4 Essential Steps of Hand-Washing Your Shawl to Keep it Clean and New

Hand washing a shawl makes the garment clean and always looking new. By thoroughly soaking it in a lukewarm water with the right washing detergent, rinsing it slowly with cold water, removing the excess water with a towel, and drying the shawl on a flat surface away from direct heat - you will have a clean and new looking shawl.

photo by: frannyglasss

To keep you precious shawl always clean and looking brand new, hand washing it with the correct procedure is very essential. Follow the exact steps in washing your shawl to ensure utmost care while hand-washing:

Soak in a lukewarm water with the right detergent

Thoroughly dissolve the correct detergent such as hair shampoo in lukewarm water and carefully soak the shawl for about fifteen minutes or until the soil and dirt are loosened from it. Gently pat the heavy stains that will remain after soaking with a clean wash cloth. You can also use hair conditioner when rinsing the shawl to make it even softer.

Rinse the shawl with cold water

Once the shawl is perfectly clean from stains and dirt, rinse it using a cold water. soak it with a cold water and rinse it over and over until it is free from the soap. You will know that it is already soap free when the cold water is already clear from bubbles and soap residue.

Remove excess water with a towel

To remove water, gently squeeze the shawl and lay it flatly on a clean towel. Roll the towel to squeeze out excess water over and over until all the excess water is remove. Never directly wring or twist the shawl because this will ruin their form.

Dry the shawl on a flat surface away from direct heat

To dry, lay the shawl flat on any clean surface and away where it is not exposed directly to sunlight or heat. You could dry it indoor such as your laundry room. Take a damp piece of cloth and use this to press the shawl with for ironing. Never hang a shawl to dry and press the cloth with a cool iron.

Furthermore, do not use any product with bleach when washing and always wash colored shawls separately. Following these hand washing steps will guarantee a clean and fresh looking shawl which is a great statement in addition to your fashion sense and style. Clean shawls protects you from the cold, and provides comfort while maintaining the warmth of your body.

How to Prevent a Hand Woven Cotton Shawl from Shedding

Hand woven cotton shawl is made from a delicate and highly fibrous material. The fiber sheds off easily due to its low resiliency; however, this can be prevented using the following tips: avoid excessive exposure to sunlight, refrain from using acidic chemicals, avoid application of heat, prevent infiltration of bacteria and limit "wear and tear"


Shawl made from cotton is soft and breathable. Since it is loosely woven, it has the tendency to shed easily. To prevent it from shedding, here are some important things to follow namely:

♥Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight
Prolonged exposure to sunlight causes fibers to become weak. Therefore, when drying cotton shawl, it is not recommended to leave it under the sunlight for so long. If possible, never expose it directly under the sun since most of the shawls come in average thickness, which easily dries up in the presence of wind.

♥Refrain from using acidic chemicals
When doing laundry, avoid using harsh chemicals especially those containing acid because these damage and weaken the fiber. When removing stain, as much as possible do not use bleach in treating stain since this can fade the color and shed fiber as well.

♥Avoid application of heat
Cotton fiber, when exposed to an extended period in an excessively high temperature from 150 Celsius and beyond, will burn easily. This is due to the decomposition of fibers, which is the normal thermal reaction of cotton in response to presence of heat. Sometimes, prolonged heat exposure can lead to shrinkage of material.

♥Prevent infiltration of bacteria
Microorganisms are one of the leading causes of damaged cotton. The infiltration of bacteria results to the deterioration of the fiber. Always keep the shawl dry and clean to keep it germ-free. Do not allow stain to settle on the fabric because this encourages bacteria to accumulate. Use only gentle, but with anti-bacterial soap when washing cotton shawl to effectively remove and kill germs.

♥Limit "wear and tear"
Since cotton has a relatively low elasticity, undue force applied on the cotton shawl can lead to shedding. Therefore when washing cotton shawl, avoid too much wringing of the cloth. Just allow any excess water to drip while hanging to avoid loosening of the fibers.

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6 Simple Ways of Caring and Mending Your Shawl to Keep It in Great Condition

You can keep your shawl in great shape by bearing in mind the following: hand wash your shawl, do not tumble-dry, know how to store your shawl, give importance to special instructions, do some extra research, and go an extra mile.

To give your shawl lasting beauty and comfort, you need to give it the best care. Here are simple means, by which you can take care of your precious shawl, as well as mend it:

♥Hand wash your shawl

The best way to cleanse your shawl is to hand wash it. Machine-washing can destroy your shawl with its tumbling motions. Since shawls are delicate, avoid bleaching them and use only mild soap or baby shampoo with cool water. After rinsing, never twist or wring your shawl, but instead, squeeze it gently to keep it in great shape. Dry cleaning is also acceptable as long as the treatment used is safe and mild for your shawl.

♥Do not tumble-dry

Tumble-drying can ruin your shawl in the same way machine-washing does. The best way to dry your shawl is to lay it flat out in the open air without exposing it to direct heat or sunlight. Some shawls do not need to be ironed. In case they do, always put a cloth between your shawl and the iron to keep its great color.

♥Know how to store your shawl

Since you do not need your shawl the whole year round, you need to keep your shawl in great condition for the next use. Do not hang, but rather, fold your shawl to prevent losing its shape, especially if your shawl is heavy. Keep it in a cool dry place, never in a damp or very hot location. If your shawl is beaded or has added embellishment, experts advise you to put acid-free white tissue in between folds to avoid imprinting these designs on the fabric of your shawl.
Give importance to special instructions
Shawls can be made from different fabrics and can come with different accessories, thus requiring special care for each shawl. Care to read special washing, drying, and storing instructions that come when purchasing your shawl.

♥Do some research

Sometimes, when you purchase a shawl, special instructions are not included. If you got it online, try going to the website of the shop and search for suggestions on caring for your shawl. You can also contact their customer support for more information. On the other hand, you can search for articles and topics that can give you shawl care tips.

♥Go an extra Mile

Just when you think that a shawl with traces of piling or has a hole or little tear is useless, think again. For piling problems or when your shawl is said to show bits of fluff on its surface, you can buy fabric shavers that are available at most household stores or fabric shops. For holes and tears, there are shops and people who can help you. These people, known as darners, have the special skills and equipment, such as needles and yarns, needed to fix your shawl and make it look great again for a certain price. Popular darners are usually found in India, but your shawl shop may just know some from your area. You can also search the Internet for special shops who offer such services. Finally, if you are fond of knitting and you are skilled at it, you can fix your own crocheted shawl by studying very well the pattern and getting the right yarn colors.
As long as you are willing to take care of your shawl inasmuch as it undoubtedly gives you elegance and comfort, maintaining the condition of your shawl is not that very difficult after all. Give your shawl the best care and it will give you the best beauty and warmth you deserve.