How to wash things from Loden: in the washing machine and by hand

A little history

Legends say that when washing a coarse woolen item, a Tyrolean peasant immersed it in hot water and soap.

As a result, the wool was rolled up, its distinctive features were:

• density;
• waterproof;
• wind protection

The end of the 19th century was characterized by an increase in demand for boiled wool. In Austria, production of the material is being launched, which is exported to European countries.

Boiled knitwear ends up in Russia in small quantities, where it is used for the production of outerwear, which is intended for inclement weather.

What does loden fabric look like?

Now ancient felted fabric is literally being revived:

• by manufacturing method;
• number of species;
• scope of application.

Origin of material

Loden is a type of dense woolen material, light in weight and having a rough, piled surface. This amazing fabric, with all its positive properties, was obtained during the Middle Ages, if you believe the legend by chance.

The peasant soaked woolen items in boiling water just so that they could be washed. As a result, a process of wool felting occurred. Wool fibers are covered with scales, which adhere to each other when exposed to hot water and friction. The wool felted and shrunk, but became much denser. This is how Loden turned out. This fabric is waterproof, windproof, warm and practical.

Making Loden

In the production of products, sheep wool is used as raw material. Mohair is used to add softness.

Manufacturing technology has not changed over the centuries:

• first the sheep are sheared;
• then the wool is washed and yarn is prepared;
• then rolled into thin slices and boiled in a special solution until a fabric is obtained that is durable, smooth and dense;
• after Loden they paint and dry;
• at the final stage, the material is combed: poorly felted threads are removed with a scraper and cut off.

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Loden fabric

What kind of fabric is loden?

Speaking about what it is, it is necessary to note the features of its production: factories use natural wool (usually sheep) with the addition of mohair. It would be a good idea to look at the photo and description of the material.

The manufacturing process is very traditional: the wool is sheared, washed, spun, felted, boiled, dyed and dried. The painted base is combed out and cut again.

Variety of species

With the development of technology, blended materials appeared in the textile industry. When they are produced, natural sheep wool is mixed with viscose or polyamide fibers. Externally, the fabric resembles felted wool. Its distinctive features are less tendency to shrink and ease of care.

Based on manufacturing methods, materials are divided into:

• felted with impregnation;
• non-woven felted;
• with a knitted base;
• felted;
• woven felted:
• technical Loden, which contains at least 50% polyester.

By type of pile:

• pile;
• short-haired, or cloth.

Types of loden
According to the method of decoration:

• bouclé;
• with embroidery;
• with a textured pattern;
• double-sided, without a precise distinction between the front side and the back side.

What's included

Wool fiber contains keratin and protein. These proteins are very close to the proteins of our skin, which is why wool fabric is so pleasant to us. The canvas consists of two or three layers:

1. layer - the facial scaly layer, due to the adhesion of the scales, matting of the wool is obtained.
2. cortical, it affects the characteristics of the tissue, and this is its strength, firmness, elasticity.
3. layer - the inner medullary or medullary layer, occupies the central part of the hair, consists of fragile, loose porous tissue. The more developed this layer is, the less durable the wool fabric will be.

To obtain high quality material, thin and ultra-fine wool fiber is used in which the 3rd layer is less developed. Currently, you can find the following types of loden:

• woven felted cloth;
• knitted felted;
• impregnated (impregnated with a special waterproof compound;)
• with decorative finishes;
• woven felted long pile;
• with the addition of synthetic fibers.

Strengths and weaknesses of Loden

Advantages:

• environmentally friendly, no toxic substances are used in production;
• thermally insulated properties: warming and heat retention;
• elasticity and ease of sewing: the edges do not fray, do not need processing, an element of decoration;
• resistance to dirt: the fabric structure prevents the penetration of dirt and is easy to clean with a brush;
• breathability: dense and windproof fabric allows the skin to breathe.

Things made from loden retain heat well
. Cons:

• is subject to deformation;
• difficult to care for;
• causes an allergic reaction due to lanolin;
• price.

Description and photo of Loden fabric

Let's continue the description of this fabric, giving a list of properties and additional photos. Let's talk a little about the properties:

• waterproof, allowing you to simply shake off drops of water from its surface
• thickness
• light weight
• keeping warm in the frosty season

Most often, people are interested in the features of caring for them. In this case, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with our specialized “Care” section, which provides answers to the most common questions on the topic.

More photos:

Scope of application

The fabric is used for making:

• outerwear: coats, jackets, trousers, pancho;
• shoes;
• caps and hats;
• accessories;
• stylish bags.

Many famous couturiers release autumn-winter collections from Loden fabric and receive the majority of approving responses. Coco Chanel's famous jacket was born out of a creative impulse inspired by woolen clothing from the Tyrol.

