Care Instructions

The Quilt Duvet 

The fill is pure Merino. The quilt is designed to be used inside a removable cover and the quilt duvet itself is rarely washed.

Daily use

Use the quilt inside a quilt cover at all times. The cover is the working layer — it absorbs the contact, the oils, the wear. Wash the cover; leave the quilt alone. This single habit is the difference between a quilt that lasts five years and one that lasts thirty.

If you need, twenty minutes of airing the quilt duvet before the bed is made is enough.

Weekly and monthly

Once a week, take the quilt off the bed and shake it firmly to redistribute the fill and lift any settled fibres. Once a month, drape it over a chair or a drying rack in fresh, dry air. This is the single most effective form of maintenance — wool is naturally antibacterial, odour resistant, and self-cleaning, and airing alone restores it.

Seasonal airing

Twice a year, ideally at the start of spring and autumn, air the quilt outdoors in a shaded, breezy spot for a full afternoon. Indirect light and moving air kill surface microbes without damaging the fibres. Direct sunlight is a different matter. UV degrades wool and the sateen shell over time, and prolonged sun will yellow the ivory and weaken the fill. Bright shade is the rule — never full sun for more than an hour.

When to wash

Almost never. With a cover in regular use, a wool quilt should not need washing more than once every two to three years, and only if there is visible soiling that airing cannot resolve. Most "the quilt smells stale" problems are solved by twenty-four hours in fresh, dry air in the shade, not by water.

If a spill happens, treat it where it sits. Blot with a clean cloth and cold water — never hot, which sets protein stains permanently into the cotton shell. Dab inward from the edge of the mark so you don't spread it. If a wool-safe detergent is needed, dilute it heavily and use a cloth to remove stain.

How to wash the quilt itself

Remove the quilt cover first. It is laundered separately and far more often, according to its own care label.

When you wash it at home, remember this. Wool is keratin protein, which makes it intolerant to three things: heat, mechanical agitation, and alkaline or enzyme-based detergents. Standard laundry detergents contain protease enzymes designed to digest protein stains. Wool fibres are 95% protein. The same enzyme that lifts blood from a t-shirt will, given the chance, eat the fill of a quilt from the inside.

The conditions for home washing:

A front-loading machine with a drum capacity of at least 9kg. Top-loaders with a central agitator are not suitable — the mechanical action will felt the fill irreversibly. 

A dedicated wool cycle, or the gentlest cold-water delicate cycle the machine offers. The water temperature must not exceed 30°C. Above 40°C the cuticle scales of the wool fibre swell and lock together, and the fill will felt, harden, and lose loft permanently. This change is not reversible.

A neutral-pH, enzyme-free detergent designed for wool. Look for a Woolmark recommendation on the bottle, or formulations explicitly labelled for wool and silk. The pH should be between 6 and 7. 

No fabric softener. Softeners coat the fibres in a lubricant film that promotes pilling on the shell and dulls the wool's natural lustre. No bleach of any kind, chlorine or oxygen-based. No vinegar in the wash itself, though a half cup added to the final rinse can help neutralise any residual alkaline detergent — wool's natural pH is 4.8 to 5.2, and the rinse brings it back into that range.

A low spin speed. No more than 600 rpm. High spin imposes a centrifugal force on a wet, heavy quilt that can tear seams and compact the fill into permanent lumps.

Drying

Never tumble dry. Heat is the second irreversible enemy of wool, after alkaline detergent. A tumble dryer on any setting will shrink the fill, harden the cotton shell, and potentially damage the embroidery.

Lay the quilt flat on a clean drying rack, supported evenly along its length. Drying it folded will stretch the fill towards the lowest point and create permanent thin patches. Make sure you dry it in a ventilated and dry space. 

Allow at least 48 hours to dry, longer in humid weather. The quilt must be completely, thoroughly dry before storage or use. Wool that is put away even slightly damp will develop mildew, and the smell does not come out.

Storing the quilt out of season

Air dry or wash before storage. Fold the quilt loosely. Store it inside dust proof bags, other breathable material bags. Never vacuum-sealed plastic and never airtight plastic tubs. Wool needs to breathe; trapped moisture causes mildew, and compression for long periods permanently flattens the loft.

Keep it in a cool, dry, dark place — a wardrobe shelf or a linen cupboard, not an attic that overheats in summer or a basement that runs damp. A piece of untreated cedar or a lavender sachet inside the bag is an effective natural moth deterrent and pleasant to open in autumn. Avoid mothballs; the active ingredient (paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene) is harsh on natural fibres and leaves a smell that takes months to dissipate.

Every two to three months while in storage, take the quilt out, shake it, and air it briefly. Long undisturbed storage is the single condition moths look for.

Wool Skin Underlay & Rug

A genuine wool skin — actual fleece-on hide, Merino pile around 2 to 3 centimetres, with elastic banding to anchor it to a mattress or lay flat as a floor rug. The fleece rarely needs washing.

Daily and weekly use

A wool skin sitting on top of the mattress needs almost no daily attention. As a floor rug, give it a shake outdoors once a week. Shaking is more effective than vacuuming for removing surface dust from a pelt — vibration releases what is caught between the fibres without disturbing the structure.

If you do vacuum, use suction only. The nozzle attachment, not the rotating brush bar. A rotating beater will catch the wool, twist it, and pull fibres from the hide. Move the nozzle in the direction the fleece naturally lies. Once a month is plenty.

