Softer washable wool

Love the warmth of woollen clothes but dislike having to dry clean them? Europeans will soon get familiar with the advantages of the new biotech process allows wool garments to be washed in water without shrinking or pilling.

The Washwool process can be used with woven fabrics and garments as well as knitted garments. As a bonus, it adds enticing softness to materials. Yet Washwool-treated wool is tough enough to withstand repeated washes without matting or shrinking.

The environmentally-benign process uses protease enzymes and natural raw materials. All waste is biodegradable.

Melocoton, winner of the Innovation Finland 2003 Prize and the Global Female Inventor Award 2004 in Singapore, is licensing the technology. It is launching pilot projects with several major European wool fabric and knitwear manufacturers. Several international patents are pending.