The Icelandic wool sweaters rarely needs washing, consider hanging it out in the fresh air first before washing it. Cleaning wool sweaters requires special care to preserve their quality. Wool possesses inherent qualities such as natural antibacterial properties and resistance to odors, making frequent washing largely unnecessary. Instead, it is often sufficient to refresh your precious wool sweater by simply hanging them out to air. We always recommend washing your sweater by hand, but you may also use a washing machine if you trust the hand wash program but we highly do not recommend doing that.

How to hand wash an Icelandic wool jumper cardigans

A big bonus of the Icelandic Lopapeysa: it doesn’t have to be washed often! Wool is by nature an antibacterial, water- and dirt repellent. In most cases it is sufficient to air the sweater outside. In case you still need to wash it, here is the recommended way to do it.
The sweaters are hand-washed only in lukewarm water (30°C/86°F) and use a special wool soap or mild shampoo can also be used. Soak the sweater for about 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to rub or wring too much, just rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water, then squeeze out as much water as possible. It is a good idea to put wool conditioner or hair conditioner in the final rinse water.
If needed, you can spin it in the dryer for about 1–3 minutes to remove excess moisture. Or just wrap the sweater in towels and squeeze out as much water as possible.

How to stretch and dry wool sweater

Lay the sweater flat on a dry towel to dry. Make sure to stretch out the sweater to its original shape, especially the ribs and the length will have contracted during wash. Therefore, it may be good to make a note of the shape before washing. Do no hang your Icelandic wool sweater since the weight of the water will stretch the wool.

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How to machine wash the Icelandic lopapeysa

We at The Icelandic Store, never wash the wool sweaters we make in a washing machine and advice you to do the same. But if you really need to do that then here are ways to do it.
Before washing your wool sweater in a machine, make sure the detergent compartment of your washing machine is clear of any detergent, bleach, or softener. You might want to run your washing machine empty for one short, warm-water cycle to clear it of any residues.
Wash on the delicate cycle, wool cycle, or hand wash cycle, if your washer features these settings. These settings are very similar and interchangeable. They feature lower speeds of agitation or tumbling during the wash cycle as well as lower speed spins. Make sure the temperature does not exceed 30°C. Do not tumble dry!
Be aware that the settings on the washing machines are different and might not work for the wool sweater. We recommend to try washing some old wool garment before, just to be sure that it really does not damage the wool sweater.