How To Care For Your Cashmere Sweater?

Cashmere sweaters are made from wool from specific breeds of goats in Central Asia, Iran, Tibet, and China. These sweaters have the softest feel and come at a high price. Cashmere is commonly used to manufacture high-quality sweaters, scarves, and other clothes.

Unfortunately, caring for cashmere fabric is challenging due to its delicate nature. Suppose you have several cashmere sweaters or are planning to purchase some. In that case, continue reading to learn how to care for them to increase their life span.

1. Avoiding Cashmere Sweaters Pills

Cashmere sweaters are prone to pilling. Unfortunately, even if you invest in high-quality cashmere sweaters, they’ll still pill at some point. Therefore, it’s essential to identify what could exacerbate the pilling to avoid ruining your sweaters immaturely.

Cashmere sweater pilling is commonly caused by too much friction with other fibers and the washing machine. When this happens, you discover the yarn developing tiny ball-like structures on the sweater’s surface. Fortunately, you can prevent this by avoiding washing your cashmere sweaters alongside heavy fabrics, such as jeans, towels, and sweatshirts, since they can rough up delicate fabrics.

Italy In Cashmere suggests the best way to avoid sweater pills is to wash them inside out, as it avoids the exterior that is on show being exposed to the machine.

2. Cleaning A Cashmere Sweater

You can hand-wash, dry-clean, or machine-wash your cashmere sweaters. However, dry cleaning cashmere sweaters are a bit harsher for such delicate fabric; hence experts advise hand washing. Experts further explain that hand washing a cashmere sweater makes it softer with time. Since cashmere fabrics differ, studying the tags and washing suggestions is vital before cleaning the sweaters.

When hand washing your cashmere sweaters, consider using cold or warm water that’s not warmer than 30 degrees. Also, use mild detergent and fabric softener if necessary. After washing the sweaters in cold or warm water, rinse them with cold water and avoid wringing them to prevent interference with their shape and stretch.

Regarding machine washing your cashmere sweaters, putting the sweater inside a mesh washing bag is advisable during the cleaning procedure to prevent the amount of friction the sweater is exposed to. Settle for the most delicate cycle to facilitate slow spinning. Overly spinning a cashmere sweater in a washing machine will shrink it or interfere with its integrity. Immediately after the sweater is clean, remove it from the washing machine to avoid extra creasing.

3. Drying A Cashmere Sweater

After washing your cashmere sweaters, how you dry them plays a huge role in their structural integrity. At this point, it’s recommended that you shape the sweater when still wet and dry it on a flat surface to avoid stretching it too much. You should also avoid drying cashmere sweaters under direct heat, such as a radiator, scorching sunlight, or in front of a fire, to avoid damaging the yarn. Never tumble dry a cashmere sweater since there might not be a way to unshrink the wool.

4. Dealing With Stains On A Cashmere Sweater

Dealing with stains on a cashmere sweater is easier than it sounds. All you need is a soak detergent or baby shampoo since they do wonders in removing stains. Apply enough detergent to the stain and spread it using a cotton swab. Then, leave the detergent in place for around 30 minutes and wash the sweater as explained above.

5. Removing Pilling From A Cashmere Sweater

Cashmere sweaters may pill over time, causing them to appear rugged and of low quality. To keep them looking fresh, it is vital to remove pilling occasionally. You can use a cashmere comb or a sweater stone to remove pilling.

6. Storing A Cashmere Sweater

Storing your cashmere sweaters is another vital discussion. How do you keep them when they’re off-season? Do you hang them with a hanger or wrap them in a bag?

Experts advise against hanging cashmere sweaters using hangers since they can stretch and get ruined. Whenever you aren’t wearing your cashmere sweater, wrap it in a cotton bag to protect it from dust and bugs. It is also essential to store cashmere sweaters in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. You can also go a step further to invest in cashmere garment bags to protect your cashmere sweaters better.

Conclusion

Caring for cashmere sweaters is easy and challenging at the same time. However, with the tips above, you can maintain your cashmere sweaters for years without damaging them. You should also avoid washing your cashmere sweaters whenever you wear them since they’re breathable and eliminate smells.