You'll find you very rarely have to wash possum merino garments as the possum fur and merino wool resists the absorbtion of odor. You'll find all garments come with washing instructions attached. Possum Fur also has antiseptic qualities and is very gentle on the most sensitive skin.For hand washing rinse using warm water and an approved wool detergent, rinse well, dry flat. Drycleanable. Do not bleach or tumble dry. (Use a dry cleaner you trust as I find they don't always get it right and can shrink the garment.) If using machine wash use the delicates option only. I have found hand washing garments in warm water as instructed very easy and with no problem. 

A good tip is - the temperature you wash in is the same you rinse in as temperature changes can bring shrinkage. Also don't over lather, just a small amount of liquid soap is all you need, you can always add more later if you need it. Gently swirl and press the garment around in the warm water with no vigerous rubbing or wringing. You can roll in a towel to absorb water first before laying flat to dry. Shape garment while wet on towel. 

About Possum Merino

You'll absolutely love our NZ Possum Merino garments! Join the great following of those who appreciate this unique blend and you'll never look back! New Zealand Possum Merino is a wonderful composition of Possum fur, Merino lamb's wool and Mulberry Silk or nylon for extra strength. It is luxuriously soft, incredibly lightweight, exceptionally warm and comfortable to wear. Any wrinkles through packaging drop out quickly. It is anti static, doesn't pill and resists odour!

Due to the hollow nature of possum fur, it provides exceptional thermal warmth without weight. Research has shown it to be 55% warmer than Merino and 35% warmer than cashmere. With a superfine micron, New Zealand Merino wool is renowned for its softness, easy care and durability. Perfect for any season and climate and is also odour resistant, as many hikers can report. The thermal and breathable warmth is well known.

The New Zealand Brushtail Possum

Introduced into New Zealand from Australia during the mid 1800's, the New Zealand Brushtail Possum currently eats about 20,000 tons of native vegetation each night. In addition to this they compete for food with native birds, also eating the birds eggs, chicks and insects. Their insatiable appetite threatens the survival of many of our native plants, insects and birds, including our national bird the kiwi. The possum is a medium sized marsupial with fur similar to mink. The fur is hollow much like that of the Polar Bear which is quite a rare phenomenon. Unlike possums found in other countries such as North American and Australia, the New Zealand Possum is not protected as it's numbers are esculating faster than they can be eradicated.

Millions of dollars each year are spent by the Department of Conservation on trapping and controversial poisoning campaigns in attempts to control the pest. Due to New Zealand's favourable climatic conditions, possums are able to breed twice a year and risk of numbers rapidly increasing once again is still a possibility if we don't find ways to respond to this problem. New Zealand garment companies have spent a number of years working on bringing to customers worldwide, a wonderful fabric that is both amazing to wear but also giving everyone the opportunity to lend a hand in preserving the beautiful eco systems of natural New Zealand habitats.