Care and Cleaning

Care and Cleaning your Alpaca items is the same whether you are cleaning a commercial or hand made product.

Cleaning commercial Alpaca products or any natural animal fiber garment can be done in a washing machine as long as there is no agitation at all. Felting can occur in the spin cycle. The finer the fibers, the less handling it can take before felting.

Temperature changes between the wash and rinse water tends to be the most common cause of shrinkage. Make sure the water stays the same temperature. Lukewarm is best, about 100 to 105 degrees. Don't use extremely hot or cold water.

Laundry soap and dishwashing liquid can be too harsh for some fibers. We recommend baby or other mild shampoo. Skip the stuff with lots of fragrance or conditioners added. Cheap stuff is just fine.

Most alpaca fine garments DO NOT need to be dry-cleaned. A simple hand washing in baby shampoo will do just fine.

Swish your garment very, very gently in a clean sink with the shampoo. Let sit for just two or three minutes and rinse in the same temp water. Be sure to think in advance about how you'll get the same temperature water for washing and rinsing. Try to handle the item as little as possible.

Leave it in the sink for a few minutes for it to drain. Gently squeeze just enough water out so you don't soak the floor when taking the garment out of the sink.

Lay it out on a towel and gently roll up in the towel. Don't squeeze or press hard. You only want to have the towel absorb more water. Leave your item in the towel for about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a dry towel and let air dry. Turn over and place on fresh, dry towel every few hours. Drying time is highly controlled by room temperature and humidity.

Another nice, simple and inexpensive drying method is to use a sweater dryer rack. These allow you to lay out the sweater and provide good air flow around the garment. They typically cost around $10 at Wal-Mart type stores or online.

Whatever you do, don't use Woolite! Even the "gentle" formula can be too harsh for some fine clothing.

Structured coats, jackets, finely woven or intricately detailed garments should be dry-cleaned.

Though not as susceptible as wool items, during the summer months, your Alpaca garments should be stored away from possible moth infestation. We recommend using a sealed cedar chest, closed bag, or another moth protected environment.

With proper care and cleaning your Alpaca garment will give you many years of soft warm enjoyment and you too will have an Alpaca heirloom.

Commercial Alpaca Products , Alpaca Products , Hand Spun ,

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