We all have pungent childhood memories of having to put on that terrible wool sweater that scratched us horribly. Indeed, sheep's wool tends to scratch... This is because of the rigid scales which cover the fibers. However, this rigidity depends on the diameter of the fiber. The finer the fibers, the more flexible and soft they are. It is considered that above 28 micrometers (four times less than the diameter of a hair), the fibers sting.

The only sheep wool that does not itch is merino because it is particularly fine and long (cashmere or alpaca do not itch either but they are not sheep). At Béni, in addition, our merino is of superfine quality, meaning that the diameter of its fibers does not exceed 17 microns. This is approximately the fineness of very good quality cashmere. So rest assured it will be like a caress on your sensitive skin.

However, some rare people cannot tolerate any wool. For those, unfortunately, Absolute Merino may also be unpleasant to wear. For others, on the contrary!

We have all unfortunately already washed a wool sweater that was too hot, and which came out of the machine in size 4 years... This phenomenon is called felting. These are the scales which cover the wool fibers which straighten under the effect of heat and humidity and which become tangled.

Do not fear for your Blessed Ones. Our Italian partner has developed techniques for manufacturing threads of which he has the secret, which prevent this felting. You can therefore wash them in the machine at 30° or 40° without risk (we even tested 60° and it went well).

However, our jersey fabrics (T-shirt material), which are more elastic, will shrink a little during the first machine wash because they relax. A t-shirt will thus shrink by 3% to 5% (or approximately 3 centimeters in length on a size L). This effect is perfectly planned in the cut so that your Béni falls perfectly after the first wash. But when you try it new for the first time, think about it: it's better that it's a little too big than too tight.

Merino wool is a naturally elastic material. When you wash your t-shirt the first time it will relax which may make it appear a little twisted. This is inevitable and does not come from a cutting problem (which can be the case with synthetic or cotton t-shirts that twist). All you have to do is wear the t-shirt so that it repositions itself!

Good news, you can wash your Béni in the machine without any problem! Wool generally tolerates water well, but the problem is that it can felt (and therefore shrink significantly) or pill. This is not the case with Absolute Merino thanks to the innovative techniques used for its manufacture. In addition, our colors are very stable over time, even for dark colors.

It is best to wash your Béni in the machine at 30° on the wool program. However, if you mix it by mistake with your cotton items washed at 40°, don't worry, it will not be damaged.

Furthermore, since it does not retain odors you will not need to wash it every time you wear it (like cotton or synthetic). Just let it air out overnight to find it fresh the next day. Practical when traveling!

Most wool sweaters pill because the shorter fibers have the unfortunate tendency to come out of the knit and become tangled on the surface of the fabric.

Our fantastic Italian wool supplier has invented a patented spinning technique called “compact 3”. This gives several additional qualities to our merino... Among others, that of not pilling at all, even after hundreds of machine washes.