Cashmere Care Guide

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Washing, drying, storing, and caring for your cashmere clothing

Our cashmere knitwear and accessories are designed and manufactured by us using only the finest, softest pure white grade A cashmere available.

Beautiful styles made from the finest yarns with great attention to detail, producing garments that if cared for correctly, will last for years to come and like a fine wine, improve with age.

Cashmere is a perfect heirloom piece, one of the finest fibres in the world.  It will give you years of pleasure if cared for correctly.

 We love the super-soft wool that is cashmere, and it deserves special care as it takes pride of place in your wardrobe.

Our experts have combined decades of their knowledge to share with you how best to care for, wash, clean and store your cashmere.

 

Below is our specialist advice on how to care for your cashmere but if you are at all unsure and require further guidance please feel free to contact us by email, Livechat or by phone on 01908 522455.

Even if the garment in question is not one of ours, as the cashmere specialists we will be pleased to help in any way we can.

 

Washing & Drying Cashmere Clothing

 

Hand washing your cashmere garments frequently will refresh and condition the fibres. 

We all try to avoid washing cashmere whenever possible and often try to ‘spot-clean’ to prolong the life of the garment,

this is fine for regular wear but before storing your cashmere clothing for longer periods of time we recommend to give it a good cleanse.

Your sweater may not look dirty but traces of food, dust, skin and hair can still hide between the fibres and increase the chance of attracting moths and ruining your favourite cashmere cardigan.

We always recommend to wash your cashmere clothing by hand, even hand-wash settings on your washing machine can add to the risk of damaging the cashmere fibres so we generally advise to roll up your sleeves and get involved!

 

Our designer Victoria shares the following simple steps to achieve the cleanest cashmere and help it last.

 

 

Step 1) Find a clean bowl or sink – please ensure that it is clean and there is no food, dirt, or cleaning products and residue that could harm your cashmere. It may be worth having a bowl you use solely for hand-washing your cashmere and knitwear.

Step 2) Soak in lukewarm water (30c) with shampoo added.  Make sure the water is only lukewarm and importantly that the water is NOT hot.  Cashmere knitwear and pashmina may be washed by hand using a small amount of gentle detergent or ideally our Cashmere Centre specially formulated shampoo

You can use other gentle detergents, but for best results use the right shampoo designed for cashmere fibres. Make sure it is fully dissolved in the water before you start to add your clothing. 

Step 3) Turn inside out and squeeze clean gently, try rolling it if this helps - do not rub or wring. Let the detergent do the work, do not apply any force through the garments.

- Wash each garment separately -

Step 4) Thoroughly rinse in lukewarm water. We suggest using water that is of the same temperature as the water you washed it in. 

Make sure the bowl/sink is clean and free from anything that may have dislodged from the garment during the cleaning process.

For drying your cashmere, be gentle..

Step 1) Re-shape to its original size and dry flat over a towel away from direct heat and sunlight, avoid radiators. 

We don’t recommend hanging cashmere clothes to dry, as the weight of the water can stretch it out of shape.

DO NOT TUMBLE DRY!  This is the fastest way to shrink your cashmere clothing!

Step 2) Press under a damp cloth on a low heat setting. Do not wring or twist the garment, be patient and treat it as it treats you, softly and caringly.  Cashmere should get softer and improve with age.

Rotating your wardrobe and letting your cashmere knitwear rest for a couple of days after wearing, you will help to extend it’s life.

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Storing Your Cashmere Clothing

 

Ideally, garments should be stored inside out and kept in a dust free and well-aired area away from direct sunlight.

Before storing for any length of time ensure your garment is washed well as dirt, dead skin or dust can attract moths and other insects.

If you are storing it away for the summer then we recommend to give it a good clean, de-crease, de-pill, and gently put it away for hibernation. 

The same is true for the place you will store it, ensure you have removed any dust and it’s not damp.  Ideally you would use a storage bag to keep your cashmere looking like new!

We can assist with de-pilling, cleaning and minor repairs, please view our “Bespoke Services” page and give us a call!

As cashmere specialists, we have a range of storage solutions available such as garment covers, storage bags and non-slip hangers.

See all of our cashmere storage and cashmere cleaning and care products.

 

Enquire now or call 01908 522455 for further advice.

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Moths & Repairs

We are frequently contacted by customers who have suffered at the hands of moths!

We recommend using our aromatic cedar blockshangerssachets and cedar oil to keep them at bay, and to always ensure that any stored cashmere is washed well before putting it away.

If you have already been a victim of moths don’t despair!  Our repairs service means our cashmere technician can invisibly repair holes on your much-loved cashmere garment.

It’s also worth ensuring it doesn’t happen again by giving your storage a good clean, ensuring no dust, no damp, and look for ways to improve how you store it. 

Moth traps are an option and we’ve even heard of people freezing their cashmere to remove moths!

We suggest to follow the above tips, keep your cashmere clean, use cedar blocks, and keep your storage areas and clothing clean and organized.

If you need help with de-pilling, cleaning and minor repairs, please view our “Cashmere Repairs & Refinishing Service” page and give us a call on 01908 522455!

 

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Pilling/Bobbling of Cashmere

Sometimes knitwear will shed some fibres during initial wear and softer fibres such as cashmere are more prone to this.

They work their way to the surface and appear as small balls, these pills will naturally disappear during the washing process.

Friction pilling may also occur when a garment, like a jacket, is worn on top of cashmere where the lining is a coarser material such as wool or synthetic fibre.

 We recommend regular washing to minimise pilling.

 

Pashmina Care

We recommend the washing, drying and storage instructions above for all of your cashmere and pashmina.

Your cashmere pashmina will improve and become softer every time you wear it.

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Each of our beautifully soft pashmina is carefully handmade and dyed using traditional techniques.

The intricate tassels are twisted and knotted individually by our specialist technicians.

Small imperfections are normal with handmade products and variations in colour occur due to the traditional method in which they are dyed.

Our classic pashmina is a sumptuous synergy of 'grade A' cashmere and silk, and all of our pashmina should improve and become softer with wear giving you years of pleasure.