Brush occasionally with a wire pet brush, especially in the high-traffic areas where the wool tends to compress. Brush only in the direction of the pile, never against it. Brushing lifts compacted fibres, restores loft, and prevents the matting that occurs in spots where weight or friction is concentrated.

Why the wool flattens — and what to do

All wool pile, even good Merino, will compress in spots that take repeated pressure. On a mattress underlay this happens where your hip and shoulder land; on a floor rug, beside a bed or chair. This is not a fault and not damage. It is the wool fibre yielding under load and waiting to be lifted again.

To restore loft, mist the flattened area very lightly with cool water from a spray bottle, then either brush gently with a carding brush or with hands. The fibre's natural crimp will reactivate as it dries. Don't soak the hide — only the wool, and only just enough to dampen the tips.

Rotate the underlay end-to-end every few weeks to spread wear evenly. On a mattress, this means swapping head and foot orientation. On a floor, simply turning it by 180 degrees.

Airing and sun

Like the quilt, the wool skin benefits from regular airing in fresh, indirect light. A shaded line on a dry day, an hour or two, is ideal.

Direct sunlight is more damaging to a wool skin than to a quilt, because UV degrades the leather backing as well as the wool. Prolonged exposure dries out the hide, causing it to stiffen, curl at the edges, and eventually crack. The fleece will also fade — cream colourways yellow slightly, sage colourways dull. Brief, indirect sun is fine; full sun is not. Never store or display a wool skin where afternoon sun falls on it for hours at a time.

Spot cleaning

This is the only routine cleaning a wool skin should need.

Address spills the moment they happen. Try to scoop off any liquid first. Blot with a clean dry cloth, pressing — not rubbing — to lift as much liquid as possible. Always use cold water from this point forward. Hot water sets protein-based stains permanently, and worse, can damage the leather backing.

For light marks, dampen a clean cloth with cool water and a small amount of wool-specific detergent; pH-neutral, enzyme-free wool washes are appropriate. Dab gently from the outside of the mark inward, so you don't spread it. Rinse the cloth in clean water and dab again to lift the detergent residue.

For greasy stains, lightly sprinkle cornflour or bicarbonate of soda over the spot and leave for an hour. The powder absorbs the oil. Brush off gently and assess; repeat if needed.

What never to use, under any circumstances: bleach, of any kind. Biological or enzyme-based laundry detergents — protease enzymes will digest both the wool and the protein structure of the hide. Alkaline cleaners, including ordinary soap powder and most household sprays. Solvents or stain removers not specifically rated for wool and leather. Fabric softener. Hot water. Each of these will cause damage that is either irreversible or expensive to repair.

Full washing

A wool skin should be washed only when spot cleaning is no longer sufficient — realistically, every three years depending on use. Each wash strips a small amount of natural lanolin from the wool, and lanolin is what gives the fleece its softness, lustre, and resistance to dirt. Less is more.

When the time comes, hand washing is the only safe method for a fleece-on hide. The washing machine is not an option, regardless of advice you may find suggesting it. The drum agitation will felt the wool and the hide may tear at seams or eyelets.

Fill a clean bath with cool water — no warmer than 30°C. Add a wool or sheepskin shampoo, dissolved fully before the hide goes in. Brush the fleece thoroughly while still dry to remove loose dust and prevent tangling once it's wet. Submerge the wool skin, leather side down where possible, and let it soak for fifteen to thirty minutes. Swish gently. Do not scrub, rub, twist, or wring. Each of those actions causes the cuticle scales of the wool fibres to interlock — the felting reaction — and felted wool cannot be returned to its original texture.

Drain the bath and refill with clean cool water to rinse. Repeat until the water runs clear. Press water out of the wool with flat hands. Do not lift the wet hide by an edge or corner — wet leather tears easily under its own weight. Roll the hide loosely in a large towel and press to remove more water, or transfer it carefully into a washing machine drum and run a gentle spin cycle alone, at low speed, to extract excess water without agitation.

Drying the wool skin

Lay the wool skin flat on a clean dry towel or rack, wool side up, in a well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. Never near a radiator, fire, or in a tumble dryer. Heat will dry the hide so quickly that it stiffens and shrinks irreversibly, often by 10 to 20 percent, and the leather will harden and crack.

While the hide is still damp, gently stretch it back into shape. The leather contracts as it dries, so this stretching is what preserves the original size. Pull from all four corners outward, evenly, and reshape the edges where the elastic banding is sewn in.

Brush the wool with a carding brush while it is still damp. This is the single most important step in restoring the pile. The fibres set into the position they're brushed into, so brushing the damp fleece in the direction of the pile re-establishes its natural lay and prevents matting. Brush again once the wool is fully dry to lift the loft.

Air movement speeds drying without applying heat — a fan in the room is helpful. Allow at least 24 to 48 hours for full drying. The hide must be completely dry before use or storage. Damp leather develops mildew and the smell is very difficult to remove.

Storing the wool skin out of season

For warmer months, when you may not want the underlay on the bed, store it carefully.

Clean or air it thoroughly first. Roll it loosely with the wool facing inward — never fold sharply, as the leather creases and the crease lines do not come out. Store inside a breathable bag. 

Keep it cool, dry, dark, and away from sunlight. A wardrobe shelf is appropriate. Cedar or lavender placed nearby helps deter clothes moths. Check the rolled hide every couple of months — unroll it briefly, give it a shake, brush the fleece, and roll it the other way to prevent permanent compression along any single line.

If the leather feels stiff after long storage, a gentle massage with flat hands while the room is at normal humidity will restore some flexibility. A very light mist of cool water on the wool side, followed by air drying and brushing, will revive the pile.