If you are here, you already know all the benefits of Alpaca Clothing, Gloves, Hats, Socks, Blankets, and anything made from this natural fiber that tends to outperform other fibers like wool and synthetics. Alpaca fleece has been around for millennia. Even the ancient Incan kings recognized the Alpaca’s unique qualities and reserved the “fiber of the gods” for use by only the wealthy and influential. Care of alpaca products is essential in order for them to last as long as possible. Items created from Alpaca Yarn need proper care and cleaning.
Alpaca is Different
Alpaca fiber stands out among natural fibers for its strength, softness, lightness, and warmth—making it an ideal choice for winter clothing and accessories. Unlike wool or cashmere, alpaca is hypoallergenic, as it contains no lanolin, which can irritate sensitive skin. With proper care, alpaca garments can last for years, even decades, without shrinking.
Alpaca is naturally water, dirt, and odor-repellent, requiring less frequent cleaning than other materials. Often, a simple airing out or gentle shake is enough to refresh your alpaca items. For example, alpaca sweaters may only need washing every five wears, while socks can go two to three wears between washes.
When cleaning is necessary, treat alpaca garments with care. Though durable, alpaca is a natural fiber that benefits from gentle handling to preserve its luxurious feel and longevity.
Product Care Instructions
Always review and follow the product care instructions provided with your alpaca items, as they take precedence over general guidelines. If no instructions are available, hand washing or dry cleaning is typically the safest option. Some blended products may be machine washed on a gentle cold cycle, but this is not always suitable, especially for items containing silk or boucle materials, which should be dry cleaned.
How to Clean Small Items
Hand wash in cold or lukewarm water with mild detergent or shampoo. Roll in towel to absorb excess moisture. Lay flat to dry.
How to Clean Alpaca Clothing
- Fill a clean sink or tub with cold water and a small amount of mild liquid detergent like baby shampoo or a fine fibers formula. (Using hot water, or even two different temperatures of water, will “shock” the fibers, making them mat together and start turning into felt.) Do not use chlorine bleach or even Woolite. These harsh cleaners can cause damage to the structure of the garment.
- Soak the garment for 3 to 5 minutes, gently squeezing the suds through it. Avoid twisting, wringing, scrubbing, or otherwise agitating it, as this will cause felting. Dyed garments will have some chance of bleed. Since alpaca fiber takes dyeing better than most other fibers, this shouldn’t be a problem after the first wash.
- Rinse the garment twice in clean, cold water and gently squeeze out the excess. Be gentle handling it to avoid wrinkles and distortion.
- While supporting the weight of the garment, lay it between two towels. Roll up the towels and set aside for a few minutes allowing towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Place the garment on a dry towel or sweater rack and reshape. Do not hang to dry. Let it dry away from sunlight and direct heat.
- If the garment is wrinkled after drying, you can steam it lightly with an iron, or simply hang it up in the bathroom, run the shower, and let the steam work out the wrinkles.
Dry Cleaning
Alpaca garments do not necessarily need to be dry cleaned, but it can be a safe option if you’re concerned about handling delicate fibers. Many people prefer to hand wash alpaca because it’s gentler on the fibers and avoids potential chemical exposure. If you don’t have the time to hand wash your alpaca garments, or in the event of stubborn stains, you can always take them to a professional dry-cleaner. Bring along any labels or care tags that came with the garment, and be sure to point out any spots and stains so they can use the best method to remove them. We do not recommend machine washing as a good way to care for your alpaca products.
Cleaning Alpaca Blankets and Throws
Most 100% Alpaca Blankets recommend dry cleaning to maintain their luxurious softness and quality. However, alpaca blend blankets and throws can typically be hand washed using cool water and a gentle baby shampoo. To dry, gently press out excess water by rolling the blanket in a towel, then lay it flat to air dry. Always check the care tags on your product for specific washing and care instructions to ensure the best results and longevity.
Washing Alpaca Socks
Our Alpaca Socks are machine washable in cold water. The Alpaca in our socks has been blended with other fibers to create durability, longevity, and to allow for machine-washing. To extend the life of your socks further, we highly recommend letting them air dry and to avoid putting them in the dryer. Socks that are made of 100% alpaca should be hand washed and laid flat to dry.
Cleaning Fur Items
Use a wire pet brush to restore the fur on Alpaca Teddy Bears and other stuffed animals made from Alpaca, as well as on Alpaca Slippers and Alpaca Fur Hats. You will be impressed how easily the fur is restored with a light brushing. For more serious cleaning or when something has been spilt on the fur, cover the spot with talcum powder and gently but deeply rub it in. Leave it for an hour or so, then brush away the excess powder. This will lift dirt and and restore the fluffiness of the fur.
How to Store Alpaca Clothing
Alpaca clothing can last for decades, but its greatest enemies are moths and other pests that cause damage during storage. If you need to put your Alpaca away during warmer months, give it a good cleaning first following the instructions above. Pests are drawn to dirt and body oils on fibers.
You can keep pests away from any garment by storing it in a chest of inspect-repelling Spanish cedar, or by placing cedar chips in the storage area. To keep away moths, use lavender bundles or moth balls.
A shirt box, clean pillow case, clean paper bag, or cardboard box will keep the air circulating around the garment. Never use plastic or dry cleaning bags for your Alpaca, as this will cause moisture to build up and the fibers will felt. Like any other knit garment, alpaca clothing should be folded rather than hung to prevent stretching and distortion.
Felting and Unfelting Alpaca
Accidentally toss your alpaca sweater into the washing machine? Don’t worry—you may be able to reverse the felting! While we haven’t tried this method ourselves and can’t guarantee results, there are techniques to “unfelt” a felted sweater. Find out how to Unfelt a Felted Sweater. Of course, felting isn’t always a mishap! Many fiber artists intentionally felt alpaca and other fibers to create unique textures and designs. Explore the art of felting with our Felting Kits or check out handcrafted Felted Creations by Julie Petty.
Whether you’re learning about felting or recovering from an accidental laundry disaster, we’ve got resources to help!
We hope this helps you take the best care of your products so that you can enjoy them for years to come. Perhaps you’d like to do a little shopping in our Online Store or meet our Alpacas and visit our Farm Store in Mansfield, Ohio!
