How to clean and care for your wool mendil
Mendils are wool fabrics that can be used as blankets, tablecloths, throws, wall covers, rugs and even clothing. If you are using yours as a tablecloth or rug you are eventually going to want to want to wash it. Here’s how to keep your mendil going for generations.
Give your mendil a good shake
During regular use, and before any wash, give your mendil a good shake. Air it outdoors out of the sun and brush it with a brush to lift any debris.
Wash your mendil by hand
Mendil wool is broken in and less likely to shrink than ‘raw’ wool, but you should still treat it in the same way as you would other wool products. It’s best to wash dirty spots with cold water and a gentle liquid or bar soap. I like those made from coconut oil, such as Elefante Blanco. Avoid colored soaps. A bit of warm water won’t hurt if you are concentrating on a very small area. For a larger area, start by pre-treating the stain with a pre-wash stain remover for 15 minutes. Then use a small basin or plastic laundry tub and fill it with just a spoon of mild liquid detergent such as Woolite and cold water. Do not soak. Move the wool fabric around with your hands to gently loosen the dirt. Rinse until the water runs clear.
Throw your mendil in the washing machine
If you want to put the whole mendil in the washing machine, please use the wool or delicate cycle and wash it on COLD. Use a gentle liquid soap such as Woolite. Do not put your mendil in the dryer. Follow the drying instructions below.
Send your mendil to the dry-cleaner
Just as you can take your wool sweaters and jackets to the dry-cleaner you can also drop off your mendil. You could also take your mendil to a professional rug cleaner, but they tend to charge more and it isn’t necessary. If you plan to store your mendil, dry-cleaning is the preferred method to ensure that any moth eggs are removed and any foreign substances and residues are removed.
Drying your mendil
Lay your mendil out in a warm, dry place. To avoid fading of a colorful mendil, you may also want to avoid the sun. Do not wring or hang your mendil to remove the residual water as it can stretch and tear the fibers. Gently press and blot the water out or roll it in clean towels and press gently. Lay the blanket out flat to dry completely. I like to lay mine out on the trampoline. Never put your mendil in the dryer.
Bonus mendil cleaning hacks
Red wine stains. If you spill red wine on your mendil, or any tablecloth for that matter, I recommend pouring some white wine on the same spot — the wine-on-wine method — and covering the area with table salt until you are able to get around to doing the hand washing steps above.
Olive oil or grease stains. Gently blot the oil or grease stain with something absorbent like an old rag or paper towls. Blot the spot on your mendil, don’t rub or you’ll just push the oil deeper into the fibers. Lightly sprinkle baking soda or cornmeal on the stain to absorb even more grease from the fabric. After about 7 minutes, use a vacuum hose (the fabric attachment if you have one) to suck up the powder. Have someone hold the mendil taught so it doesn’t also get sucked into the vacuum. Then follow steps for hand washing above.
Coffee or chocolate stains. Gently scrape of excess coffee or chocolate with a spoon. Then, blot the spot on your mendil with something absorbent like an old rag or paper towls. Blot, don’t rub or you’ll just push the oil deeper into the fibers. Then briefly soak in a solution of half white vinegar and half wool detergent such as Woolite mixed with cool water. Then use a cloth to dab at the stain. Be sure to work from the outside of the stain inward to avoid spreading the stain.
