Useful tips for washing cashmere without damaging it
Cashmere garments are amongst the most valuable that you will have in a wardrobe: this type of wool needs special treatment to keep its beauty and softness. So, in most cases, we let laundry experts take care of cleaning our cashmere items in order to avoid having any mishaps which could ruin this special wool.
With proper care, however, cashmere can also be taken care of at home if you cannot get to a laundry. Read on to find out how:
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Using the washing machine - yes or no?
The first rule to remember is that it's always best to wash cashmere by hand. This seems obvious, but we might have a washing machine that has a program for wool and delicates and we may be tempted to use this. But it would be best not to, and rather opt for hand washing: after all, a hand wash need only take about 15 minutes.
That said, you can actually put cashmere in the washing machine, although you need to do it with due caution. What you certainly should never do, is use the dryer.
Before and after washing:
Instead of rushing to wash the entire garment (whether it's by hand or in the washing machine), every time there's a little dirt on the garment, it's better to do a spot clean. Cashmere, in fact, shouldn't be washed too often.
When you put a cashmere garment back in the closet, make sure it's clean and doesn't carry any odors (perfume, lotion, sweat). Stains and odors that are not treated remain in the fibers and can also attract insects. It is advisable to place these cashmere garments in linen or cotton bags, which protect them and allow them to breathe.
Hand washing
For hand washing, you will need:
- a no-rinse detergent
- a large basin (or a large sink)
- a towel
How to proceed:
- Fill the basin with cold water up to half of its capacity (4 or 5 fingers of water will suffice if you use the bathtub);
- Pour in a small amount of detergent, following the manufacturer's instructions;
- Immerse the garment, and move it around gently with your hands, so that the soap and water penetrate the fibers;
- Leave the garment to soak for 10 minutes;
- Empty out the water, then gently squeeze the garment to release all the excess liquid. No wringing out and no twisting - just delicate actions so as not to damage the wool;
- Lay the garment out flat to dry, placing a clean towel underneath it. You can also speed up the process by first rolling the garment in the towel, and then putting it to dry (always laying flat) on another dry towel.
In the washing machine:
If using the washing machine, place the garment inside a mesh bag (one of those used to protect delicates). The rest of the laundry that you put in the drum must be made up of only a few, light items. Select the washing cycle for delicates, using only cold water and a low rpm spin cycle. As for drying, proceed as for hand washing.
Have you successfully washed cashmere garments at home?
