When it comes to luxury in the world of fashion, nothing quite compares to the softness and elegance of cashmere. This delicate and luxurious fabric is a staple in many wardrobes, prized for its incredible softness, warmth, and timeless appeal. However, owning cashmere garments also comes with the responsibility of proper care to ensure they maintain their quality and longevity. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the best practices for caring for beloved cashmere pieces, so they can continue to enjoy their beauty for years to come.
Identifying Cashmere
Softness: Cashmere is known for its luxurious softness. It should feel incredibly smooth and pleasant to the touch.
Warmth: Cashmere is a very insulating material. It should provide exceptional warmth without being bulky.
Lightweight: Despite its warmth, cashmere is very lightweight. It should feel light and airy when worn.
By paying attention to these characteristics, you can easily identify genuine cashmere products. Not all cashmere items come with a label stating what they are. It’s important to be able to identify cashmere so you can care for the luxurious item and wash it correctly, you can even get cashmere socks!
Why Cashmere Needs Special Care
Cashmere is a delicate and fine fibre that comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats, making it much softer and finer than regular wool. Due to its delicate nature, cashmere garments require special attention to prevent damage and maintain their luxurious feel. Proper care will not only extend the life of your cashmere pieces but also preserve their softness and lustre.
Luxurious Care of Cashmere
When it comes to washing cashmere garments, it’s essential to handle them with care to avoid stretching, shrinking, or pilling. Here are some tips for washing your cashmere:
- Hand Wash: The best way to clean cashmere is by hand washing. Use a special cashmere mild detergent or baby shampoo and lukewarm water.
- Gently Agitate: Avoid rubbing or wringing the fabric, as this can cause damage. Instead, gently agitate the water to clean the garment.
- Rinse Thoroughly: Make sure to rinse the garment thoroughly to remove all soap residue.
- Dry Flat: After washing, gently press out excess water without wringing and lay the garment flat on a clean towel. Roll the towel with the garment to take excess moisture out. You may need another towel to then dry the item on, gently flip the garment to aid drying.
Shrinking Cashmere: What to Do
Shrinking cashmere can be a nightmare, but all hope is not lost. Firstly, avoid heat and agitation. Next, try soaking the garment in lukewarm water with a hair conditioner. Gently stretch it back to its original shape and let it air dry flat. This method might help salvage your beloved cashmere piece. However, if this doesn’t work then there is little to be done to restore the garment. Do look at why and how this happened and put in place practices to prevent another laundry disaster in the future.
Storing Cashmere
Proper storage is crucial in maintaining the quality of luxurious care of cashmere garments, especially during the off-season.
To maintain the quality of cashmere, it is best to store it folded rather than hanging it to prevent stretching. Sometimes it is best to fold jumpers and place them over the bar of the hanger, that way you can avoid hangers damaging the shoulder area where they might protrude. Use breathable storage bags or containers to protect the fabric from dust and moths. Avoid using plastic bags as they can trap moisture, potentially causing mildew. Keeping cashmere in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight will help preserve its softness and shape.
Preventing and Dealing with Moths
Whilst hard to spot the moths as they are tiny you will more than likely find the hole that they make first in clothing or fabrics like carpets and curtains. Moths love warm cosy environments and also rather like unwashed clothes that may contain traces of food or skin. Keeping cashmere clean is particularly important.
Cedar balls use the natural oils in cedarwood containing compounds that repel insects including clothes moths, add to this by using cedar coat hangers too.
Thankfully now moth balls are unscented, they use pyrethroids(pesticides) and they act by fumigating the area where the clothes are stored. The items of clothing need to be aired before they can be worn. Avoiding inhaling these toxic chemicals can interfere with the normal way that the nerves and brain function, so use them with caution.
They usually last for 6 months(check package to confirm this). So schedule this in, 6 months can go very quickly!
Some people like to put the cashmere in a bag and then in the freezer, this works by killing the larvae. Many people use this method in a preventative fashion and would perform this method ahead of the summer and autumn time when the heating goes on.
Our housekeeping trainers are experts in the care of fine garments and if you have a query or need some help in the laundry then we provide bespoke training for this. We can visit the property and advise and put into place clear laundry instructions and guidelines. Avoid the laundry disaster and reach out to us to talk further about your requirements.