wet from spilling her coffee on the blanket? And you really don't want a (cough cough ) coffee stain on your blanket that you and her have kept cozy in all night. Sometimes you may need to spot wash it. 😉

[@vidard9863]

doesn't matter. what happened happened, drying it in the sun and air is your best way to recover..... do better next time. as for the coffee stain? cold water spot wash for that type of stain. don't use hot water it can cause the protein to cook and become locked into the fibers. you might want to use some soap. if it happens often enough that washing the blanket destroys the blanket.... well it was well worth it to spill that much coffee....

[@christiankippi1980]

Ah yes, U.S.A, the place where you HAVE to tell people not to hang their blanket too close to the fire, out of fear that someone might sue you.

[@markbough2606]

Ok I tried and tried to smoke the blanket but I just couldn’t figure out how not to light it on fire first. I mean sure it made a big joint but I still think it does need to be lite up. 😂

[@terryqueen3233]

Smoke your blanket?! I want to know where you get papers big enough to roll that thing up and smoke it.

[@beanrunnerWA]

What about a dry shampoo?

[@hiramhaji7813]

There’s a small, dry cleaning machine that you can buy that you can actually do your clothes, and also instead of having to take them to the dry cleaner.

[@hiramhaji7813]

I’ll share a recipe from an old timer, he had 100% wool and he would put his wash machine on the gentle cycle and cold water and then he would take a quart of warm water in a jar and he would mix either wool light or draft and in the northern states I believe there’s some so-called castle that is used also. Then he would take equal parts, alcohol, rubbing alcohol, and mix in the quart jar with the warm water and soap, and then he would put it in the wash machine and run a cycle through it. Once finished put it on the clothesline to dry. He says you only really have to do this once or twice a year if you’re really hard on your blanket from sleeping outside or whatever. He said if he did it once a year just like The recipe given, he said the blanket will turn almost into like a thick flannel, and it’ll soften up, and it’ll outlast most humans.

[@kevinschmith9379]

You said beat it off 😂

[@pennsyltuckyreb9800]

Beat it off hard. No mercy.

[@66bigbuds]

Wool is anti-mycrobial

[@mrbakerskatz]

My blanket did not burn ,my garden shed …….not so much !

[@Shards-of-Narsil]

I caught my blanket on fire. :P

[@mjhill72]

Is cold water and Woolite ok?

[@debraallen63]

That's what it's made for.... Cold water and gentle cycle.

[@pennsyltuckyreb9800]

That'll work. I machine wash all my wool blankets without worries. Cold water. Super slow/gentle/delicates cycle. I use Kookaburra wash because it has lanolin in it as well and I like the smell. Air dry only afterwards. If they are long nap, like Hudson Bays and Witney's, I'll use a pet wire brush upside down and brush out the nap while still damp from the top down to the label each side. Then continue to air dry. Luxury right there. Way better than dry cleaning, IMO.

[@KCSmith1]

I plan on making a bedroll. I just love your wool blanket, but for the cost I do not want to cut it. It's to pretty.

[@janetclark8754]

your blankey is pretty ;o)))

[@kevinmclynn6930]

That vest needs a dry cleaning😅. It’s been outdoors.

[@kevinmclynn6930]

And I got the fingerless wool gloves. Love ‘em.

[@notazip6814]

Ahhhhh … I ah . Well the wind kinda … like . WELL I CAUGHT IT ON FIRE OK !!! So so I’m a MORON

[@brianthesnail3815]

I asked how to clean a wool blanket on another thread by another KZbinr. It really seems a suboptimal kind of sleep system. Blankets just cant be washed in any sensible way. Dry cleaning is expensive. It is really the only thing I disagree with Dan about. I wear natural wool knitwear and my wife washes them and it takes a lot of care and time. I don't drag them around a muddy floor first though.

[@hobofab]

It's mostly for fun using something from a bygone era but you can buy cheap wool blankets and wash them cold drip dry or gentle cycle. That's what I do.

[@faramund9865]

I will explain. For hundreds of years we have used wool to keep warm and dry. Why? Because it works really well. However, throughout almost all of this time, or rather, the moment we had access to linen, we wore linen or cotton between it and our skin. So that that layer absorbs our dirt and because it's more comfortable. Furthermore, we did not knit the wool, but we wove it and then we fulled it. This makes it much tighter, warmer and much more water and stain resistant.

[@brianthesnail3815]

@@faramund9865 I agree. I used to look after sheep. Take a wet sheep that has stood out in the heavy rain all day. It is ringing wet on the surface of its wool. Part the wool on its back and its dry. The wool is dirty though and stays dirty all the year on the surface but clean below the surface. A sheep that is sheared has very clean skin. Wool has good properties to be sure but it is hard to wash.

[@donnydread7631]

I like to smoke mine with sage, but maybe that’s just because I’m a dirty hippie.

[@chrisp7784]

What's with the pants?! The bottoms are not cut!! You're "slacking" 😂

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

1 out of 10, Blanket caught fire, would not do again. Kidding!

[@homelessvetadventures7475]

Gezzz ...how about the next video on how to wash your clothes ...

[@stevenkeithley4336]

👊😎🤙🍻🇺🇸

[@christopherpike8269]

When do I use the Fabreez?.........JK

[@faramund9865]

Germanic man sets blanket on fire 60 BC colorized.

[@shelleypilcher3812]

I disagree. You are to GENTLY pour water over the surface to get the dirt out. Maybe rub a couple times vigorously. Let air dry and Gently pat out. You do not want to scrub and hit the fibers hard like you did. . Very harmful.

[@scottmcintosh2988]

That guy on the corner keeps charging me for putting deadly poison on my blanket s !!!

[@JD-tw3ov]

ROFL