In my past I would avoid wool because of how uncomfortable and itchy it always felt. Why was that, why is wool itchy?
One of the most disappointing things is finding a beautiful wool sweater and trying it on to find that it is so itchy and scratchy on your skin. Wanting to know why, I found, wool is itchy for several reasons…one being the type of sheep the wool comes from, which determines the micron fibre count of the strands used which has a big impact on the feel of a wool garment. The last reason I found was the way the wool is processed.
So Why Is Wool Itchy?
I want to clarify something to save confusion. I will be discussing wool from sheep in this article. Although the word wool is used to describe other various animal fibers and or synthetic fibers, I am only addressing sheep’s wool here. So let’s carry on.
First of all, what exactly is wool?
Wool is the full fleece sheared away from a sheep’s skin, not to be confused with hair from other animals that are sometimes blended with wool.
With that said, let’s now dive into 3 reasons why wool is itchy and some options to make it less itchy.
Reason 1~The Breed Of Sheep
The types of wool used from different sheep as with human hair can have different consistencies, textures, and diameters. Some human hair is soft to the touch and some hairs are very coarse and wiry and not so desirable. This is the same with sheep’s wool.
The difference in the diameter of the wool plays a big part in its softness and or itchiness. These diameters are measured in microns. The larger the micron the itchier or coarser the wool will be thus giving it a lower grade for garment production.
These are some of the variables that do determine how soft or how rough the finished fabric or garment will be.
Here is a list of 18 sheep breeds used in the wool industry. These breeds are commonly known in the US for their wool.
The Delaine Merino and Debouillet being the softest wool and the Border Leicester and Lincoln being the roughest. This wool is usually used for rugs and or carpets.
| Delaine Merino | Corriedale | Hampshire |
| Debouillet | Montadale | Suffolk |
| Rambouillet | Dorset | Oxford |
| Targhee | Cheviot | Romney |
| Columbia | Southdown | Border Leicester |
| Finnsheep | Shropshire | Lincoln |
Reason 2 ~Higher Micron Fiber Measurement
A chart from the American Sheep Industry Association shows the different grades of wool by microns. The higher the micron the lower the grade, meaning, not as soft as it can get.
| <18.6 Micron | 19.6 – 20.5 | 22.1 – 23.5 | 26.0 – 28.9 |
| 18.6 – 19.5 | 20.6 – 22.0 | 23.6 – 25.9 | > 29 Micron |
The Micron System of grading wool, being the most accurate system was developed at the Denver Wool Laboratory, USDA. This is the standard system used in the US.
A higher micron fiber means a larger diameter and a shorter staple (meaning the length of a cluster or lock of wool fibers). A shorter staple, which is smaller bits and pieces of wool in the cluster.
When woven together these wider, shorter fibers have more prickles that can feel scratchy. So, in essence, lower the quality the wool or cheaper the garment, the itchier it will feel.
The range of micron fibers used to make attire is around 19mm to as high as 32mm. Remember higher meaning itchier.
A chart by the American Wool Council shows Delaine Merino and Debouillet sheep being the highest grade, at a range of 17.70-19.14 micron and Romney, Border Leicester, and Lincoln being the lowest at 31.00 to as high as 40.20 microns.
That is some itchiness there! Probably more like a scouring pad. So if you’re wearing a garment with a 40.20 microns count, you’re probably wearing a rug!
Reason 3 ~Wool Processed With Chemicals
Before wool from sheep can be assembled and ready for spinning and ready for fabric making, it has to go through a cleaning process. This process is where most of the debris is cleaned out while dry and then scoured. The scouring process is basically giving the wool a bath in soapy warm, or cold water.
If the wool is covered in any substance that could stain it, it is usually soaked in cold water first. Then the warm water process is started.
This cleans the wool of debris and it washes away most of its lanolin that is naturally occurring in the wool. The lanolin that is retrieved in this process can be used in cosmetics or household goods.
In the commercial industry of producing wool, harsh chemicals and bleaching agents are often used for this step. They use these harsh toxic chemicals to burn away the debris in the wool. Debris like hay, dirt, leaves, body fluids, etc. This procedure burns out the debris but then leaves the wool intact.
These chemicals leave a residue on the finished product that will later be turned into clothing. Those harsh chemicals may cause an allergic reaction in some people thus making the wool feel itchy on their skin.
If when preparing wool, time is not taken to get all or most of the debris out it can be a lower quality of wool. And this lack of removing all or most of the debris can then be spun in the strands and feel prickly or itchy on your skin.
When the processing of wool and preparing it for spinning, is done in an inconsistent, haphazard way or by use of chemicals, this can cause the fibers to feel itchy. Thus the finished garment or home item would be of lower quality and not feel comfortable on the skin.
This is one of the reasons higher quality wool costs more because of its labor-intensive processing.
Can I Soften My Itchy Wool?
So now that you know why wool can be itchy, you might be asking if there is anything you can do to enjoy your beautiful itchy wool sweater? To make it feel not so itchy so you can wear it and learn to love wool as I do!
YES! There are some hacks to make your itchy wool softer! I will share with you what I have learned.
Here are a couple of options I have found, but have not personally tried out on wool, but I plan on doing so with some 100% worsted wool yarn I bought to make a hat. It is not very soft wool so I will give these hacks a try. Maybe they will work for you.
Option 1~White Vinegar
In making my own laundry soap, I was curious about what I could use for fabric softener. What I learned was vinegar was a good replacement for commercial fabric softener. So if it can soften my clothes it can do the same for my wool.
How To Soften Wool With Vinegar
Place about a ¼ to ½ cup of white vinegar to a kitchen sink full of tepid water and place your article of clothing turned inside out in the sink and let soak for about 15 to 30 minutes or so, then just give a cool rinse.
Then squeeze your garment out, do not wring it as this will have a tendency to stretch it out unevenly. Squeeze it into a ball and just keep squeezing to get out as much water as you can.
Then lay it flat on a couple of folded towels and roll it in the towels until more water is absorbed out. I do this a couple of times with more towels. Then I lay my article of clothing flat on a dry towel and kind of shape it again and leave it to dry. If you had a drying screen that would be better, but a towel will suffice.
Option 2~Fabric Softener
I once had a doll whose hair was so matted and everything I tried didn’t work until I found this hack to use fabric softener. And to my surprise, it worked great! For coarse wool, this idea works great for softening up the fibers.
How To Soften Wool With Fabric Softener
Use just a cap or two full of the softener in a kitchen sink full of tepid water with the garment turned inside out.
You may want to repeat these options and use a bit more or less depending on the softness you desire.
In conclusion…
Why is wool itchy, is just half the story because not all wool is created equal. As I have explained, not all wool is itchy. I hope that you have gotten enough information to form a different opinion, (for the people who fall into my co-workers’ category).
Wool is a wonderful environmentally friendly fiber that can be constructed into beautiful garments that will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer and comfy all seasons in between. So enjoy your wool wardrobe today without the itch!
Important Buying Guide Tip!
Whenever possible buy your wool yarn or wool clothing from a reputable organic sheep farmer. Those who do not use undesirable harsh chemicals in the raising or scouring of their wool. These practices can make wool itchy and prone to allergic reactions due to the chemical residue left in the wool.