How to Wash Cashmere Sweaters

She was walking down the street and a mauve cashmere sweater she wore. The neck up till here and the length all the way down to her knees. The boots clicked and the purse swayed, the hair from side to side. Then as she turned a corner, a car came racing by, hit a puddle and went by, the water it splattered onto the cashmere and the horror, oh the horror of that wearer! What to do now and how to clean it?! How to wash that cashmere sweater without ruining it?!

If that has ever happened to you, you'll want to know how to get the spots off. But why wait for something to be splattered and then think about removing the stains? One needs to know how to wash a cashmere cardigan without ruining it. You see, a cashmere sweater is an investment for most. Not something that you buy on a daily basis and definitely not something that comes cheap. Therefore, proper cashmere sweater care becomes imperative and necessary. A cashmere sweater needs a lot of care because of how delicate it is. In the following article we shall look into the ways of washing a cashmere sweater effectively without ruining it. Read to find out more.

Hand Washing

The deal with washing cashmere is that it needs to be done very gently so that the fine woolen threads do not start to de-tangle and give the cashmere sweater a frayed appearance. Here is a step by step method of how to go about the wash:

1. First step - check to see if there are any embellishments or decorative fittings like sequins, etc. If there are then it requires to be dry cleaned, but if it is a plain sweater then a home wash is just as good.
2. Turn the sweater inside out so that the detergent does not hit the visible side.
3. Choose a detergent that is extremely mild (check for the laundry detergent ingredients), because a harsh detergent will cause harm to the fabric. There are several brands available in the market and you can choose one according to your preference.
4. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water (35 degrees F) and fill two capfuls of detergent in the water. Mix with hand.
5. Now soak the sweater in. One can even wash cashmere scarf or gloves in the same way.
6. Once you put the sweater in, move it around the water, ensuring that the water has reached everywhere.
7. Allow it to soak for 15 - 30 minutes.
8. There might be a color spill, but that is not unnatural so there's no need to panic.
9. After 30 minutes, remove the sweater from the detergent water and soak it in a bucket of plain water to get rid of the detergent or run it under a tap of warm water.
10. Gently squeeze but never ever twist and wring the garment. This will ruin the sweater.
11. After you've made sure that the detergent has been washed out, take the sweater out and lay it flat on a towel.
12. You may even roll the sweater in the towel and gently press it to remove the excess water.
13. Spread it over the towel until dry.
14. Do not dry it out in the sun and do not hang it on a rod or a hanger because it'll stretch the wool out.

Machine Washing

A number of people ask, can you machine wash cashmere? The answer is yes, but there are certain precautions that need to be taken. Here are some laundry tips and the steps involved in washing a cashmere sweater in the washing machine.

1. It is possible to wash a cashmere garment in the washing machine by using the woolen or delicate mode in the setting.
2. Using water that is set at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit is optimum.
3. Along with that, using a mild detergent like a baby shampoo or those that have been specifically made for this purpose is needed. Choose from among the mild laundry detergent recipes. This is the most important step.
4. Now run the machine as you normally would and the sweater will come out almost dry.
5. Avoid taking it through a dryer and spread it on a towel instead to let it dry completely.
6. Also, do not hang or spread in it the sun.

You can use these steps to get your sweater looking as good as new. But for the longevity of the sweater (or any other cashmere garment) do not wash it often and if there is ever a doubt, give it to the professional cleaners.