ioMerino Care Guide

Washing and Drying

ioMerino may be naturally stink-resistant, but you’re still going to want to wash it every now and then. You'll find plenty of offical info on the Woolmark website, but here's our best tips on how best to keep it in tip-top condition.

• Wash similar colours together
• Wash products with prints inside out
• Zip up any zippers
• Use cool machine wash only – DO NOT hot wash
• Use the delicate setting for washing 
• Use regular washing powder or liquid detergent (Avoid products that contain optical brighteners, enzymes, bleach, stain removers etc because these can be a bit harsh on the merino and even cause small holes.)  
• DO NOT bleach
• ioMerino is the most comfortable Merino on earth, so you don’t need to use fabric softener
• DO NOT iron prints or labels
• Air dry in the shade, laying flat. Hanging wet wool can distort the shape. If you prefer tumble drying, dry on a low, warm setting. DO NOT hot tumble dry. 
• Cool to warm steam iron inside-out to re-shape, or use a specific wool setting.

Socks

• Turn inside out 
• Use cool machine wash only – DO NOT hot wash.
• Machine delicate to normal wash 
• Use regular washing powder or liquid detergent
• Do not bleach
• Air or line dry. DO NOT tumble dry. 

Beanies

• For best results, hand wash your ioMerino Beanies in warm water.  
• DO NOT hot wash
• DO NOT machine wash
• DO NOT tumble dry. Line dry in shade.
• DO NOT bleach

Storage

• Make sure your garments are clean before storing.
• Store garments in a dry place, sealed tub or plastic bag.
• Garments should be folded rather than hung and kept out of the sun.
• Cedarwood will help keep the moths and wool-loving critter out. 
• Putting your ioMerino into storage over summer? Simple rule - If you have worn it, clean it, then store it. Or keep it out to wear during summer, its great in hot weather too. 

Pilling 

Pilling is a natural process that can occur when shorter fibres come to the surface of the fabric. To help avoid pilling, wash your new garment within three wears, turn garment inside when washing, avoid abrasive surfaces and rubbing and use a more gentle wash cycle. 

What not to do

We’ve all heard about how amazing Merino is and in particular ioMerino, (let’s be honest, we tell you that all the time!), but want the inside scoop on what you should absolutely not do with your Merino? We reveal the top 7 things you should avoid at all costs. Find out here.

Pinning Race Numbers

All the things that make Merino fibres better than Synthetic ones, also make it more prone to pinholes damaging the fabric. This is actually a good thing because it’s what allows it to break down in the environment when you’re done with it rather than sitting around in landfill for the next billion or so years. If you are racing, get a race number belt or some race dots - your Merino top will love you for it. Bottom line, don’t pin your race number to you Merino. 

Ethical. Sustainable. Biodegradable. 

When you buy Merino, not only do you get something that performs the way you want it to, you’re doing the planet a favour as well. Which we think you’ll agree is pretty important for anyone who’s serious about doing the right thing by the environment.

While Merino can be slightly less durable than some synthetics, that’s only because it’s natural and biodegradable. It will eventually break down and go back to where it came from - mother nature. And not in 400 trillion years like your fancy synthetic top.  Some of our fabrics are more suited to skiing and some more suited to 'bush-bashing' than others, so be sure to check out which range is right for you here. 

It’s time we celebrated the fact we’re wearing fabrics that are good for the environment. Read one of the ioMerino ambassadors take on just that; loving and wearing your ioMerino right to end. It’s time we all thought about what he calls ’the hole truth’.

More Questions? 

If we haven’t answered your question in this section or you’d just like to speak to a real-life person, feel free to get in contact with us here. 

Keep up to date on how to care for your merino and what other adventurers do to keep their Merino fresh on our blog, here.