The brilliant designer revived the former popularity of the fabric. In honor of the famous fashion designer, the monotonous canvases were called Loden-Chanel.

Famous couturiers release autumn-winter collections from Loden fabric

Rules for washing products

Washing Loden
When washing items from Loden, adhere to the following requirements:

1. Wool fabric shrinks due to temperature changes between washing and rinsing. Sometimes the dress is reduced several sizes.
2. To minimize the risk, Loden items are washed in cold water.
3. Laundry soap is not suitable for bleaching knitted fabric at home due to the alkali content that harms the fabric.
4. To wash Loden items, specially designed gels, balms, shampoos, and liquids for delicate fabrics are used.
5. Boiling and high temperatures, as well as twisting and vigorous spinning in the washing machine, are dangerous for Loden clothing.
6. Drying on a cord or hanger is contraindicated.

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What things and products are made from loden?

Today, factories make various things and products from this type of material. Usually these are outer or light clothing (the production of certain items will depend on the type of material used): coats, all kinds of suits, skirts, jackets, ponchos, etc.

Many companies use this woolen fabric to make hats (hats, bonnets), bags, accessories and unusual designer shoes. On our website you can familiarize yourself in detail with interesting articles that are devoted to various types of materials for clothing. And also be sure to read how you can remove ink from clothes.

Detergents

To wash Loden mixed fabrics, use gels and liquids for washing delicate and delicate materials, silk, wool:

• Domal Wool & Silk and Dreft;
• SonixBio. Wool Silk (gel for gentle washing of silk and wool) and Help;
• Meule Wool & Delicate Fabrics and Nordland Eco Woo;
• Unicum for delicate fabrics and Molecola;
• Burti Woolpflege and Wellery Eco wool;
• Luxus Professional and Ecodoo;
• Dalli Woll Balsam and Sodasan;
• Pigeon and Ecomatic gel concentrate;
• Delicate Laundry Liquid and Frosch Balm;
• Nature Clean and Uniplus wool and silk;
• Kao Attack Bio Ex and Klar.

Detergents

Bleaching things

To bleach woolen fabrics from loden, folk remedies are used:

1. Hydrogen peroxide. Dilute the product with warm water in a ratio of 1:8. Immerse the item in the solution for a couple of hours. Rinse under the tap with water of the same temperature. Gently wash with a preparation for gentle washing of woolen or silk items. When the result is not satisfactory, the operation is repeated again.
2. Table salt. Dissolve 1 tbsp in 1000 ml of lukewarm water. l. table salt. Soak the stained vest for half an hour. Constant manipulation removes dirty stains and also helps whiten the coat at home. Then rinse the product as prescribed.
3. Regular chalk. The weight of the item affects the amount of chalk required. For 500 g of mixed loden you will need 1000 g of crushed chalk, which is carefully diluted in a warm liquid. Leave the washed clothes in for 40 minutes and stir systematically. Next, rinse thoroughly under running water, gently wring out and dry naturally. This technique bleaches the fabric, gives shine and shine to the whiteness.
4. Ammonia. Excellent whitens and fights stains. The drug is easy to find in the pharmacy chain. Can be used for any material. To prepare a solution, add 1 tbsp to 1 liter of water. l. alcohol If the product is added to hydrogen peroxide or baking soda, it strengthens the whitening properties.

Important! Only dry cleaning will help a heavily soiled coat, especially a white coat. But the restriction only applies to fabrics made from pure wool.

Care

Follow the rules of care:

• treat the dress against moths;
• Things are stored folded in paper or linen bags in a ventilated room;
• stained areas are cleaned with a dry brush, moving in the direction of the pile;
• Dry dry cleaning is possible using special preparations for pure wool texture.
• When wet, the material is dried without direct contact with a heat source.

Outfits from Loden are whimsical and require diligent care. However, the material is popular among consumers due to its attractive appearance. Loden is suitable for realizing unimaginable design ideas.

Main characteristics

Hygienic properties:

1. high heat protection and hygroscopicity;
2. low dust and dirt holding capacity;
3. low breathability.

Main technological properties of loden:

1. low creasing;
2. slight crumbling;
3. significant shrinkage;
4. elasticity;
5. high abrasion resistance;
6. dimensional stability.

One of the disadvantages of the fabric is that it deforms when wet, so it needs to be treated before sewing. And also when making clothes from loden, you need to pay attention to the direction of the pile, which should face down. Compressed pile on one or both sides protects from moisture and wind. The weave threads are not visible on the surface of the loden, they are matted together with fibers, so the sections do not fray and the seams do not need to be overcast, and the lower sections do not need to be hemmed. Loden of any density holds its shape well. This material is used for sewing expensive suits, hats, and coats. The softness and elasticity of loden allows you to create creative clothing designs.