Machine-Washable Yarn: 30° vs. 40°?

I’d like to buy some acrylic yarn—I need it to be as resistant to friction as possible for a top. Most of it is washable up to 30 degrees. Why is there such a difference in temperature at all, when it’s the same material??

And are there significant differences in pilling with smooth acrylic yarn and the same gauge?

Hi RechteMasche,

to be completely honest?
I have no idea why the yarn label says 30 or 40 degrees...
I actually wash everything (except for real wool) at 60 degrees. And I put everything in the dryer, too.
Very few synthetic yarns—even the ones labeled “hand wash only”—have had any problems with that. I’ve only had one instance—and that was one of the ones with a higher temperature listed on the label—where the fabric felt quite stiff after washing. But it softened up again after going through the dryer.

As for pilling: That has nothing to do with the wash temperature, but rather with friction or sensitivity to friction. Pilling usually occurs while wearing the garment, and mostly in areas that are exposed to a lot of contact.
I think it has something to do with how “fuzzy” the wool or yarn structure is. You have fewer problems with very smooth yarns than with yarns that have little fibers sticking out.

Best regards, Nina

Hello Nina,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Those were actually two questions in one. Your answer helped me with both of them.
At the same time, you’ve confirmed my gut feeling—I’d already suspected that the different temperature recommendations are more or less conservative estimates on the part of the manufacturers.