Washing and caring for alpaca wool
It’s clear that you’re someone who appreciates the finer things and knows that a quality fiber is worth keeping for a long time. With proper care, your treasured alpaca garment will become a personal favorite, perhaps even a family heirloom!
Here are some expert tips on how to keep an alpaca garment clean and shape-retaining for years to come.
First and foremost, your alpaca garment should be treated as the fine, yet strong hair that it is.
Cleaning any garment made from natural animal fibers can be done in a washing machine, but we do not recommend using a washing machine for anything larger than socks. Felting can occur during the spin cycle, and the finer the fibers, the less time it takes for them to become felted.
Temperature changes between wash and rinse water tend to be the most common cause of shrinkage. Make sure the water is the same temperature for both wash and rinse. Lukewarm is best, around 37 degrees. Do not use extremely hot or cold water.
Laundry soap and dishwashing detergent can be too harsh for some fibers. We recommend baby or other mild shampoos for our customers (skip the ones with a lot of fragrance or added conditioners - the cheap stuff is fine). After all, these products are designed to gently clean hair fibers, and are therefore fabulous for alpaca garments.
Rinse the alpaca garment very, very gently in a (clean!) wash with the shampoo, let it sit for just two or three minutes, and rinse in water of the same temperature.
Remember to think ahead about how you will get the same temperature water for washing and rinsing. Maybe a bucket transferred from the tub once the temperature is set. Try to handle the item as little as possible.
Leave it in the sink for a few minutes to drain, gently squeezing out just enough water so that you don't soak the floor when you take the garment out of the sink.
Lay it out on a towel and roll it up gently in the towel. Don't squeeze or press hard - you just want the towel to absorb more water. Leave it in the towel for about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a dry towel and let it air dry. Turn and place on a fresh, dry towel every few hours (drying time is highly controlled by room temperature and humidity).
Feel free to use a sweater drying rack. This allows you to lay the garment flat and get good airflow around the garment.
From animal to finished product
For us, alpaca is not just an animal with a number on its ear. Each one has a unique personality and it is natural that each one has its own name. Respect for the animals is the key to good products.
Our values
- Natural – From our own farm to the finished product. Norsk Alpakka AS ensures that the products are made from fiber from happy alpacas. Alpaca fiber is renewable and natural with unique properties.
- Warmth – Is the most important value of our products.
- Functional – The products must be simple and good to use.
The Alpaca Journey
Like so many entrepreneurial adventures, the journey to Norsk Alpakka began by chance. Over 10 years of learning have made us one of the country's leading producers of alpaca products.