How to wash cashmere at home: rules for washing things in a washing machine and by hand, does cashmere fabric shrink and how to avoid it?

Cashmere is an incredibly soft and lightweight wool or wool blend thread. This is a kind of synonym for weightlessness and exceptional tenderness. The thread is based on the finest undercoat from mountain goats, which are bred in Mongolia, where there are strong temperature changes (up to +40°C in summer, up to -50°C in winter).

The material turns out to be very expensive and requires special treatment during operation. Therefore, before acquiring such expensive clothes, it would be nice to study the features of caring for the capricious fabric. You need to know how to properly wash a cashmere sweater, scarf or coat, dry it, iron it and store it. All these nuances are discussed later in the article.

This is interesting: wearing cashmere has a beneficial effect on the joints and spine. This material is surprisingly warm due to its low thermal conductivity.

How to wash cashmere by hand at home

If you wash a cashmere item very often, then most likely you will ruin its appearance in just a few procedures. Therefore, experts do not recommend affecting the material more often than every 10 wears. Also, don't forget to read the labels. It may indicate that the product cannot be wetted at all, and only dry cleaning is allowed. Immediately before washing a piece of clothing, you need to make sure there are no stains, remove the pellets with a special machine, and turn it inside out.

When you are at a crossroads and don't know which washing method to choose (machine or hand), then always choose the second one. It is considered ideal for capricious cashmere items. After all, during machine swings, they willy-nilly hit the metal drum, and the thin fiber falls off, loses its “airiness” and weightless structure.

In addition, cashmere “adores”:

delicate wash at 30 degrees;
mild soaps;
purified, ideally softened water;
gentle push-ups;
natural drying.

Washing cashmere by hand involves two steps that need to be completed. This is preliminary water purification and preparation of a soap solution. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Water purification

Such a delicate material is, of course, best placed in contact with the purest water. It is unlikely that he will react positively to ordinary tap liquid. Most likely, after such a wash you will notice stains, careless drips, and traces of unclear impurities. It is clear that this will ruin the fabric and, possibly, roughen it. Maximum cleaning will help avoid the problem.

Modern drinking water purifiers, which may already be installed in your home, do a good job. You can also use good quality purchased distilled liquid for washing. But if you don’t have access to the previous methods, don’t despair, you can purify the water at home. To do this, you need to boil the required volume and add 1.5 tbsp. 5% vinegar to soften.

Preparing the soap solution

Such “airy” products can be washed exclusively with special products for woolen and delicate fabrics or with baby shampoo for newborns, as the most gentle product. The selected substance is never poured directly onto the canvas; it can ruin it. A small amount is thoroughly dissolved in water at a temperature of no more than 30°C with vigorous stirring, and only then the product is lowered into it. Do not take too much product, otherwise you will have to rinse it out for a long time.

Transition to washing: means and actions

You will learn how to wash cashmere by hand by studying several points.

It is best to carry out the process in the bathroom. There, the item can be laid out as evenly as possible so that there are no creases, creasing, and, as a result, damage to the material.
Things need to be turned out.
The material is usually not soaked, but this can be done for a short time (no more than 10 minutes).
You shouldn't rub cashmere. It is best to perform gentle massage movements that do not disturb the structure of the pile.
Even severe dirt should not be subjected to cleaning with a brush, mechanical friction or other forceful influences.
After this, you need to drain the soap solution, and lay out the clothes at the bottom of the empty bathtub, and do not rush the process.
Rinse in several waters, replacing it with clean water each time.
It is best to add hair conditioner to the last rinse, as it does not have as strong a smell as fabric softeners and better softens the delicate hair.
At the end of washing, the liquid can be allowed to drain naturally or squeezed out using a special method described below.

Important: dark clothes should not be washed together with light ones - this “golden rule” of washing also applies to cashmere clothes.

