How to make no-rinse wool wash
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How to make no-rinse wool wash

Keep your delicate knits clean and fresh with this recipe for a no-rinse wool wash that you can make at home.

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Published: August 21, 2019 at 1:20 pm

Clean your handknits with a homemade no-rinse wool wash that uses just a few simple ingredients. It's a great budget alternative to shop-bought washes. This recipe was passed on to The Knitter by reader Samantha Lane.

"You might be interested to know that Eucalan says their product was inspired by a no-rinse, home-made product the founder encountered in Australia," says Samantha.

"For decades Martha Gardener, on ABC radio, would read out the recipe for a no-rinse wool mix at least once a week. There was no internet back then and so people would ring in, again and again, to have the recipe read out. The recipe also appears in the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union Cookbook, and, in the days when women knitted to clothe their families, it was an important part of the domestic culture. The jumpers my mother washed with this wool wash were beautifully maintained.

"Nowadays you can buy a commercial no-rinse detergent bearing Martha Gardener's name but you can still find the recipe in many places online," she says. "Here it is:

No-rinse wool wash

You will need:

Step 1

Mix the methylated spirits with the soap flakes.

Step 2

Add the eucalyptus oil and stir.

Step 3

Store the wool wash in a wide necked jar.

To clean your knits using this wool wash, use one tablespoon of mixture per garment. Dissolve in a small quantity of hot water and then pour into a basin of lukewarm wash water. Soak garment.

No need to rinse. Squeeze and roll in towel to remove excess water. Dry out of direct sunlight."