If you have been avoiding luxe sweaters and scarves because you don't know how to wash cashmere, we have good news. While the delicate textile has a reputation for being difficult to wash, cashmere is quite easy to care for and can be washed using more than one method. While hand-washing is the ideal way to clean cashmere, cashmere clothing and accessories can, for the most part, be machine-washed.
In this guide, you'll find care instructions for your favorite cashmere scarves, hats, sweaters, and blankets. We'll give you tips for hand- and machine-washing as well as stain treatment tricks, drying techniques, and ideas for storing cashmere garments.
The Basics of Caring for Cashmere
The best way to wash cashmere is by hand. If you've never washed a garment by hand, this might conjure an image of long hours spent hunched over a washboard, but hand-washing a cashmere item is (at most) a 15-minute job and involves just four easy steps. In fact, since cashmere requires a delicate touch, it's best to use a no-rinse detergent and to avoid scrunching or rubbing the fabric when hand-laundering your cashmere items.
Cashmere can also be washed in a washing machine, provided some precautions are taken. Cashmere should not, however, be dried in a dryer. To prevent shrinking, fraying, or pilling, always air-dry cashmere.
Between washes, use a technique called spot-treating to remove stains and light soiling from cashmere. Spot-treating will help to extend the time between washes, which is ideal as cashmere shouldn't be overhandled nor overly exposed to water.
Before storing cashmere, it is important that the fibers are clean; over time, even the smallest stains can become set in, and lingering scents from personal care products like lotion, perfume, cologne, or deodorant can attract pests. When storing natural fibers, look for protective bags made of linen or cotton, which allow those fabrics to breathe.
6 Sweater Storage Ideas for Your Closet, Dresser, and More
Should I Dry-Clean Cashmere?
Dry cleaning, despite what many care tag labels insist, is not the best way to clean cashmere and other wools. Solvents used in dry cleaning strip the natural oils that are found in cashmere, taking with them the wonderful softness of cashmere and leaving the fibers more prone to damage. Additionally, dry cleaning is not as effective at removing odors as wet cleaning (i.e. water-based washing).
What Is Dry Cleaning? How It Works and When to Consider It
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How to Wash Cashmere by Hand
Cashmere does not like to be overhandled nor exposed to water for a prolonged amount of time. Therefore, be brief and gentle when hand-washing cashmere.
What You Need
Step 1: Identify a Place to Wash
Identify a place large enough to hold water, detergent, and the cashmere garment with enough space for your hands to move through the water. Typically, a kitchen sink, utility sink, or bathtub will be the best place to hand-launder cashmere, but a bucket or wash basin can also be used.
Step 2: Fill the Basin
Fill the basin about halfway up with cool (never hot) water, leaving enough room for the garment and your hands to move. Add a small amount of no-rinse detergent, following manufacturer instructions on dosing.
Step 3: Wash and Soak the Cashmere
Carefully place the cashmere garment in the detergent solution, using your hands to fully submerge it. Then, use your hands to gently agitate the garment to ensure that the water and detergent penetrate its fibers, dislodging dirt and grime. Allow the garment to soak in the detergent solution for 10 minutes. Drain the wash water.
Step 4: Air Dry the Garment
After draining the water, use your hands to press down on the cashmere while it is still in the washing basin to push out excess water. Do not wring cashmere, which will twist the fibers, causing stretching or fraying. Lay the garment on a dry towel and roll it up to squeeze out even more water. Finally, lay the garment flat to air dry on a dry towel or flat drying rack. Do not hang a wet cashmere garment to dry, as the weight of the wet fibers will cause the item to stretch.
How to Wash Cashmere in a Washing Machine
Cashmere can be successfully and safely machine-washed in a front-loader or in a top-loader that does not have a center agitator. If your machine is a top-loader with a center agitator, machine-washing delicate fabrics is not recommended as the plastic fins on the agitator can cause damage.
What You Need
- Wool-safe detergent
- Mesh washing bag
- Towel or flat drying rack
Step 1: Place Cashmere in a Protective Bag
Place the garment inside a protective mesh bag, which will help to prevent damage caused by friction from other garments and from the drum of the machine. Wash cashmere with other delicate or lightweight items like undergarments and light pajamas. Avoid washing cashmere in loads with bulky or heavy items like jeans, sweatshirts, or towels.
Step 2: Select Cycle and Temperature Settings
Cashmere should be washed in cold water using the delicate or gentle cycle. If your machine has a separate setting for cycle length, choose the shortest cycle available. Cashmere shouldn't be overhandled, so wash it with the least possible amount of friction and exposure to water.
Step 3: Air Dry Cashmere
After washing, reshape the cashmere garment and lay it flat to air dry. A flat mesh drying rack is ideal, but cashmere can also be dried flat on a towel. Rotate the garment to promote even drying.
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How to Spot-Treat Cashmere
A technique called spot-treating is a good way to care for cashmere between, or in lieu of, washing. Spot-treating can be used to address stains, as well as the buildup of environmental and body soils that can give cuffs and collars a dingy appearance.
What You Need
- Liquid laundry detergent or stain treatment product(s)
- Light-colored cloth
Step 1: Apply Detergent to Stain
Dip a light-colored cloth into diluted liquid laundry detergent or, if there is a specific stain, the appropriate stain treatment product. Use the cloth to very gently dab at the stain or discolored area, taking care not to scrub or otherwise roughly handle the fibers. Doing so will abrade the fabric, causing fraying or pilling. Using a laundry brush on cashmere is not recommended.
Step 2: Rinse Detergent
Rinse the cloth in clean, cool water, and gently go over the area you've spot-treated several times to remove detergent, rinsing the cloth as necessary until all the residue is removed.
Step 3: Allow the Cashmere to Dry
Allow the cashmere to air-dry completely before wearing or storing the garment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cashmere?
Cashmere is a type of wool that comes from the downy undercoat of goats—originally and specifically goats in Kashmir, India. The word “cashmere” is more loosely applied in modern production, but most cashmere items still come from goat undercoat fibers. This is because the soft fiber is lightweight and incredibly insulating, but finer than a strand of human hair. While cashmere is primarily produced in China, Mongolia, and other neighboring countries, the textile is now produced (although to a much smaller degree) in countries across the globe, including the United States. There are even vegan cashmere alternatives made from the byproduct of soybean processing.
How do I prevent pilling on cashmere items?
Allow your cashmere garments a few days of rest between wearings and avoid wearing rough accessories (like bags, belts, and jewelry) that may rub against the fabric. When washing your cashmere items, avoid overhandling or twisting the fabric. If pilling occurs, you can remove the pills with a fabric shaver or disposable razor.
Does cashmere shrink when washed?
If the fibers of cashmere are over-agitated, exposed to hot water, or left to soak for too long, the fabric may shrink or change shape in unpredictable ways. To avoid damaging your favorite cashmere items, wash them only once or twice per season (or every three or four wears).