Spin

Cashmere itself does not wring out, does not wrinkle, does not twist, undergoing only the natural process of drainage. But there is one interesting way. To do this, place a thoroughly washed item that has gotten rid of excess water on a thick terry towel, cover it with a second one, and carefully roll it up. Leave it like this for five minutes and unwrap it. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

Cashmere cleaning

All the variety of cashmere products cannot be washed, cleaned, or refreshed with one universal method. Each item of clothing has its own method, its own way of washing cashmere.

Special device for removing pellets

First of all, clean the item from pellets, if there are any. We do not recommend that you do this yourself. You may just accidentally pull out the fabric. It is better to use special rollers and machines for these purposes (example in the photo).
If the sweater has appliqué, rhinestones or other types of decoration, then it is better to avoid wet cleaning so as not to ruin all this beauty.
Don't forget to turn the item inside out!
Find the right detergent for cashmere. It will be successfully replaced by hair shampoo, but only one that does not contain dyes. What could it be? Baby shampoo (the most suitable - it does not cause dryness of the fibers), a product for colored hair without dyes.
Try to choose a gel, powder suitable specifically for washing cashmere, and a high-quality composition for delicate fabrics. Do not use products that contain enzymes or bleaching elements!
The water temperature for washing is low - no more than 35 degrees. It is important that it be the same throughout the entire wash cycle. Cashmere can shrink due to temperature changes.
If the item is heavily soiled, leave it to soak in soapy water for 20 minutes before washing.
When washing the material by hand, you need to be especially careful: just squeeze and unclench it, like a foam sponge. Rubbing or twisting cashmere is prohibited!
This product is usually rinsed several times. The procedure is completed when the water becomes completely clear, without traces of foam.
Do not lift the item from the washing container while it is wet!
You shouldn't squeeze cashmere either. It is better to lay it out on a horizontal grid, a stand above the bathtub and wait until the water drains by itself.
After water stops dripping from the item, start pre-drying it. To do this, lay the product on a thick terry towel, and then roll both items into a roll. The resulting “roll” can be lightly squeezed and pressed with your hands so that the towel absorbs more moisture from the cashmere.
We will dry the product only on a horizontal flat surface! Usually housewives lay a large sheet or other material on the table or floor. The product is laid out on it. It is important to give it the correct shape, straighten out folds and creases.
To make the drying process go faster, turn the item over and change the bedding.

Children's shampoo is ideal for cashmere. Adult shampoo without dyes is also suitable. Special powder. Foreign version. Mild product.

As we wrote earlier, cashmere products can also be washed in a washing machine. But only if the procedure is not prohibited by the manufacturer! Basically only applies to high quality cashmere.

How to wash cashmere in a washing machine correctly? The mode can be set to “Delicate”, “Manual”, “For wool”. The number of revolutions is minimum. After all, the item will roll in the drum, which can lead to pubescence of the fibers and their further rolling when worn.

Water temperature – 30 degrees. You can set an additional rinse if you wish. The detergent is only mild, non-aggressive, without bleaching effect. The best gels for washing wool.

It is better not to set the spin cycle - mark the normal drainage of water without it. You need to dry the product in the same way as when washing it by hand - without stretching it, remove it from the drum and place it on a horizontal or slightly inclined mesh above the bathtub. As soon as the water has drained, remove excess moisture by rolling it into a roll with a terry towel. Next - drying only on a horizontal surface on a bedding material.

Not all items are machine washable

How to wash a cashmere sweater, cardigan or scarf in the washing machine

If you are wondering whether cashmere can be machine washed, then know that this method is considered an extreme procedure for such items. But sometimes, following several recommendations, it is allowed to be carried out. The following instructions will help you figure out how to wash a cashmere scarf, sweater, jacket or other item:

Before loading, rip off the fur parts and turn the product inside out.
Carefully roll it up and place it in a laundry bag.
Set the “hand wash” or “delicate” mode.
Turn off the “spin” and select a water temperature of 30 degrees.
Pour a special detergent for cashmere into the compartment. Preferably only liquid.
After the process, take out the product and lay it flat in the bathroom to drain excess liquid.

