Wool sweaters, especially high-quality garments like wool and cashmere, are very delicate, and it could happen that some types of washing or the use of incorrect products for cleaning the garment cause the wool to felt. But can you unfelt a wool sweater, thus saving a garment we were fond of? Read here, mottafashionplace explains it to you. There are certainly some remedies of proven effectiveness, such as some practical do-it-yourself remedies that are quick to perform even for beginners. So, here is how to proceed in case of wool felting.
Recovering a felted garment: here are the DIY remedies
A garment becomes felted when wool is washed at the wrong temperatures: in these cases, it will appear hard and compact, so sweaters, cardigans, and accessories lose their natural elasticity. The size of the sweaters shrinks noticeably and it is almost impossible to wear felted garments again. Fortunately, the last word hasn't been spoken, as it is possible to remedy even such a disaster, sometimes even with completely natural remedies.
Felted wool garments: how to use ammonia
For light felting, it is possible to try to solve the problem by soaking the sweater for a couple of hours in a basin filled with a solution consisting of water and three tablespoons of ammonia. To make the treatment more effective, you can proceed with an additional soak in a basin with milk, leaving time for the garment's fibers to regenerate for about half an hour. Finally, wash the sweater with a specific detergent for wool: it is better to opt for hand washing the garment, at least to see if the treatment has been effective. Alternatively, it is possible to perform only the last step, leaving the sweater to soak in a solution of milk and water for an hour and rinsing it with simple fabric softener for delicate garments and fine fibers.
Saving felted sweaters with hair conditioner
If you prefer products more delicate than detergents and chemical components, you can opt for hair conditioner, especially anti-frizz and smoothing types. You can create a solution with the following ingredients:
- Lukewarm water at about 36 °C
- 4 heaping tablespoons of hair conditioner
- 1 glass of apple cider vinegar
- Lemon juice
The felted sweater should be soaked in a basin containing the solution in these proportions. After that, it is necessary to let it act for an hour and create another solution consisting of lukewarm water, the same amount of conditioner, and lemon juice. For the second soak, it is sufficient to calculate half the time, after which you can lay out the sweater, trying to avoid it shrinking again. You can also use the trick of the weight of the water to stretch the sweater so that it regains its original size; in fact, the garment should not be wrung out. However, it is not advisable to hang it vertically if the garment tends to lose its shape, while it is necessary for garments like cardigans and twin sets. 
Felted sweaters and baking soda: how to make the DIY remedy work
Another valid alternative in case of felting of one of our wool garments is to use baking soda combined with tartaric acid. The felted sweater must be kept soaking overnight with baking soda, to then be washed the following morning with an ultra-delicate detergent specific for wool garments. At this point, if the sweater still needs treatment, it can be immersed in a basin containing lukewarm water and two tablespoons of tartaric acid, left to act for an hour, and the garment rinsed. 
Cashmere sweaters: what to do when the garment is felted
As a fine wool, it is necessary to treat cashmere with the due precautions and prevent the garment from being ruined with good prevention, treating the wool with the appropriate combs. Furthermore, men's sweaters, cardigans, and women's cashmere sweaters should never be machine washed: hand washing is always preferable, without wringing the garment. Finally, it would be ideal to wrap the sweater in a towel to dab off excess water and lay it out without stretching it. To recover a felted cashmere sweater, chemicals are banned: it is preferable to use hair conditioner or a specific fabric softener for this purpose. You can try pouring lukewarm water over the sweater held vertically, then leave it to soak in a solution containing lukewarm water and 4 tablespoons of detangling and anti-frizz hair conditioner, or two doses of fabric softener. Let it soak for an hour and repeat the process until the cashmere garment is restructured.
