A well-cared-for shawl can last generations. A badly handled one can be ruined in a single wash. The rules are simple and worth knowing before the first wear.
Washing
For anything embroidered or finely woven — which is most of the Meraas collection — dry cleaning by a specialist is the safest route, and worth the cost.
If you wash a plain shawl at home:
- Cool water and a small amount of pH-neutral detergent made for delicate fibres. Never bleach or enzyme detergents.
- Do not rub, wring or twist. Press gently, then rinse in clean cool water.
- Lift it out supporting its whole weight — wet fibres stretch easily.
- Roll in a clean towel to absorb water, then dry flat, away from radiators and direct sun.
Never put a handmade shawl in a washing machine or tumble dryer.
Pilling is normal
Fine natural fibres pill where they rub — at the shoulder, under a bag strap, along a coat collar. This is not a fault. Remove pills with a comb made for cashmere or a careful pass of a fabric shaver. Do not pull them off by hand, which drags fibre out of the weave.
Storing
- Fold, do not hang. Hanging stretches a shawl out of shape.
- Store clean. Moths are drawn to body oils and traces of food, not to the wool itself.
- Use a breathable cotton bag rather than sealed plastic, which traps moisture.
- Add cedar or dried lavender, and refold along different lines occasionally so permanent creases do not set.
Embroidered pieces
Hand embroidery sits proud of the cloth and takes the most wear. Fold so the worked areas are not creased against themselves, and never iron directly over embroidery — press from the reverse, through a cloth, if at all.
Snags
If a thread pulls, do not cut it. Ease it back through to the reverse with a blunt needle. Anything larger is worth taking to a specialist in fine textiles — always cheaper than replacing the piece.
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