5 ways to care for your cashmere
With the cooler weather on the way, you might be thinking about the woollens in your wardrobe for the first time in a while.
Fact: cashmere wool is made from the soft undercoats of the cashmere goats of China and Mongolia. Garments made from the wool are wonderfully delicate and soft to the touch as well as beautifully warm.
A cashmere jumper is luxurious garment to own, deserving special care to protect your investment.
Shrinkage, damage from moths and piling can all be concerns.
Here are 5 ways to ensure your cashmere lasts and stays in the best possible condition.
1.) Wash infrequently
As a delicate item, washing will cause rapid wear and tear even with hand washing or on the gentlest of cool washing programmes.
Plan on washing cashmere garments a maximum of once or twice per season.
Consider dry cleaning or using a deodorising sprintz a bit like dry shampoo in between washes, like THIS one or THIS one.
2.) Wash gently
When a wash is unavoidable, start by turning the garment inside out to protect the outer fibres (the ones that will be seen). Wash no higher than at 30 degrees or in hand hot water.
Use a special cashmere detergent – like THIS one or THIS scentless one - and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Wash items separately to avoid colour leeching – if washing by hand soak for 30 minutes before rinsing and squeezing to be sure of removing all the product.
3.) Avoid mis-shaping
Never tumble dry a cashmere garment. Only air dry it and never wring or stretch it while wet. If it is dripping wet after washing, roll it in a towel to take up the excess.
Lay it out onto a dry flat surface and gently mould it back into shape. Leave it to dry on a fresh dry towel, out of direct sunlight. Allow it to dry naturally at room temperature – turn it over part way through. Hang it only when it is almost completely dry for the final airing,and make sure it won’t be damaged by the hanger.
Use a padded hanger if possible, like THESE, or double up the hangers to minimise the possibility of stretch at the shoulders.
4.) Prevent piling
Gentle hand washing will reduce the amount of friction the fabric receives. Using a specialist cashmere detergent will also help to protect the delicate fibres during wear.
Piling happens most commonly around the elbows, inner arms and sides of a cashmere jumper because these are the places where there is friction from arm movement.
There are many tools available for removing piles (or bobbles) like THESE, though this must be done as gently as possible.
Allowing the garment to rest between wears and rotating pieces so that there is no heavy use of one particular item in a season will also help to reduce the amount of piling that occurs.
5.) Smart storage
Because it is likely that your cashmere will have been stored for long periods over the summer months, it’s important to think ahead about the possibility of moth damage.
Clean the item before storing it away for the summer season because moths prefer soiled garments.
Using a spritz or detergent with a perfume will help deter moths, and moth repellent bags containing lavender and natural scents like THIS are amazingly effective, last up to 3 months and can be placed strategically throughout your wardrobe.
Storing the jumper inside a cotton bag to or zip carrier like THIS to keep away moisture will also help deter moths.