How to Care for Cashmere So It Lasts for Years

Cashmere feels like a luxury, but it is really a long-term investment. A good cashmere sweater costs more than a wool one, but it lasts for years if you care for it. Most cashmere gets ruined by simple mistakes:

Hot water
Rough handling
Bad storage

Avoid those three and your cashmere stays soft for a decade.

Cashmere comes from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats. The fibers are finer than sheep wool, which is why cashmere feels so soft. Fine fibers are also more fragile. They need gentle washing, gentle drying, and gentle storage. Treat cashmere like the delicate fiber it is.

Dyed cashmere wool fiber — Cashmere fibers are finer than sheep wool, so they need gentler care.

Washing Cashmere the Right Way

Hand wash cashmere in cool water with a gentle detergent. Fill a basin with cool water, add a small amount of cashmere wash or mild shampoo, and let the sweater soak for fifteen minutes. Press the water through the fabric gently. Never twist, wring, or scrub cashmere. Twisting breaks the fine fibers and changes the shape.

Rinse with cool, clean water until the water runs clear. Press the sweater against the side of the basin to remove water. Then lay it flat on a clean towel, roll the towel up with the sweater inside, and press gently. The towel absorbs most of the water without stretching the sweater.

Use the right detergent. Regular laundry detergent is too harsh for cashmere. Use a detergent made for wool and cashmere, or a mild baby shampoo. A few drops is enough. Too much detergent leaves residue that stiffens the fibers. Rinse well to remove every trace of soap.

Machine washing is possible on some modern machines with a wool or hand-wash cycle, but hand washing is safer. If you use a machine, put the sweater in a mesh laundry bag, use cold water, and choose the gentlest cycle. Never use a normal cycle or warm water. One hot wash can shrink a cashmere sweater beyond repair.

Drying and Storing

Always dry cashmere flat. Lay the sweater on a clean towel on a flat surface, and shape it with your hands. Smooth the sleeves, straighten the hem, and let it dry away from direct heat and sunlight. Never hang a wet cashmere sweater, because the weight of the water stretches it out of shape.

Never put cashmere in a tumble dryer. The heat and the tumbling felt the fibers together, which makes the sweater smaller, thicker, and rougher. A felted cashmere sweater cannot be fixed. Air drying takes longer, but it is the only safe method.

Store cashmere folded, never hung. Hanging stretches the shoulders and changes the shape. Fold the sweater loosely and keep it in a drawer or on a shelf. Use cedar blocks or lavender bags to keep moths away. Moths love cashmere, and a single moth can ruin a sweater in one season.

Dealing With Pilling

Pilling is normal for cashmere, especially in the first few wears. Pills form where the fabric rubs against itself, like under the arms and at the sides. Pilling does not mean the sweater is bad. It means the short fibers are working their way out.

Remove pills with a cashmere comb or a fabric shaver. Work gently in one direction, and do not pull the pills off by hand. Pulling breaks fibers and makes more pills. A quick comb every few wears keeps the sweater looking smooth.

Pilling slows down over time. After the first season, a good cashmere sweater pills much less. If a sweater keeps pilling heavily after many wears, the fiber quality is low. A high-quality cashmere sweater pills less and lasts longer.

When to Repair and When to Replace

Small holes can be repaired. A skilled knitter or a repair service can darn a hole invisibly for a small fee. A hole smaller than a coin is worth repairing. A sweater with many holes or a large tear is not. Know when to let go.

Stretching can sometimes be fixed. If a sweater stretched from hanging, wash it gently and dry it flat, shaping it back with your hands. The fibers relax in water and can be reshaped. If the sweater shrank from heat, it cannot be fixed. Prevention is the only cure for shrinking.

Check for moths regularly. Look for small holes and tiny larvae in the folds of stored sweaters. If you find moths, wash everything in the drawer in cool water and clean the drawer before returning the clothes. Cedar and lavender prevent moths, but they do not kill an existing infestation.

Buy the Best Cashmere You Can

Buy the best cashmere you can afford. A two-ply or three-ply cashmere sweater lasts longer than a one-ply one. Check the label for 100 percent cashmere. Blends with acrylic pill faster and feel less soft. One good cashmere sweater, cared for well, beats three cheap ones.

Keep a cashmere comb in your drawer. A quick comb after each wash keeps the sweater smooth and neat. Two minutes of care after washing beats an hour of fixing it later.

Cashmere care is simple: cool water, flat drying, folded storage, and gentle pill removal. Follow those four rules and your cashmere stays soft and beautiful for years.

This is only one piece of the Wardrobe Essentials puzzle. The articles below fill in the rest.

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