How to care for wool

There's a lot to like about wool. It can help keep you warm and dry — and it travels well.

But while it resists dirt and rarely wrinkles, a wool garment does require some care. The Woolmark Co., a textile organization based in Australia (the world's largest producer of wool), offers tips on wearing, washing and storing wool items:

• Empty pockets after each wear to prevent them from bulging or sagging.

• Brush the garment to remove surface soil.

• Rinse stains with cold water and blot dry with a clean cloth.

• Lay garment flat on a bed for an hour before putting it away to dissipate any odors it may have absorbed.

• Hang woven-wool garments with enough space so wrinkles can relax. Knit-wool garments should not be hung, however, because they will stretch.

• If you wash it with soap and water, never dry it with heat because it can shrink. Dry flat.

• Dry-clean sparingly. Woolmark suggests a single dry-cleaning at the end of the season to remove body oils that can attract moths.

• For long-term storage, fold garments and add fresh cedar blocks or mothballs.

• When traveling, loosely roll or fold garments with tissue paper. Major wrinkling is unlikely, but a few minutes in a steamy bathroom should take care of unwanted folds.