11 Dangers That Can Damage Alpaca Wool Garments (Care Tips)

Alpaca wool is strong and durable, however, it is still possible for alpaca woolen garments to get damaged. So, what are the dangers for alpaca wool? What can really ruin an alpaca wool garment? 

Alpaca wool can be damaged by washing machines, dryers, harsh detergents, heat, direct sunlight, improper storage, moths, mildew, sharp objects (like zippers), and gravity pulling garments out of shape. Always hand-wash, dry flat, store folded, and keep away from pests/chemicals.

An everyday mistake can change the size, shape, and appearance of your garments. Here are the 11 most common mistakes that can ruin alpaca wool. And, how to avoid them.

What Are the 11 Common Mistakes that DAMAGE Alpaca Wool?

Alpaca wool is generally known as a strong fiber, and yet, there are some dangers that can irreversibly damage your garment. Therefore, knowing what to avoid is an important first step to a happily ever after with your wool garment.

You want to avoid the following mistakes: 

1. Washing in a washing machine
2. Drying in a dryer
3. Leaving garments exposed to moths
4. Storing damp, causing mould or mildew
5. Contact with sharp objects
6. Snagging on zippers
7. Using harsh detergents or chemicals
8. Hanging garments, letting gravity stretch fibers
9. Exposing to direct heat
10. Exposing to direct sunlight
11. Repeated Friction from Straps and Fasteners
    
    

Washing Machine Damage

The biggest and most common mistake is to wash alpaca wool in the washing machine. 

It is not possible to wash pure alpaca wool in a washing machine. It is also not possible to wash an alpaca woolen garment on the “hand-wash” program on the washing machine. (For blends, check the washing label, but be careful, regardless!) 

When you put an alpaca woolen garment in the washing machine, the following things can happen to your garment:

• It can shrink
• It can felt
• It can lose its shape
• The colors can fade

The circumstances of a washing machine are wet, hot, and agitated. The combination of heat, water and friction are devastating for alpaca wool. Even with a cold-water, hand-wash program, there will be too much friction for alpaca wool. It’s very, very likely that your garment gets damaged when you machine-wash it. 

What To Do Instead? 

There’s really only one option when it comes to washing an alpaca wool garment: manual labor, hand-wash with your hands. It might seem labor-intense, but really the less you interfere with the process, the more likely your garment is to look pretty and stay soft. 

In short, you want to make sure you do the following: 

• Hand-wash using cold or lukewarm water
• Avoid wringing, rubbing, or tossing the garment

You can find the full article for washing alpaca wool here: How Do You Wash Alpaca Woolen Products? (Step-By-Step Guide) or take a look at this video, in which I explain how to properly wash alpaca woolen garments.

Dryer Damage

Dryers are too rough for alpaca wool. Heat, water, and movement can cause felting, shrinking, fading, or shape loss. Direct heat also makes fibers brittle, leading to breaks.

Alpaca wool should air-dry and should not be put in a dryer to dry. 

Just like a washing machine, a dryer is just too rough on an alpaca woolen garment. On top of that, direct heat is bad for the fibers and can cause them to become brittle and break. When alpaca fibers break, the garment will lose its strength and get ugly. 

Another risk is that the movement will make the garment lose its shape. The water weight in a wet garment gets tossed around in a dryer, pulling the garment out of shape (irreversibly!). 

What To Do Instead? 

1. First, excessive water should be squeezed out with one or more towels. It is important to remove as much water as possible, but always do so gently. 
2. Then, an alpaca woolen garment should air-dry, naturally, without being exposed to heat or anything to speed up the process. 
3. To maintain its shape, an alpaca woolen garment should always dry laying flat. 
   
   

Check out my video for more details and information on how to dry an alpaca woolen garment:

Or click the link to go to the article I wrote about drying alpaca woolen garments:  

• How Do You Dry Alpaca Woolen Garments? (Prevent Shrinking, Felting, Stretching)
  
  

Moth Infestation

When summer vibes mean a break for your alpaca garments, you need to store them well to protect them from moths. And actually, you should also protect your garments well in-between wears, as moths don’t “take holidays” and are active year-round. 

