During the holidays many are drawn to the luxurious cashmere sweaters, hats, scarves and gloves as thoughtful gifts. Even knitters find themselves knitting with a bit of cashmere here and there for someone extra special. But often one asks, how should a cashmere garment be taken care of?
Cashmere is still one of the most expensive and much sought after fibers today, even in a down economy. This luxurious fiber is pure heaven and takes up to four years for a single cashmere goat to produce enough down for just one sweater. Unlike many other exotic fibers, the more you wear cashmere, the softer your garment will become.
To care for your cashmere, simply start by turning your garment inside out and hand-wash in lukewarm water, using a specially formulated cashmere shampoo for cleaning. Once soaked, gently swish your garment in the water, then rise thoroughly in lukewarm water. Next, gently remove from the water and roll in a towel to remove any and all excess moisture. Cashmere, like wool, needs to be re-shaped to the garment’s original size and laid flat to dry. While drying, make sure to keep away from direct heat or sunlight and never place your cashmere garment in the dryer.
To keep your cashmere garments looking fresh and new, wash and store them inside out, make sure you wash each garment separately and protect them when stored. To avoid creasing, fold the arms over the front of the sweater and then fold the top down to meet the bottom. Never hang cashmere on a hanger as this will cause your garment to loose shape and can cause hanger “bumps” in the shoulder area. If you are putting your cashmere away for the summer, make sure to store your garments in an air tight container and layer with clean, plain white tissue paper.
So, after spending a small fortune on cashmere yarn, make sure to care for your garments through proper storage and laundering. For further information on caring for cashmere, visit the Laundress online.
