Naturally easy-care: enzymes against wool felting

For clothes with a high percentage of wool, washing by hand is usually an absolute must – otherwise shrinking and felting are on the cards. Conventional ways of avoiding this are combining synthetic fibres with wool, for example polyester or the chemical treatment of wool with chlorine and synthetic resins. But when these methods are applied the natural properties and functions of wool fibres are literally locked in. And let’s not forget the little matter of synthetic resins dissolving when the clothes are worn and washed and coming into contact with the body and the groundwater, and the consequences that follow from that.

For more than ten years, the natural textiles manufacturer Living Crafts in Upper Franconia has been proving that there is another way to deal with the problem. “Organic is not enough on its own,” says Frank Schell, the manager director of Living Crafts. He says that developing materials and methods of finishing, as in the case of textiles made of wool mixtures, is important to drive innovation and to improve their wearing and washing characteristics. Year ago, Living Craft and partners in the textile processing industry developed a process that smoothes the scaly structure of wool fibres with a biological-thermal finishing technique that used enzymes. Thus, Living Wool is produced – woollen textiles that can simply be washed in the washing machine using the 30¢ª C wool programme.

The enzymes used in this process are extracted from fruit like papayas or sugar cane. After the wool has been treated they dissolve in contact with heat and don’t pollute waste water and do not cause allergies later. Moreover, they are not comparable with the enzymes employed by the detergent industry and they are obtained without genetic manipulation. As Frank Schell explains: “This is a speciality of Living Crafts.”

Living Crafts processes the naturally finished Living Wool in its “Finest” range with 30 % silk into skin-friendly, natural underwear for the whole family. This range comprises different designs and colours and it is very popular with sportsmen and women as natural, functional underclothes for all outdoor activities in the cold season. A new “Finest” baby range in plain basic colours will be available from the middle of November from Living Crafts’ online shop or in the specialist retail trade. (Graphic: Comparison of the various processes for non-felting finishing of wool. Living Wool as a gentle alternative)