Wash & Rinse with Vinegar??

losnana · 01-30-2007, 07:43 AM

O just found a skein of Brown shepp co.'s Lamb 's Pride in my stash: 85% wool and 15% mohair. The washing instructions say to handwash with Brown's top of the lamb shampoo and 1/8 cup of vinegar, adding another 1/8 cup of vinegar to the final rinse. Is this necessary? Has anyone done anything less involved. I was thinking of ski socks, but will change plans if necessary. Can't see doing all this on vacation.

cookworm · 01-30-2007, 03:20 PM

I've only heard of using vinegar to make sure that dyes are set so that they don't bleed upon washing. I wonder if this would only be a first time thing?

Hopefully somebody with more knowledge than me will answer your post, though...sorry I can't be more help.

Nikki · 01-30-2007, 03:34 PM

I can't help, but thank you for asking this. I have been wondering about vinegar rinses too. I think if I did this vinegar rinse I'd use the the clear vinegar rather that the apple cider.

Silver · 01-30-2007, 04:08 PM

Vinegar rinses aren't necessary. It's recommended because it helps remove any soap residue left on the wool, but it doesn't correct any damage that washing may have already caused. Not that washing your wool is really damaging anyway. I think the effects of vinegar rinses are so minimal, and hardly noticeable, that it's not really worth the trouble.

But to take the best possible care of your wool, a vinegar rinse wouldn't hurt.

mrs desert rain · 01-30-2007, 04:56 PM

in general, adding vinegar to your wash will zap all sorts of residue; but make sure your use distilled, NOT apple cider.

Yarnlady · 01-31-2007, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by losnana

O just found a skein of Brown shepp co.'s Lamb 's Pride in my stash: 85% wool and 15% mohair. The washing instructions say to handwash with Brown's top of the lamb shampoo and 1/8 cup of vinegar, adding another 1/8 cup of vinegar to the final rinse.

Regular shampoo, dish soap, liquid soap, even bar soap is fine to wash them, especially on vacation. Vinegar in the rinse will remove residues, and kill bacteria but this can be done the first time you wash them at home if it's important to you.

Even just rinsing the socks in hot water will clean them enough while on vacation.

SandraEllen · 01-31-2007, 02:13 PM

I can't imagine wearing anything that smells like vinegar...

chiricahuagal · 01-31-2007, 04:28 PM

On human hair, using an alkaline like soap to wash it causes the shafts on the hair to expand, and using an acidic rinse like vinegar closes the shafts, making it easier to comb, softer, shinier as it were. I know wool also has shafts like hair, maybe it's a similar effect?

By soap, I mean regular bar soap which is alkaline, not shampoos which are detergents/surfactants that are usually corrected for pH balance and shouldn't affect the hair cuticle/shafts too much. (can you tell I'm a soapmaker?)

Googling only brings up vinegar in relation to dyeing and cleaning/deodorizing wool. Again, I don't know if wool reacts the same way to alkaline/acids that human hair does.

Yarnlady · 02-01-2007, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by SandraEllen

I can't imagine wearing anything that smells like vinegar...

It doesn't once it dries. Vinegar is a deodorizer.

snowbear · 02-01-2007, 02:09 PM

When daughter was little, I was told to add 1/4 cup clear vinegar to rinse water in washer. This helped remove all soap residue due to her skin being so sensitive. Her clothes never smelled of vinegar, but was very throughly rinsed in the washer of course. It did help clear up her skin and her clothes were always very very free of any residue.