Preparing for washing

A cashmere item should be prepared for washing; consider the necessary steps:

remove or unfasten all possible parts and accessories, especially metal ones, for example, buttons, brooches;
If possible, rip off the collar or fur elements;
check pockets and empty them of debris;
fasten all fasteners and zippers;
pellets should be removed with scissors or a special machine (tool);
Turn the product inside out so that the front side is not damaged;
fold the item into a linen net, you can use a pillowcase or duvet cover (when washing a coat, for example);
close the mesh, so the item will be protected from mechanical impact.

We suggest you read How to wash silk fabric

Proper drying of things

Cashmere items are dried only in a horizontal position. This way they do not deform and retain their attractive appearance for a long time. Before the final process, it is better to roll the product between two towels for several hours. It is permissible to lay scarves, hats and sweaters on the wide back of a chair, covered with a thick towel, so that they lie as if on a cushion.

The beret can be pulled onto the plate to return to its original shape. It is better to dry caps on a kind of “blank”. To do this, wrap the required amount of soft fabric around a glass jar of a suitable size and “sit” a cap on it.

All large items must be laid out on a flat surface covered with thick fabric. They need to be placed evenly, carefully straightening out creases and folds, and allowed to dry at room temperature. Do not expose the canvas to heat sources: hair dryer, radiators, sun. Otherwise, it may shrink, dry unevenly, or develop unsightly light spots.

Difference in cleaning low quality and high quality material

Wet washing for pure cashmere is most often prohibited; preference is given to dry cleaning.

However, some experts advise not to get carried away with dry cleaning , since wool fibers made from goat fluff are identical to human hair - after washing they become shiny and soft, and after regular drying they become dull and lifeless. Therefore, many owners always wash things by hand.

The situation is a little simpler with cashmere, which contains impurities. It is allowed to wet such fabrics, but subject to conditions, since cashmere, even if not 100%, will lose its attractive appearance if handled incorrectly.

Ironing

Manufacturers strictly prohibit ironing cashmere. Moreover, the material usually fits the body like a second skin. But if there is a need for ironing, remember a few recommendations:

Cashmere cannot be ironed closely. It is better to steam it from a short distance (2-3 cm);
the iron should be turned on to the lowest heat setting;
you need to influence the material only from the inside out.

Tip: Small folds can be briefly pressed several times with a lukewarm iron.

How to dry?

Drying is the final stage of cleaning cashmere items, which should be treated no less carefully than washing itself.

Main rules:

After the water has drained, the material is placed between two thick terry towels and rolled into a roller, pressing lightly with your hands to absorb moisture. Leave this “structure” for a couple of hours.
Lay a dry sheet or towel on a clean horizontal surface and place the cashmere on it.
Carefully straighten out all the slightest folds, bends and creases, since ironing wool is prohibited.

Prohibitions on drying

The desire to quickly put on a freshly washed item is quite justified, but you should not rush the drying process.

It must pass naturally, so it is strictly prohibited:

dry things in a vertical position or on a clothesline;
place it on or near the battery;
contact of wet fabric with direct sunlight;
drying with a hair dryer, iron and other sources of artificial heat.

Does cashmere shrink after washing?

Every owner of an expensive item, going through the stages of caring for it for the first time, is interested in the question of whether cashmere shrinks after washing. Typically, products made from this material tolerate this process normally. But there are times when you realize that the thing has shrunk a little. There are several ways to revive her.

First of all, you need to feel the product. If it feels like a piece of matted wool, then, unfortunately, it cannot be restored.

If the clothes have shrunk evenly and by no more than one size, they can be saved in the following way:

Fill a container with warm water. This time strictly observe the temperature and achieve the required 30 degrees. Cooler water will not work, as the sweater may shrink even more.
Pour the required amount of fabric softener or hydrogen peroxide (1 tablespoon per 5 liters of water) and dissolve it thoroughly.
Soak the clothes in the solution for 7-10 minutes.
Remove and remove moisture using terry towels.
Place the product on a flat horizontal surface and straighten it out. Every 20-30 minutes, carefully pull the edges in opposite directions, applying even force.
Instead, you can just put it on yourself and walk around like that for a while. This way it will take the shape of your figure. This item is good for restoring a sweater, jumper, cardigan.

