Garment Care

 

Branberry has provided comprehensive information below on how to care for your blankets and garments. Please refer to this section if you have any questions on how best to take care of your purchase.

Always refer to the content and care label of your brand new blanket or product before washing. Some blends of yarn are more robust than others and it is important to follow the instructions to extend the life of your product. We attach care labels to all our blankets and products.  They will be placed either at the chain stitch end of your scarf; blanket or throw; at the back neck label or on the inner left side seam of a garment and on the inside seam of your beanie. As we use such superior quality yarns and craftsmanship, our products have an exceptional reputation for lasting decades and sometimes our customers find them in thrift stores around the country. If you have inherited or found one of our older gems and the care label has been cut off or worn off, please refer to the instructions below for care of your product. We love to hear stories of our products being loved for generations so if you are not sure what the content of your pre-loved product is, please feel free to send us a photo and we will match it to the era and yarn used at the time to help you out.

“How should I wash my knitwear?”

We use a super fine Merino Wool yarns that are safe to be machine washed. If you are not confident about using your washing machine you might want to follow our Hand Wash Instructions near the bottom of this page. You may also use an accredited dry cleaner to have your knitwear cleaned. To machine wash your garment, follow the below instructions:

1. If appropriate, turn the product inside out to help avoid any pilling during the wash;
2. Select the correct machine setting as outlined below;
3. Select the correct detergent as outlined below;
4. Proceed to after wash instructions;

On your machine, select a wash cycle that is gentle – some machines will call this a ‘woollens’ setting or maybe a ‘delicates’ setting. Using a slow and gentle wash cycle will help ensure the garment is washed free of dirt and body oils and rinsed completely of any detergents. Use a cold or warm water wash, no hotter than 30 degrees Celsius. Hot water may damage your woollen product but warm water will be more effective than cold at completely rinsing the detergents out. It is important to rinse the product properly as the residual detergent may deteriorate the fabric fibres. A regular spin cycle will be fine for most knitwear, for delicate knits choose a gentle spin cycle. The more water you spin out of the product before drying, the less likely you will be to accidentally stretch it during drying. This is especially true for our heavier weight blankets such as our Garter Stitch.  Use an approved liquid wool detergent and follow the directions on the bottle. We recommend using a eucalyptus-based detergent such as wool wash. Please do not pour the detergent directly onto the garment as depending on the detergent it may discolour your garment. If this is the style of washing machine you have it would be better to dilute the washing liquid in some water before adding it to the products.

It is not necessary to add fabric softener; a wool detergent will leave your product soft and fresh. Do not bleach your Branberry blanket or product. If your product has come in contact with bleach or benzoyl peroxide it will permanently stain/discolour. Some skin treatments may contain these ingredients and it is important to check this and avoid permanently damaging your scarf or poncho collar. To remove a stain, it is best to gently soak and blot at the affected area repeatedly until the stain has removed. Try whenever possible to remove the stain as soon as it has occurred. Harsh scrubbing may damage the fibres of the yarn.

Check your blanket or product after it has finished washing for any evidence of stretching during the spin cycle. The best time to gently pull your product back into shape is when it is freshly washed and still wet. Gently pulling the edges of the blanket or product will bring it back into shape. Check that the ribs or cables of the product are not stretched. If the ribs or cables are stretched, gently pat them back into shape. To dry the product, always lie it flat and away from direct sunlight as this can bleach out the colour. If your product is large, hang it over several lines in the shade or use a clothes airer. Never peg or stretch your blanket it product while wet.

Only tumble dry your product if the care instructions allow it. Use a cool or low warm setting as high temperatures are known to damage woollens. Never tumble dry pure Alpaca or an Alpaca blend. If you have stretched your blanket or product accidentally, usually by hanging it to line dry after not spinning it sufficiently, it is possible to regain a bit of shape by tumble drying it on a low heat setting for a short time. We label all our cotton wool blend blankets as ‘low heat tumble dry as well as some of our pure merino wool items, so if it’s on the care label please just follow the instructions and you can regain the blanker or products previous shape.

Once the product is dry you can use a steam iron on the wool setting, iron the garment carefully, provided it has this on the care label attached.

To ensure that your blanket or product looks better for longer we recommend that you never hang it. Instead store your products flat and folded. This protects its shape and the natural elasticity of the woollen yarn. When storing your knitwear, whether for a season or just until the next time you wear it or use it, make sure it is completely dry to avoid mould and mildew stains. Moths (or more specifically, their larvae) enjoy woollens almost as much as we do and it’s important to protect your knitwear from being moth eaten. If you are storing your knitwear for a long period of time or seasonally, it is best to store them in a sealed plastic container or wrapped in plastic as moths do not like plastic. If you are storing your blankets or products in your wardrobe or closet and notice moths there are a few things you can do. Firstly make sure ALL of your clothes stored in the same wardrobe are clean as moth larvae also enjoy eating dead skin cells; hair and animal dander. Vacuum any carpet in your wardrobe (and house, including other household wardrobes) thoroughly. Wipe out all shelves with household cleaner before repacking your wardrobe with clean, dry garments. To repel moths you can use tried and true naphthalene flakes however the smell can be quite off putting and as it is a poison it might not be suitable for use in households with small children and pets. Alternatives to repel moths naturally include cedar; lavender and cloves. Try wiping out your wardrobe with cedar oil or hang cedar shavings; cloves and dried lavender sprigs in your wardrobe. If your moth problem is wide-spread it might be time to call in the pest control experts for a once-off treatment so you can safely store your woollens with peace of mind.

You may choose to hand wash if you are not confident about using the washing machine on a wool or gentle cycle. If appropriate to do so, turn garment inside out and be sure to close all buttons and zips. Turning the garment inside out helps to prevent any pilling. Dilute an approved liquid wool detergent in warm water and immerse the garment in the water. Squeeze the water through the garment gently until you are satisfied all dirt and natural body oils have been cleansed from the garment. Rinse in cold water several times until there isn’t any soapy water left in the garment. Please remove all excess water by rolling in a towel. Do not wring as this may damage your garment. Follow the after washing instructions above.