How to Wash Cashmere by Hand or in a Machine
HOW TO WASH CASHMERE IN A WASHING MACHINE
If we could, we would prefer to spend the entire winter wrapped in cashmere sweaters. But no matter how much (or how little) of the super-soft, cozy fabric we end up wearing, we’re bound to end up spilling a bit of coffee, a dab of foundation or even an entire glass of red wine over ourselves at some point. Cue us frantically asking, “does anyone in this house know how to wash cashmere?
Luckily for everyone, washing cashmere isn’t nearly as tricky as you might fear. But you absolutely can—and should—tend to your own knits at home. So with that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about how to wash cashmere.
While we stand by the notion that cashmere should be washed by hand when possible, we understand that this time-consuming and involved process isn’t always feasible. Don’t worry, Whiting says you can turn to your washing machine for help, as long as you implement a few extra precautions.
What you’ll need:
Step 1: Place your cashmere item into a mesh laundry bag. If you’re washing multiple items at once, give each one its own separate bag. We suggest only washing two to three sweaters or up to five smaller pieces, like socks, hats or scarves, at a time and never with other laundry.
Step 2: Toss your bagged cashmere into the machine and add a small amount of delicate detergent. Run the machine on its lowest temperature setting and its lowest agitation setting (usually the delicate cycle).
Step 3: Never stick your knits, cashmere or otherwise, in the dyer. Any significant amount of heat can and will warp the fabric, shrinking it, twisting it and molding it into a shape you can no longer pull over your head. Instead, lay your cashmere pieces flat on a towel to dry. The amount of time any given item requires to dry depends on how thick the fabric is, but for larger clothing items like sweaters or sweatpants you should leave them be for a full 24 to 48 hours. You can speed up the drying process by flipping your knits or swapping out the towel every few hours.
For more Machine cashmere products please click here:www.ewsca-cashmere.com