Maintenance of wool fibers Soil can be easily removed but may absorb large quantities of oily soil ■ Washing wool fibers are weaker in water and have a lower modulus thus will be easily stretched shrinks when agitated in water: felting shrinkage degrades in mild alkaline solutions, e. g. detergent solutions. because alkalinity weakens salt cystine linkages and increase felting: dry cleaning recommendeMaintenance of wool fibers Soil can be easily removed, but may absorb large quantities of oily soil Washing: – wool fibers are weaker in water and have a lower modulus thus will be easily stretched – shrinks when agitated in water: felting shrinkage – degrades in mild alkaline solutions, e.g. detergent solutions. because alkalinity weakens salt & cystine linkages and increase felting: dry cleaning recommended