Moths LOVE protein-rich alpaca wool and are therefore quite a risk for unwanted holes and irreparable damage. When moths have access to a garment, they use it to lay their eggs. The eggs turn into larvae and those feast on the alpaca fiber. Once they leave the cocoon, you’re left with a hole that’ll be hard to repair.

What To Do Instead? 

To protect your alpaca garment from moths when storing, there are a couple of tricks to use: 

1. Store in airtight containers or fully sealable clothes bags. 
2. Use lavender or cedar to repel moths in breathable storage spaces. 
3. Keep storing spaces clean and tidy. 
4. Air or rotate garments to “disturb” the moths.
   
   

Mould and Mildew

Another storing related danger to alpaca wool is mould and mildew. Most mould and mildew grows when alpaca wool is stored in a tight space that is also warm, while the garment is damp or wet. For example when: 

• You hang your alpaca garment in a closed closet after it gets wet in the rain. 
• You store a garment that hasn’t dried fully after washing. 
• You live in a humid environment and condensation happens due to poor ventilation. 
  
  

What To Do Instead? 

When an alpaca wool garment gets wet, always make sure to fully, fully, dry it before storing. Use your senses to check: 

• Touch test: The fibers should feel completely dry, not cool or slightly damp.
• Weight: Damp wool feels heavier than dry wool of the same size.
• Smell: Any musty or sour odor indicates moisture is still present.
• Air-dry check: Hold the item in a well-ventilated area for a few hours, if it stays the same weight and texture, it’s dry.
• Double-check: Make sure to check folds, seams, and thick areas, as they retain moisture longer.
  
  

Sharp Objects and Snags

It is not really complicated math to see that sharp item + knitted garment = a snag. A snag is when a fiber or yarn in a fabric gets pulled or caught, creating a loop or raised thread on the garment.

Most snags are fixable: you can usually tug the surrounding threads and softly guide the threads back into place. 

But… If you’re experiencing a worst case scenario, a sharp object can cause a hole. Good news here too, because if you have extra or matching yarn, those are fixable, too. Although you might need some basic knitting skills to fix it invisibly (or a lot of time to watch YouTube videos and learn how to do it.) 

In my experience, the biggest culprits of holes and snags that you want to avoid are: 

• Door catches, 
• Jewelry,
• Zippers,
• Split nails (the worst!!!) 
  
  

What To Do With A Hole? 

Small holes can often be repaired; large ones may need patching. Look up a YouTube video on how to repair a hole or ask a skilled knitter in your environment to do it for you. Bonus points for those who can repair the holes invisibly!!!

Direct Heat Damage

When you need to dry an alpaca garment, it might be tempting to use a direct source of heating or hang it exposed to direct sunlight for faster results. However, with alpaca wool you want to avoid direct heat because it can cause the fibers to become brittle and vulnerable. Or worse, your garment can burn! 

Direct heat sources to avoid with alpaca wool: 

• Radiators or space heaters
• Hair dryers or heat guns
• Open flames (candles, stovetops)
• Direct sunlight for long periods (can fade or weaken fibers)
• Hot irons (especially without a protective cloth)
  
  

What To Do Instead? 

To safely dry alpaca wool, lay the garment flat on a clean, dry towel in a well-ventilated area and allow it to air dry naturally. Gentle airflow from a fan can help speed drying without applying heat. You can also place the wool near (but not on!!!) a radiator or in a warm room for indirect warmth. 

If using a steamer or iron, hold it a short distance away with a pressing cloth on a low heat setting to relax the fibers without direct contact. 

• Super-ninja-tip: Before laying flat to dry, roll the garment gently in a towel to remove excess water.
  
  

Sunlight Fading

Sunlight, like direct heat, can damage alpaca wool. While a little sun can help freshen the fibers and remove odors, too much sun can fade colors, weaken the wool, and make it brittle. 

A little warmth can help alpaca wool dry faster and keep the fibers relaxed, without using direct heat. Since it naturally takes a while to dry, giving it gentle, indirect warmth stops moisture from hanging around too long, which can cause odor or make it lose its shape. 

