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A trillion and one questions about laundry please help?
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this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2026
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Definitely get a detergent made for wool. I use Heritage Park Silk & Wool laundry detergent (for any animal sourced fibers).
ya but do you know if the surfactsnts in that brand of detergentt is REALLY good for your wool?
Like the brand woolites has enzymes in some of their products despite the fact that we know that enzymes completely fuck up wool.... how do you know that heritage park silk and wool doesnt have these same ingredients?
Also surfactants. Like we know that enzymes fuck up wool as I just said....do surfactants ALSO do that? And in what ways? Also what surfactants destroy which fabrics?
Well they claim no enzymes and list their ingredients. I've used it on merino for a few years without problems.
Where you at? Continent is close enough.
Wool clothing really does need a special detergent. Surficants are one part, of course, but the pH shouldn't get too high, and a lot of detergents tend to have high pH since that helps clean. The high pH is not good for the wool and will make the scales on the hairs open and become brittle, which is the opposite of what you want.
You also want to avoid the enzyme protase/substilin. They both are effective against proteins, which is great for a lot of soils, but bad for hair, which is made out of protein. Other enzymes like lipase, cellulase, amylase, and mannanase are all perfectly fine and won't damage the fibers.
It's just next to impossible to find a detergent with enzymes but without protase. There are a couple manufacturers in Europe, but none in the US. There is one US company reselling an EU detergent (The Steamery) but it's pricy and is scented.
im in canada . toronto specifically.
And when you say pH shouldnt get too high what type of pH we talking about here? 12 ? 13? 18? Also where did you learn that pH shouldnt get too hiigh please? (I just need something to cite and loook back to cause I have awful memory and cognition)
Also how do we know FOR SURE the specific surfactants dont affecr wool? As youve just said lipase, amylase, cellulase, etc... dont have much of an effect on wool BUT protease does....how do we know how this specifically works for surfactants used in wool washes?
Surfactants and enzymes are different things that perform different but complementary jobs in your laundry. Think of enzymes as chemical scissors that can only cut very specific things. They're very much like puzzle pieces, with lipase only cleving triglycerides (dietary fats) and not mineral oils, for example. Mix a variety together and they break down certain stubborn, sticky chemicals into smaller parts. That helps release them from fibers and makes it easier for surfactants to grab them to be washed away. Surfactants are chemicals that cling to soils so they can be suspended in water and rinsed down the drain.
Wool is hair, so think of it like your shampoo. Shampoos are usually made to be pH neutral because we know high pH makes hair dry and tangle horribly. However, most everything in the wash has no problem with high pH, and surfactants work better with high pH, thus we generally do laundry at high pH's around 10 or so. Higher if you add bleach (please don't), oxygen bleach ("oxy" aka hydrogen peroxide), or even ammonia.
Since you're in Canada look for Eucalan or Miele WoolCare.
Would you happen to knkw of the cheapest scentless brand that ships to canada please?
I was looking at this brand right here https://www.ecos.com/laundry/hypoallergenic-laundry-detergent-free-clear/ and Im guessing this one goes for about 100oz for about 25 or 30.00 plus tax baed on what Ive seen stores advertise online
I was also looking at this brand : https://store.eco-max.com/products/ecomax-laundry-wash-hypoallergenic-3l which goes for 3000 mL costs about 17.00 plus tax
I currently buy soak brand wool wash scentless and it goes for 2250 mL costs 90.00 plus tax which is kinda crazy IMO in comparison to those other brands
Unscented wool detergent is something of a unicorn i the western hemisphere, sadly.
If you can stand the smell, Perwoll is probably your best bet up north. I've never smelled it, but there is no unscented option. There's Black, Colour, and White, depending on your wardrobe.
Here's Black: https://www.reliableparts.ca/product/PERWOLLBLACK-Perwoll-Black-1-375ml-25-Wash-Loads/Persil-Detergents
Ive found that Soak has an unscented option but its 90 dollars for 2 litres which is kind of bonkers.
Are the eco and eco-max brand detergents I presented bad ideas for wool washes if you know?