Washing wool socks is an important part of caring for your wool socks. You don’t want them to get too dirty because they will wear out faster than they should. To clean them, make sure to read the care instructions on the sock. Wool socks should be washed in cold water with the high temperature being the lowest, preferably somewhere between low and high. Other suggestions are to rinse in cold running water or put in the washing machine on a low cycle.
If using a detergent you want to use on your washing wool socks, mix one cup of mild detergent with four or five cups of water in the washer. Use a gentle agitation to work the detergent into the fabric. When the fabric becomes wet, blot it dry with a clean white towel, making sure you don’t wring the fabric too much. Then, using a softener as described above, gently scrub the socks until the fabric is thoroughly dampened.
When washing wool dress socks, it’s important to remember that it takes two or three washes to get through the top layer. It also takes time to determine how many times you should wash the socks. The rule number is to always wash a pair in the same way, alternating with other pairs if possible. The exception to the rule number is if the socks are washed in the same load of washable fabric each time. In that case, alternating washing with different fabrics would be counter-productive. Use the recommended washing procedures as well as follow the care instructions listed on the fabric label of the socks.