The easiest way to speed up the process is by putting it somewhere with indirect sunlight where it can dry naturally and safely. For example: near a window with sheer curtains, on a porch under an awning, or in a room with plenty of natural light but no sun hitting the wool directly.

What To Do Instead? 

For alpaca wool, it’s safer to dry or air your garments in shade or indirect sunlight. 

• Limit direct sunlight to 15–30 minutes at most.
• Use indirect sunlight or a shaded area for longer airing.
• Check the garment as it dries: once it feels dry, remove it from the sun to protect the fibers and prevent fading.
  
  

Chemical and Detergent Damage

Alpaca fibers are delicate and made of protein, so they’re much more sensitive than synthetic fibers. That means harsh chemicals or detergents can easily damage them. When washing alpaca, it’s important to pick your detergent carefully and to avoid the following: 

• Harsh soaps → Can dry out the fibers, making them brittle and easy to break.
• Detergents that foam a lot → Can create extra friction, which can tangle or felt the wool.
• Strong chemicals → Can fade natural or dyed colors. 
• Detergents that leave residue → Can make the fibers stiff, sticky, and more likely to attract dirt, which weakens the wool even more. 

All of this can take away the softness and shorten the life of your alpaca garments.

What To Do Instead? 

Use a mild, wool-safe detergent to protect your garment. When shopping in a store, check for these practical signs on the packaging:

• Keywords: “wool-safe,” “for delicates,” “hand wash,” or “alpaca.”
• No harsh ingredients: Avoid detergents that list enzymes, bleach, optical brighteners, or strong chemicals.
• Low-foaming or mild: Some brands mention “low-foam,” “gentle,” or “mild.”
• pH info: If listed, choose neutral or slightly acidic.
• Rinsing/Residue claims: Look for “easy rinse,” “no residue,” or “lightweight formula.”

One last tip: make sure to dissolve the detergent in the water before putting your alpaca garment in. This helps avoid any concentrated spots that could dry out or damage the fibers and keeps the washing gentle and even.

Gravity Stretching

Alpaca wool is relatively heavy, so garments can easily lose their shape if they aren’t properly supported during washing, drying, or storage.

• When you hang an alpaca woolen garment, the weight of the fiber will pull the garment out of shape, ESPECIALLY when it is wet. 

When washing alpaca wool, remember that larger garments need extra care with water. Alpaca fibers are hollow, so they can absorb a lot of water, making the garment very heavy. Combine that with the smooth texture of the fibers and the stretchiness of knitted fabric, and it’s easy for the piece to stretch out of shape. 

Alpaca wool has a little natural stretch, but it’s much less stretchy than many other fibers. This means that if a garment gets pulled out of shape, it will only recover partially and won’t return fully to its original form.

What To Do Instead? 

Always support the garment when you’re washing alpaca wool, especially large or chunky sweaters; it can help to have someone assist you. 

During drying, make sure to remove as much water as possible before laying it flat, and consider using mesh screens to support the garment fully. 

When storing an alpaca sweater, never hang it on a coat hanger, as the weight can stretch the shoulders and cause potentially irreversible damage.

Repeated Friction

Alpaca wool is strong, but it looks delicate, so Velcro, straps, and heavy or rough backpacks can wear it down faster.

When Velcro comes into contact with alpaca wool, the hooks on its rough side can catch individual fibers, catching even single hairs and pulling them out. You'll see the damage soon enough, because even just a single rub may result in pilling, fraying, or thinning of the fabric, altering its texture and appearance. (Speaking from experience, unfortunately...) 

Additionally, Velcro can cling tightly to the wool, making it difficult to remove without tugging, which may further damage the fibers. 

Similarly, wearing a backpack or bag straps over alpaca wool can rub on the fabric, which might cause pilling, flattening, or thinning over time. Constant rubbing can change its texture a bit. 

What To Do Instead? 

Stay clear of Velcro whenever possible! But if it does catch on your alpaca wool, don’t pull. Instead, gently lift the Velcro and use your fingers to carefully free the fibers one by one.

When it comes to backpacks, the only way to protect your alpaca is to wear a layer in between.