How to Clean Cashmere and Wool

Howdy,

I LOVE cashmere, it is just so soft and warm and I think it looks pretty good too. With cashmere as well as wool you can't just chuck it in the washing machine like you do with most other clothing pieces. They do take looking after, but I don't mind that. If it is going to extend the life of my clothing pieces then I am all for that.

This is what I use and I will tell you how I wash my Cashmere and Wool pieces. This washing liquid can used as a hand washing solution or in the washing machine. For cashmere I only hand wash and some wool I might machine wash on a cool very gentle cycle, with the item inside out and in a net bag for protection.

I use a cup full of this washing liquid in my bath tub because the tub is clean and big enough to let the clothes spread out. It is upstairs where I can easily get to the room I dry my clothes in, when I can't dry them outside.

The water needs to be luke warm, I would suggest having the water too cool rather than too warm because cashmere does not react well in warm water. Once you have given it a gentle but good clean, I squeeze the material to take some of the water out. Then refill the tub with clean water, warm again, just a couple of inches high is all you need. Just enough to make sure the top can be submerged. Once all detergent is removed I squeeze gently the material, never wring and twist, this with stretch the material and leave it misshapen.

Squeeze until the top isn't dripping. The next stage is to lay it down on a large towel. This is the time you want to try create its natural shape as it is going to dry like this. I fold half of the towel back over the top and press. Just press all over to help soak up the moisture of from the Cashmere.

I then roll the the towel to help again soak up the moisture in the top, by doing this it will not stretch it and it won't become misshapen. I never wring out or rub this material even at this stage as it would just lead to bobbling and start to ruin the soft feel of the cashmere.

Once the top is almost dry (the next day, depending when you washed it) I hang it on my drying rack to air out.

Apart from needing an iron here is the top at the end. As you can see by the close-up, the cashmere looks great, no bobbling and the colour has not faded. I know this is not a quick thing to do but it is totally worth it to prolong the life of your clothing.





Hope this helps anyone thinking of investing in Cashmere or wool.  The washing liquid I used is from Waitrose and costs £3, there any many out there to choose from. I picked this one up as the reviews were very good and if you were wondering the scent is very faint.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx