Thought snow was just for sledding, snowball fights, and cursing at while trudging through slush on your way to work? Think again. You can also use it to wash your clothes during an Austrian winter. Here’s how.
Snow-cleaning is a method that has been used for decades across cold, snowy regions of Europe, including Austria. It is particularly good for getting dust and everyday dirt out of carpets and woollen clothes.
Wool is often described as a “self-cleaning” fabric. Its fibres naturally repel dirt and help neutralise odours, which is why simply airing a woollen jumper outdoors in winter can already make it feel fresher. Using snow can work even better.
Snow-cleaning will not remove stains. If a garment is visibly stained, it still needs to be washed properly. What snow can do, however, is freshen up wool and help you avoid frequent washing with detergents, which can wear fibres down over time.
Here is an Austria-adapted guide to how to snow-clean a woollen sweater.
Follow these steps
Hang or place your woollen sweater outside, or put it in a breathable bag, and leave it there for a few hours. This allows the fabric to cool down fully so it will not immediately melt the snow when placed on the ground.
Leave the item you want to wash outside somewhere where it doesn’t touch the snow for a few hours so that it gets cold. Photo: Emma Löfgren/The Local
The outdoor temperature should be a few degrees below freezing. Ideally, it should be well below 0C so the sweater stays mostly dry rather than becoming soaked. Powdery snow, which contains less water, works best.
Spread the sweater out on top of a clean layer of snow. Gently press it down so it makes contact with the snow, but not so much that it reaches soil or debris underneath. Then cover it with clean snow and pat it gently.
You should cover the entire sweater in snow. Photo: Emma Löfgren/The Local
Leave the sweater in the snow for several hours or overnight. In many parts of Austria, especially outside higher alpine areas, temperatures can rise during the day. It is therefore worth checking the weather forecast to make sure the snow will not melt while the garment is outside.
Rub snow over the sweater a little more firmly than before, but still gently enough to avoid damaging the fabric. Shake and pat off as much snow as possible. Bring the sweater inside and lay it flat to dry. Once dry, it should be ready to wear.
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The same method can also be used for carpets. These can usually handle a bit more force. Some people even walk or gently jump on them to press them into the snow. Once back inside, vacuum the carpet thoroughly to remove any remaining snow and loosened dust.
Key vocabulary
der Schnee – snow
die Wolle – wool
der Frost – frost or freezing temperatures
die Temperatur – temperature
das Trocknen – drying
der Wollpullover – woollen sweater or jumper