If suddenly a reverse reaction occurs and the pullover stretches, then it needs to be soaked in warm (40 degrees) water and dried without squeezing out the moisture.

Manual

Experienced housewives know that you can wash cashmere coats at home; labels sometimes also allow washing large cashmere items. The safest way is gentle hand washing.

Pink cashmere sweater

Let's look at step-by-step instructions for washing cashmere items at home:

detergent cannot be poured onto the product, it must be diluted in water in advance and the foam must be well beaten;
water temperature should be 30-35 degrees;
Place the product in water and soak for a short time, 10-15 minutes is enough for the dirt to soften;
Wash delicately, gently squeezing and unclenching with gentle movements. Do not rub, twist, or stretch;
drain the soapy water, pour in clean warm water of the same temperature. Rinse several times until the detergent is removed;
pour the water out of the basin, place the product on the bottom and leave for a while to let the water drain. If a large item is being washed, for example a coat, then it can be placed at the bottom of the bathtub or in another large container to drain the water. It is impossible to squeeze and twist, lift and hang, the thing will be deformed;
Dry horizontally (see below).

Hand wash sweater

The best solution is to wash cashmere items by hand. Delicate care will ensure gentle cleansing and clean clothes well. How to hand wash a cashmere sweater or dress:

Remove the pellets. Down products are susceptible to the smallest particles of fluff rolling off to form small balls, which can be easily removed with a special machine.
Removes heavy dirt. Stains are first removed by holding the item over steam or using a soda solution.
They wash the sweater. The washing gel is dissolved in warm water, the item is laid out and allowed to sit for a while. Then wash the product with soft blotting movements, then rinse in cool water.
Dry. To speed up drying, the sweater is laid out horizontally or wrapped in a terry towel.

After such washing, a cashmere sweater or dress will retain its shape and attractive appearance.

How to wash a beret made of thick cashmere:

Remove pellets and heavy dirt.
Turn inside out and wash as described above.
To dry, place a liner inside that follows the shape of the product.

Cashmere berets are made from denser material, and the main task when washing is to maintain the original shape, for which special blanks are used.

Learning how to wash items will save time and money that you would have otherwise spent on dry cleaning.

The first step is to pre-treat the stains. Launchress Old or Stubborn Soil Remover is an excellent product, also suitable for delicate fabrics and cashmere wool.

We suggest you read: How to wash a camel wool blanket at home

How to wash cashmere items by hand:

Check the label on the clothing. Depending on the fiber blend, washing needs may vary.
Use laundry detergent specifically designed for wool and silk.
Fill the bathtub with warm water. Hot will cause the sweater to shrink, and cold will not remove dirt from the fibers as expected.
Add some detergent or baby shampoo. Dissolve it well. Use less powder than indicated in the instructions, since excess is difficult to wash out and dirt remaining in the fiber will stick faster.
It is not recommended to soak clothes. Wool swells due to moisture, so it is best not to leave the pullover in water for too long.
Gently squeeze clothes under water to help them absorb more detergent. Don't twist things.
If any areas need more attention, apply soap or shampoo directly to the affected area and massage gently. Cashmere is a thin knit, so refrain from rubbing. This will cause knots to appear on your clothes. In addition, the sweater may not regain its original shape after such a procedure. Never use bleach to remove stains; it can damage the wool fibers.
Drain dirty water. Fill the bathtub with clean liquid. Rinse the product in warm water. Do not rinse under the tap as this will stretch the fabric. Continue changing the water until all the soap suds are washed out of your clothes.
Squeeze out excess moisture. Do not twist the sweater, it will stretch. Gently press it against the tub. After removing excess moisture, lay the sweater on a towel and press down slightly. The towel will absorb the water.
Place the clothing on a flat surface. Straighten the sweater and give it the desired shape.

