While Merino wool has plenty of natural magic up its sleeve, your Base Layer won't quite look after itself. Here's our straightforward guide to keeping it in top nick for the long haul.
Go easy on the washing
Merino wool is naturally "self-cleaning" – it doesn't harbour bacteria or trap odours. Rather handy. Unlike cotton or synthetics, there's no need to wash your Base Layer after every wear. Unless you've just run an ultramarathon, washing every 5-6 wears will do the job nicely (just give it a bit of air between outings).
It's much like your favourite wool jumper in that sense – doesn't hold sweat, doesn't smell. If this is your first merino rodeo, we get that might sound suspicious, but you'll soon see we're not pulling your leg. Magic stuff, as we said.
The cherry on top? Less frequent washing saves water and energy (not to mention your wallet), making it a quiet sustainability champion.
What washing cycle to use?
When the time does come for a wash, simply put your Base Layer through a wool cycle at 30°C maximum. Be sure to select a slow spin – never above 400 rpm. Better still, skip the spin cycle entirely if you can (though it will take longer to dry). If you'd rather not risk the machine, hand washing works perfectly well too, as long as you don't wring it out when done. That could damage the fibres, as you might imagine.
Air dry only
If you own knitwear, you'll know the drill: woollen garments dry flat to prevent them stretching out of shape. Same rules apply for your Base Layer. Find a flat surface, lay down a towel to catch any drips, and you're sorted. PS: If you were thinking of bunging it in the tumble dryer, banish the thought immediately. It would do far more harm than good. Your Base Layer thanks you in advance!
Iron with care
While ironing isn't forbidden, it's genuinely unnecessary here. Our jersey stitch and the merino wool have a natural elasticity that makes the fabric crease-resistant, so your Base Layer should stay smooth without any intervention. If you're truly committed to ironing, set your iron no higher than 110°C (the 'wool' setting) and keep it brief. Remember, this fibre isn't exactly fond of high temperatures.
Mind the sizing
Quick heads-up: your Base Layer might shrink slightly after a few washes. This is just what merino wool naturally does – nothing to worry about. If you're between sizes, we'd recommend going for the larger option. That way, even after a few spins in the washing machine, it'll still fit you perfectly.
FYI, YOUR MERINO BASE LAYER AND THE PLANET
Since 1 January 2024, the New French environmental legislation known as The AGEC Law stipulates transparency from our lot in the fashion industry so that you can make an informed purchase. As you can imagine, this is something that we fully support at Asphalte. So here's some additional information about our Merino Base Layer:
- It’s 100% recyclable. If you stop wearing it for whatever reason, you might want to consider making someone else happy by passing it on to a friend, family member or donating yours to charity. The best way of reducing an item of clothing’s impact is by keeping it in circulation, and only recycling it when there really is no life or use left in it.
- Unlike many garments that release microplastics during washing, our Merino Base Layers have been designed not to do so. Plastic microfibres are tiny particles of plastic that have a negative impact on aquatic and land ecosystems.
- They do not contain any hazardous materials. They’re manufactured in compliance with strict standards aimed at eliminating the use of harmful substances and other chemical nasties.
- They do not contain any recycled materials. We try to incorporate recycled materials whenever we can, unfortunately, it hasn’t been possible to do so with the Merino Base Layer.
Thanks!
So there you have it, you now know everything there is to know about looking after your Merino Base Layer:
We'll be back in touch in a couple of weeks to see how you're getting on.
Until then, if we've missed something or you have any questions hit us up in the comment section below or here support@asphalte.com or on IG.
The Asphalte Team