How To Best Care for Merino Wool Apparel

Clothing made from merino wool does a fantastic job of keeping you warm and comfortable. Keeping clothes manufactured from the material in as excellent a condition as possible can keep them looking wonderful and performing at their best. Read on to learn how to best care for merino wool apparel.

What Is Merino Wool

Merino wool is a natural fiber produced by Merino sheep renowned for its lightweight nature while still providing exceptional warmth and temperature regulation. The sheep themselves are incredibly stunning creatures and are extremely adaptable to any climate thanks to their hair. Merino wool is significantly thinner than other varieties of wool and can be much more soothing to the skin than other fabrics.

How To Measure Quality

You measure a thread of unprocessed wool's circumference in microns, a unit of measurement equal to one-thousandth of a millimeter. The thickness of the average human hair is around 45 microns. Merino wool clothing fabric is typically made from fibers measured in microns ranging from 17.5 to 24.

Brief History

Merino sheep originated in Spain during the Middle Ages, and its beautiful, fine wool was greatly coveted. The Spanish banned sheep exports for hundreds of years until the 18th century, when they gave them as presents to various European courts, from which they then spread all over the world. Merino wool has now established itself as an innovative performance fabric that can adapt to any climate, just like the sheep it comes from.

Benefits of Wearing Merino Wool

This incredible textile has many advantages over other fabrics you might consider wearing for travel. Clothing made from the material is effortless to pack without wrinkling, it is quick-drying, and adaptable to any climate or temperature. Some of the other benefits include the following.

Keeps You Nice and Cozy

The fabric has a natural lift that efficiently retains heat between the threads, making it warmer than other materials of the same weight. Moisture vapors will also condense inside the fiber, releasing heat and keeping you toasty. Wearing clothing made from the material is one of the best ways to stroll around in the chilly winter months without becoming too cold or uncomfortable when you transition from frigid exteriors to warm interiors and back outdoors.

Can Also Cool You Down

Clothing made from merino wool is also great in the summer. It regulates your body temperature so effectively that it's just as appropriate to wear in hot weather as in chilly weather. Because the fibers collect your body's moisture vapors and release them outside of the textiles when it's warmer, you'll stay cool. Not only will you look stylish, but you'll also feel great.

Offers Many Health Properties

Because of its hypoallergenic qualities, merino wool is ideal for people with chronic conditions such as asthma and allergies. The fabric can also operate as a protective shield, stabilizing the humidity level and microenvironment of the skin's surface, which can help +many people alleviate eczema symptoms. It can also relieve itchiness, skin redness, and rush, particularly in kids and individuals with skin disorders.

Freedom of Movement

Merino wool textiles have a molecular structure that allows for a more excellent range of motion and lets you move more fluidly. The fibers can be safely stretched beyond their natural length, accounting for virtually any physical movement, and can return to their original shape with no wrinkles or permanent folds. When wet, it will even return to its former shape after extending up to 50% of its length, making it far more elastic than cotton.

Environmentally Friendly

Merino wool is naturally biodegradable and renewable, giving it a very gentle impact on the environment. Once the fibers get discarded, it decomposes in the ground over time, gently releasing essential nitrogen-based minerals and functioning as a natural fertilizer. The wool also grows naturally on the sheep over time, and shearing helps keep them healthy and hygienic.

Protection From the Sun

In addition to keeping you cool on a sweltering day, the Merino fibers also offer significant natural UV protection. UV, or ultraviolet rays, are forms of electromagnetic radiation emanating from the sun that can give you a tan but can also pose serious health risks, including sunburns, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. Merino wool has a high UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) that can block a large amount of these UV rays from ever touching your skin.

Best Care Tips

When looking for how to best care for merino wool apparel, there are a few tips that can help extend the life of the material. The natural anti-microbial qualities help keep it odor-free, so you don't have to wash merino wool garments after every single wearing. Wash and dry your wool thoroughly before putting it away for long-term storage for the best protection against insect damage. Finally, it's always a smart option to carefully read the care label on each item before washing it.

How To Wash Merino Wool

When washing merino wool apparel, you need to be careful not to shrink or damage the wool. Here are the steps you should take.

• Turn socks and clothing inside out.
• Machine wash on gentle cycle in warm water.
• Never use bleach or fabric softeners. This is because bleach damages Merino wool fibers, and fabric softener coats those fibers, decreasing their potential to handle moisture effectively and regulate body temperature.
• Tumble-dry with low heat or air dry by laying merino wool apparel flat.
• Never iron merino wool apparel

What To Do When You Notice Moths

You might see yellow, flying insects known as moths swirling around clothing that has been stored in warm, humid environments, and they may wreak havoc on fabrics. There are specific steps you can take to protect your merino wool apparel after you've found moths.

• Examine all your clothing to determine what is damaged. In particular, look for holes, eggs, or larvae.
• Clean every surface of your closet, including the gaps and crevices, with a vacuum hose and dry cloth.
• Beat your clothing thoroughly, go over them with the vacuum cleaner, and then wash them.
• After you've washed your clothes, lay them out in the sun. Moths despise the light, and direct sunlight will kill any potentially dangerous larvae or eggs.
• Regularly airing out storage rooms and placing cedarwood, lavender leaves, or mothballs inside will also help prevent these problems.

NxTSTOP offers merino wool travel socks that are perfect for when you're on the go, with a flat-knit design that can fit in virtually every shoe in your closet. Compared to most other fabrics, merino wool provides excellent insulation, absorbs moisture, has anti-static characteristics, does not itch or smell, is lightweight, and retains its form even after extended wear and storage. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our products.