Swann dri shrinkage?

[dommyracer]

Hey all,

My parents (gawd bless them) bought me a Swanni Ranger Shirt for me birthday - its a medium, perfect fit, but I wouldn't want it to shrink.

Anyway, what I was wondering is if they shrink at all when you wash them, or is the material pre-shrunk.?

Any ideas?

 

[sargey]

yes, they shrink in na most egregious fashion. mine did

never wash a swannie as you'll wash out all the protective oils that makes them so weather resistant. wool fibres are scaley on a micrscopic level which is why some people itch when wearing it next to the skin.but these same scales make the fabric sort of self cleaning.

never wash a swannie and it will always smell of campfires!

cheers, and.

 

[EdS]

if you are going to wash it put it on a cold wash on the wool cycle and use pure soap flakes not washing liquid/power. Tha will minimise shrinkage and not wash the oils out.

You can also put about 3 x normal fabric softener in. A bit little of baby oil or hemp oil (massage oil) also works to keep it well oiled

 

[sharp88]

uppy_dog I have a strong suspicion my ranger was put in the tumble drier. Perhaps thats why its so tight around the chest. Still itches like hell aswel - my dad has dubbed it 'my badger's ars* thing'.

 

[falcon]

I'm with Sargey.....I hand washed my first one and seemed to lose some length in the arms even though I stretched and pulled it on the washing line while it drip-dried in an attempt to avoid shrinkage. It's just about OK but my lads grown into it now so I've had to get another....Even when they get a bit smokey, a good blow soon gets rid of it. I think they're best left to "freshen up" as at the end of the day, their strength is their durability around the fire and in the woods where fashon cleanliness scores no points.....

 

[outdoorcode]

I'm going to have to wash my Swanni hat ... someone just pee'd in it

 

[redcollective]

... Well, if you will keep hamsters!

 

[outdoorcode]

Thats Tallulah , glad Bungle and Sid didn't join in too

 

[EdS]

it'll smell just like the House of Lord now.

Wool with a faint wiff of stale urine. Now from their Lordships(well not all of them) but from the traditional way of making Harris tweed.

 

[lou1661]

hi guys,
i handwash mine in the bath water not too hot with only a small ammount of laundry liquid, then hang it on a hanger to drip dry this seems to work ok. As a guide for when to wash i find that annualy works wether it needs it or not!
cheers
lou

 

[Mikey P]

As mentioned earlier, I'd be very reluctant to 'wash' a Swanndri - especially with a laundry detergent. This will remove the natural oils on the wool, the same way it removes the durable water repellent coating on waterproof breathable jackets.

Furthermore, surely the more 'natural' smell (!) will aid in creeping up on animals - a detergent smell will be alien to an outdoor environment?