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Some wool items are so delicate that even just washing them in the wrong temperature water can make them bunch up and shrink, which creates what’s called felted wool. If your wool has felted, it’s not completely ruined! You can gently and carefully stretch out your item to make it slightly bigger, although it may never return to the shape it once was.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Soaking the Wool

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  1. If you are trying to fix a large wool item, you can use a bathtub. Keep your water around 90 °F (32 °C), as hot water can make wool shrink.[1]
    • Make sure the bucket, sink, or tub you are using is clean.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    Try to use a conditioner without sulfates in it so that it’s less drying. Conditioner will soak into the fibers of the wool and make them more elastic and stretchy. Mix the conditioner into the water gently with your fingers to combine them.[2]

    Alternative: You can also use a fiber rinse liquid or an unfelting product that makes wool more stretchy.

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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    Make sure the entire wool item is totally soaked with water, then use your fingers to rub the wool to loosen up the fibers. Try not to wring or stretch it yet, as it is pretty fragile.[3]
    • This should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. If your wool is only slightly felted, it won’t need to soak for very long. If it’s almost entirely felted, meaning that the wool is completely matted and the item feels like felt, it will need to soak for about 1 hour. It’s okay if you leave it in longer, but try to give it at least 30 minutes.[4]
    • The longer your wool soaks, the easier it will be to stretch it out.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Stretching the Wool

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    Grab the wool item and press it gently in between your hands. Try not to wring it out, as you could cause it to shrink up more.[5]
    • You can drain the water from your sink or bathtub, since you won’t need it anymore.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    Put a clean towel down on a flat surface like the floor or your table. Spread the wool out as flat as it will go without pulling or stretching it yet.[6]
    • If you want to avoid your wool getting too frizzy, you can use a bath mat instead.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    Hold the center of the wool steady with 1 hand and use the other to gently grab the edges of the wool and pull. Go slowly so you don’t tear or rip the item, and work in small, short bursts around the entire thing.[7]
    • It can be hard to do this on your own, so you may need to ask a friend for help.

    Warning: If your wool got super felted, it might not return to its original shape. Try to stretch it as much as you can without tearing or ripping the fibers of the wool.

  4. Leave your wool laying on the towel or your floor until it’s completely dry. Once it’s dry, you won’t be able to stretch your wool anymore, so make sure you’ve done all you can while it’s still wet.[8]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    Take your wool to the sink and run it under cool water to remove the conditioner or fiber product that you used. That way, your wool will feel soft and won’t have a film on top of it. Gently squeeze your wool item to get the excess water out.[9]
    • You can try to gently stretch out your wool as you’re rinsing it out to get a little bit more length.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Fix Felted Wool
    You probably won’t be able to stretch your wool out anymore once you’ve rinsed out the conditioner, so just make sure it’s laying really flat. Leave it to dry completely before you wear it or put it away.[10]
    • Store your wool in a cool, dry place, like in your closet.
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Warnings

  • Felted wool can only stretch so much. Unfortunately, your wool may never return to the state that it was in previously.
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Things You’ll Need

  • Bucket, sink, or bathtub
  • Hair conditioner or unfelting product
  • Towel

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About This Article

Rani Gorgis
Co-authored by:
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
This article was co-authored by Rani Gorgis and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification. This article has been viewed 92,906 times.
43 votes - 84%
Co-authors: 3
Updated: September 16, 2021
Views: 92,906
Categories: Clothing
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 92,906 times.

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