The Performance Merino Baselayer Specialists

NZ Merino - the experts’ choice for all outdoor activities - wet or dry!

RomanCart: View Cart

or pay with your Paypal account

Equipment UK Walking, Travel & Holidays Europe Travel & Holidays New Zealand Travel Travelling Light UK Wool, Food & Farming About Us Our Suppliers Kiwi-Made? Really? Who wears our gear Mapp Merino & Zque wool Charities we support Contact us Technical Info FAQ's Endorsements Why Merino? Site Index Postage & Packing Returns & Refunds Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Sponsorship Discounts

CUSTOMER SERVICE          HERE TO HELP               COMPANY INFO                 LINKS                                   

CHOCOLATE FISH MERINO LLP, Reg. Office: 26 Regent Avenue, Leeds LS18 4NJ, West Yorkshire, UK.   Reg. In England & Wales Company Reg. No. OC334027

Chocolate Fish Merino LLP all rights reserved

SECURE SHOPPING

Merino Outdoor Site Index BARGAIN BASEMENT Crew-neck Tops & Sweaters Zipneck tops & sweaters Gift Vouchers Size Guides Merino Care Choosing a Baselayer Why Merino? ComparetheMerino.com! Reviews & Endorsements Customer Support Kiwi-Made? Really? About Us Choccy Fish Blogspot BACK

MERINO GARMENT CARE

Our superfine merino gear is really incredibly easy to take care of. It's more about NOT doing things - a gods' send if you're as idle as we are when it comes to the domestic bit! However the following advice applies only to our Chocolate Fish Merino. Other brands may not be machine-washable.

Whilst merino's amazing odour-resistance* and stain-resistance means that it can be worn for quite long perids of time before it needs washing, it should NEVER be put away after being worn without being washed first. This will encourage moth damage (see below). Instead it should be hung up in the light to air.

Washing Instructions

Only use a front-loading tumble action washing machine, not a top loading machine with agitator, on the proper wool/delicates cycle using a liquid detergent for wool, and line or hang to dry where air can circulate.

Machine Wash*
Machine wash on gentle 30o wool cycle using mild liquid wool detergent** in a front-loading tumble action washing machine.

♦ Do NOT use soap flakes. ♦ Do NOT use fabric conditioner. ♦ Do NOT wring. ♦ Dry away from direct heat and sunlight. ♦ Do NOT tumble dry.

Unlike some leading brands, we do not advise that you wash our merino garments with denim in order to remove "fluff" (they mean pilling - those little balls of itchy, short fibres that appear). This is because our gear, if washed according to our manufacturer's instructions doesn't "fluff" or "pill".   Our gear is made with top quality yarn which doesn't need the sandpaper qualities of denim to keep it smooth (and in the process wear it out faster).

**Please forget what your Mum, Granny, or people posting on forums say about using old-fashioned soap flakes. These are exactly that - "old fashioned" and not suitable for modern superfine merino. Used directly, soapflakes do not melt at a low enough temperature, and even when melted in hot water and allowed to cool sufficiently, soapflakes can contain harmful strong alkalis that can damage your merino. Soapflake residue also clings to the fibres, making it very difficult to rinse clean, so it's also wasteful of water. We recommend NikWax WoolWash, which has been specially developed for Merino wool, but also washes synthetics well, or Ecover for Delicates. And don't forget, your synthetics can be washed on the same cycle and with the same detergent - so chuck them in together - we do.

Hand Wash
Handwash only if you have no option.

♦ Use lukewarm water and mild liquid wool detergent. ♦ Do not use soap flakes. ♦ Do not use fabric conditioner. ♦Do not rub. ♦ Gently swish or stir your garment around in the sudsy water and rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water. ♦ Remove excess water by rolling in a towel. ♦ Do NOT wring. ♦ Line dry away from direct heat or sunlight.

Drying

Line-dry or put on hanger and where air can circulate.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER DRY MERINO OVER A RADIATOR OR IN FRONT OF A FIRE - UNLESS OF COURSE YOU WANT TO RUIN IT!

Tumble drying
Whilst some garment labels say they can be tumble dried, we do not recommend it. Tumble drying wears your clothes out faster. Just think of all that fluff and fibre you have to remove from the filter each time. That's your clothing wearing out! Tumble drying is also expensive in terms of energy. Superfine merino will usually dry overnight if hung on a line or hanger where warm can circulate.

Pressing

Cover garment with a clean smooth-woven cotton tea towel and use a steam iron on a wool setting.

Dry Cleaning

We never have anything dry cleaned. We don’t like the chemicals used, or the smell they leave behind in the clothes and in the atmosphere.

Enemies of your Merino!

  • Sharp pointy things that can snag the fabric causing holes and runs
  • Abrasion from straps, backpack belts etc. Some materials can abrade fabric quite badly, causing pilling.
  • Moths

    Avoiding sharp pointy things is fairly easy, but there is one that most people overlook - the prong on your watchstrap buckle. You'd be amazed how many people pull on their pants, fasten them up, then pull on their merino top and try to stuff it down inside the waistband. If they're wearing a watch, the buckle prong can snag and tear the merino.

    The second enemy is a little harder to avoid. Some brands of backpack are worse than others. Tiso, Karrimore, Aarn all appear to be fine, whilst Deuter straps & hipbelts abrade badly. Similarly Pacsafe bag straps also can abrade quite badly.

    The last enemy, moths, can be defeated by regular wearing, airing and washing. If you need to stash your merino away for any length of time, we suggest using vacuum compression bags. Try these from from PackMate. For more information on moths and how to avoid them click here Included are some images of moth damage. If you find any holes like these, it's not a fabric fault (which are very rare indeed) - it's moths.

    Mending your Merino

    If you are unlucky enough to snag or tear your merino, or be attacked by moths, all is not lost. It can be mended using silk sewing thread. We like Gutermann Silk which you can buy on-line here or Seta Reale from Coates. How invisible a mend this will be depends on the size of the hole and your own skill, but it does work.

    And Finally

    When your merino has at last worn out, don't throw it away. Wool is biodegradable, but needs oxygen to do so, and landfill excludes oxygen. Instead, cut your woolly stuff up into small pieces and put it on a nice hot compost heap. It can even be used as a garden mulch.

    *If you have a merino garment that has developed a smell - check that it really is 100% merino. If it's a merino synthetic mix, it's the synthetic part that will be causing the smell.