About the craft

Care Instructions for Down Shawls

Care instructions for down shawls: hand washing up to 40 degrees, shampoo and conditioner, drying on a frame, moth protection and service life.

Updated February 22, 2015 2 min read Shalnoy Orenburg editorial team

A short guide to caring for and storing down items – everything you need to know for your shawl to serve you for many years.

1) Washing

It is advisable to wash a down item no more than once a year.
Before washing, we recommend threading a strong thread through the still-dry item around the entire perimeter of the shawl – through the scallops.
Water temperature – no more than 40 degrees.
Washing must be done by hand.
You can wash with any hair shampoo.
For white items, hair conditioner is recommended in the last rinse.
Wash dark and coloured items with shampoo only – they do not like conditioner.
After washing, we recommend rinsing the item in warm water with vinegar: 1 tablespoon per five litres of water.
Squeeze the item out in a cotton towel or any natural fabric that absorbs moisture well. There is no need to twist the item hard.

Important: do not twist the item hard, wash it in hot water, iron it, rub it while washing, or take it to a dry cleaner.

The ideal option is drying on a stretching frame – a wooden frame with nails on which the corners of the shawl are hooked.
If you have such a frame, thread a strong thread around the entire perimeter of the shawl and fix the item by its corners on the nails. If there is no frame, don't worry: spread a thick blanket on the floor or sofa, lay the shawl on it, stretch it and pin the corners to the blanket with safety pins.
Dry the item at room temperature.

No special storage conditions are needed. The only, but important, point is to protect the item from moths.
To avoid trouble, before long storage it is enough to treat the shawl with any moth-repellent aerosol. Bunches of dry lavender wrapped in gauze or grated laundry soap also help a lot. Moths cannot stand the smell of wormwood, geranium, tobacco, St John's wort and dry orange peel.

There are no special recommendations for wear. Shawls are undemanding and only get warmer with time: the so-called breaking-in begins, when the item becomes fluffy. The average service life of a good shawl with intensive wear is 10–30 years.

Tell us who you are choosing an item for and what matters to you — warmth, lightness, size or pattern. We will suggest suitable options.