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Natural Wool Washes

Once you've finished creating your beautiful natural knit, be it a sweater, socks, or a unique new pattern of your own, your next step will probably be to give it it's first washing. Just as the fibers we use in our knitting are important, so are the soaps we use to wash our knitted garments. Like synthetic yarns, non-natural soaps also contain hazardous chemicals, known to cause cancer and other health disorders. There are several natural soaps available that offer the perfect choice for natural knits.

Two of the most popular and widely recommended soap brands for washing knitted projects are Soak and Eucalan. Both comprise of primarily natural or natural-derived ingredients. They both work well for handknits and are significantly better than common household laundry detergents, which contain a long list of unpronounceable chemical ingredients. However, at the top of our list is Dr. Bronner's and KnitIQ -- competitively priced and made from a short list of natural ingredients, they wash well and don't leave us wondering about potential negative effects. Let's take a quick look at the ingredients used in these four wool washes, as well as a common household detergent and see how they compare:
 

KnitIQ

No-Rinse Wool Wash

INGREDIENTS:

  • purified water

  • sodium coco-sulfate

  • lauryl glucoside

  • coco-betaine

  • lanolin

  • lavender oil

  • sea salt

  • potassium sorbate

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Tide
Generic Detergent

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INGREDIENTS:

Acrylamide-Methylacrylamideopropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride copolymer, Alcohol, Alcohol ethoxylates, Alcohol ethoxy sulfate, Bentonite, Benzisothiazolinone, C10-16 alkyldimethylamine oxide, C12-16 Pareth, C14-15 Pareth, C10-16 Pareth, Calcium chloride, Calcium formate, Cellulase enzyme, Colorants (Liquitint Blue AH, Blue 1), Denatonium benzoate, Diethylene glycol, Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate, Dimethicone, Dipropylene glycol, Disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate, Ethanolamine, Ethanolamine citrate, Ethanolamine laurate, Ethanolamine myristate, Ethanolamine palmitate, Ethanolamine oleate, Ethanolamine stearate, Fatty acids, C16-18 and C18-unsatd., Fatty acids, salts, Fluorescent brightener, Fragrance Perfume, Glycerine, Hydrogenated castor oil, Lipase, Mannanase, Methoxypolyoxymethylene melamine, Modified Cellulose, Monoethanolamine (MEA)-citrate, MEA-LAS, MEA-laureth sulfate, Organosilicone copolymer, Palmitic acid, Pectic lyase, PEG-136 polyvinyl alcohol, PEG, Pentasodium pentetate, Phenylpropylethyl methicone, Polyethyleneimine ethoxylate, Polyethyleneimine, alkoxylated, Polyvinyl alcohol polymer, Propoxylated ethoxylated amine, Propylene glycol, Protease, Siloxanes and silicones, Simethicone, Sodium Aluminosilicate, Sodium bisulfite, Sodium borate, Sodium C10-16 alkylbenzene sulfonate, Sodium carbonate, Sodium carbonate peroxide, Sodium citrate, Sodium cumene sulfonate, Sodium Formate, Sodium laurate, Sodium laureth sulfate, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Sodium myristate, Sodium oleate, Sodium palmitate, Sodium phenylnonanoate sulfonate, Sodium polyacrylate, Sodium salts of C12-18 fatty acids, Sodium silicate, Sodium stearate, Sodium sulfate, Styrene/Acrylates copolymer, Subtilisin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Tripropylene glycol, Water

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Shop KnitIQ's products now and get 10% off your first

wool wash order with coupon code KTNW10

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KnitIQ No-Rinse Wool Wash

Designed specifically for knitters, KnitIQ's simple wool wash formula is our favorite go-to. With a delicate, refreshing, lavender-citrus scent, this no-rinse formula is easy to use and comes in a convenient pump bottle. Use it for all your handknits and for regular laundry too! Looking for blocking boards? KnitIQ has got them too! If you need boards, you're sure to love the high quality Gridded Blocking Boards from KnitIQ.

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​Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap

Available in eight different scents and seven different sizes, Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap is incredibly versatile. Though not marketed directly for knitters, it's perfect for all your natural knitwear washing needs and can double as a perfect hand soap or body wash! Be sure to also check out Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds -- a powerful detergent that only requires a drop to perfectly clean your woolly knits. We recommend rinsing your knits after washing, as this is not a no-rinse solution.

Images on this page courtesy of KnitIQ, Dr. Bronners, Eucalan, Tide and Soakwash