The Right Way to Care for your Cashmere

Cashmere is one of the most luxurious materials - loved by all of us particularly in the winter months because it can be both chic and cosy at the same time.  Whatever you choose, from a cashmere blazer to a cosy cashmere travel wrap, cashmere is always the most luxurious of knitwear.  And it can last for ever if you look after it properly.

You may not know that cashmere goats need special living conditions and can only be found in certain parts of the world, such as Mongolia, Tibet and India where the winters are hard and they grow their particularly thick coats which ends up producing the cashmere yarn.

Cashmere garments are superbly soft and light, and so much more comfortable to wear than normal wool.  They also retain heat better than normal wool - isn't a cashmere sweater, scarf or beanie the first thing you reach for when the chill sets in?

There's a myth that cashmere is difficult to care for so we shouldn't wear it all the time.  That's nonsense. You do have to look after it properly, and if you put it in the washing machine with your normal wash you may end up with something which looks a bit like a baby's sweater.  But you don't have to rush off to the dry cleaner with your cashmere.  In fact it's better not to.

Here's how to look after your cashmere the right way.

Pilling is a natural characteristic of cashmere, and is not an indication of poor quality. When your cashmere pills just gently remove the pilling with a cashmere comb.  Don't do this too often as you can, if you're not gentle enough, create a hole.

Washing.  If you have a washing machine with a specialised hand/wool wash you can safely wash your cashmere in the machine.  Keep colours similar and do not be tempted by the dryer please.... 

Alternatively you can gently hand wash.  The better the detergent you use the better the results you will get so don't use your every day detergent but buy one specially designed for cashmere and wool.

Rinse well after washing and squeeze gently to get the bulk of the water out. Then place it on a flat towel and roll this up, pressing down as you go.

Smoothing in the machine.  Do not do this unless you are standing over your dryer or it'll be back to the baby's sweater.  You can put your cashmere garment into the dryer, on its own, on low, or a smoothing program for no more than five minutes.  But you absolutely have to stand over the machine all the time.  Just in case you get distracted.

Drying.  Do not ever hang up wet cashmere.  Gently pull into shape and place on a towel flat to dry somewhere warm.  You can also, if you wash quite a lot of woolies, invest in a flat drying rack.

Right now we're totally in love with our snuggly and luxurious cashmere poncho, and our new gorgeous ribbed cashmere cardigan - who wouldn't want to wear that one??