Soft, cosy and ever so snuggly, wool blankets are a perfect, long lasting new baby gift that marks a special time in a little person's life. More than that, buying wool is a responsible choice for a conscious consumer. 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable, wool's eco credentials score highly.
Choosing natural fibres over synthetics can even make a positive difference to protecting our waterways and oceans - which just happens to be one of our passions at The St Andrews Hamper Company. Microplastic particles, including microfibres from synthetic clothing and textiles, are now present in aquatic and land-based ecosystems across the world.
plastic-free gifting
Synthetic fibres like polyester and acrylic are made from plastics derived from crude oil. When worn, used or washed they release thousands of tiny plastic fibres into the air, waterways and, of course, our oceans.
In oceans alone, it's estimated that 35% of the microfibres released annually come from synthetic clothing and textiles. But, according to recent pioneering research by the International Wool Textile Organisation because wool readily biodegrades in marine environments, it doesn't contribute microplastic pollution.
caring for wool
Wool is naturally resistant to stains, odours and pretty much creases too, all of which means your wool favourites will usually require less washing than you might expect. In fact, it's actually best not to wash them too often - no more than every few months is often recommended for washing wool blankets, for example.
So caring for wool is easy on you and easy on the planet. And when needs must, you can spruce things up in a washing machine on a gently wool cycle wash or by hand washing. Just make sure you use a mild wool friendly detergent whichever method you choose.
But accidents can happen, especially with a baby or toddlers in tow! Spot clean the stain as soon as you can by using a little warm water and mild detergent. Don’t scrub the fabric. Instead, soak the stained area with warm water and using a soft cloth dab on the mild detergent then gently blot to remove the stain, soak up excess liquid and dry the area.
The best way to dry a wool blanket is to hang it flat to support its weight while it's wet. Putting a wool blanket in a tumble dryer might seem like a quick solution, but there's a good chance it will change the softness and shape of the wool blanket. And if you're drying the blanket outside, hang it away from direct sunlight to avoid the wool fading and drying too quickly and losing its softness.
