> >>Agitators will get in the way and tear the fur. Front loading
> >> machines will work as well.
> >>
> >I heard that front loading machines can rip up the washing.
> >
>
> Could be that any automatic washer could tear up a lambskin. It might
> be okay if there is a gentle cycle, but hand washing is the safest.
> Front loaders flop the clothes; top loaders agitate the clothes. The
> last time I washed a lambskin, the fur fell out and I ended up tossing
> it out and cleaning up a mess.
Washing machines here do seem to be different from ones I'd used in other countries, so I stand corrected about front loaders.
When we moved to N America, our Kenmore washer damaged and tore clothes, something that had never happened to me before.
I've since added another washer, what they call an apartment machine, made in Korea, no agitator, and I tend to use it all the time. Last night I popped a lambskin in, fur facing inside, and it came out fine.
What I also miss from Australia is a product in which you just soak your wool products overnight, then rinse in water. It has a eucalyptus smell and woollen garments dry nice and fluffy.
Carolyn