How to care for wool so it lasts twenty years

A good wool coat or knit can easily outlive the person who bought it. The secret is not expensive products, it is doing less.

Air before you wash

Wool is naturally odour resistant. After wearing, hang it by an open window overnight and most smells will be gone by morning.

Brush, do not scrub

A soft clothes brush lifts dust and restores the nap. Brush downwards, in the direction of the fibres, once a week in winter.

Most wool is washed to death. Twice a season is plenty for a coat.

Store it folded and clean

Knits stretch on hangers. Fold them, add a cedar block and keep them in a breathable cotton bag over summer.