Hand washing cashmere is not an easy task. But drying is also important.

Poorly dried cashmere is an ideal environment for moths and other insects. In addition, he things will emit an unpleasant odor.

Basic tips for care and use

Cashmere products are best stored rolled up, individually packed in linen bags.
Clothes made from this material are not worn constantly. It is better to take breaks between wears for at least 24 hours, and during this time lay it out as evenly as possible on a horizontal surface.
Possible fresh stains are best washed off with cool running water, otherwise they may saturate the fabric and make it more difficult to get rid of.
In dry, warm weather, regularly give your clothes air baths in the shade.
Knitted sweaters can be hung on hangers with thick, soft shoulders. For example, inflatable.
It is best to put a piece of cedar or plant sachets on a shelf with woolen items. Good aromatic infusions include lavender, thyme, dried citrus zest, cloves and rosemary.

Do not regret the efforts spent, they will definitely pay off many times over. For proper care, cashmere will literally “thank” you with its tenderness and attractive appearance, and the warm, enveloping fabric will emphasize all the advantages of your figure.

Which can and cannot be washed?

Washing cashmere depends on the type of fabric:

High-quality - long, strong fibers are used that do not fluff or pill.
Produced without adding other materials. Usually washing such items is not allowed; hand washing is occasionally allowed. But the main cleaning is dry.
Low quality - made from coarse and short fluff, which can be washed either by hand or in a machine. Most often, cotton, wool or silk are mixed.

More detailed washing instructions that must be followed can be found on the manufacturer's label.

Machine wash

Cashmere can be washed in a washing machine if such washing is allowed on the product label. This usually happens if, in addition to cashmere, the composition contains synthetic fibers, for example, acrylic, polyester, nylon, polyamide, lycra and others.

Machine washable

We offer instructions on how to properly machine wash cashmere:

put the prepared product in the machine and wash it in the “delicate wash”, “wool” or “cashmere” mode;
if there is a temperature regulator, set it in the range of 30-35 degrees;
use suitable cleaning products (see above);
turn off the drying and spinning modes in the machine after washing;
leave the product in the drum or put it in a basin to drain the water, then proceed to proper horizontal drying (see below).

How to remove pellets?

Usually cashmere items are cleared of pellets before washing, however, if the product is not selected correctly, they may appear again.

In this case, they are removed in exactly the same way as before washing: using a specialized machine or manicure scissors. This operation can only be performed on a dry item.

There are quite a lot of tips on the Internet on how to get rid of matted wool, but you should not forget that cashmere is a capricious thing, so aggressive removal methods, such as a toothbrush, sandpaper, razor, etc. will ruin the material.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products here.

The nuances of washing a cashmere beret

When it comes to washing cashmere berets, the basic rules for cleaning sensitive material are similar to those above. Cool water for rinsing, shampoo or a gentle detergent to remove dirt - all this will help not ruin your hat. The soaking time of the beret in water is no more than 15 minutes. After this, you need to carefully wash it, similar to squeezing out a sponge. The next stage is rinsing in water not exceeding 30 degrees and lightly spinning without twisting.

The washed product is laid out on a towel, carefully straightened and dried completely. Useful advice from experienced housewives - to maintain the shape of the headdress during drying, you can put the beret on a plate of a suitable size (special frames for drying hats are sold in hardware stores). Proper care of your beret and compliance with all the basic rules of washing and drying will allow you to enjoy the novelty of the product for a long time, the absence of pilling and rich color.

Hangers: soft or inflatable	We'll hang our coats on them.
Soft brush or sponge	Definitely without metal bristles or abrasive surfaces!
Shampoo, cleaning agent for cashmere, delicate, woolen fabrics	It is important for us that the substance foams well.
Free bath	You have to clean your coat in the shower.
Large terry towels or sheets of this texture	This will help us dry the product.