Wool is self-cleaning in a way cotton is not. The fibre has a natural scale structure that releases dirt and odour when it airs, which is why a merino knit worn three days running often needs nothing more than a night on a hanger by an open window.
When it does need washing: cold water, a wool-specific detergent, and no agitation. If your machine has a true wool cycle it will do a better job than you will by hand, because it keeps the temperature constant.
Never wring it. Press the water out between two towels, then dry flat. Hanging a wet knit is how shoulders end up two sizes apart.
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