How to Care for Cashmere
Cashmere knitwear is wonderful to wear and expensive, to it’s important to care for your cashmere sweaters to make them last.
Cashmere damaged by cats, repaired with darning in colours to match the cats eyes!
Holes in cashmere caused by cats
About Cashmere
Cashmere is a wonderfully soft fibre that comes from goats in the Gobi Desert. To survive the harsh conditions there, these goats grow very thick coats, consisting of coarse guard hairs, and a fine soft undercoat.
It’s the fine undercoat that runs from the throat to belly which is used for clothing. Traditionally it’s combed out in the Spring, and it’s still largely collected by combing.
Each goat provides a very small amount of fibre, about 25 grams if I remember correctly, which is one reason it’s so expensive.
How to Care for your Cashmere Sweater
With good care, your cashmere garment can last decades, making it worth the investment.
There are of course different qualities of cashmere garment. When you’re looking for cashmere garments, opt for reputable brands and don’t be fooled by cheap cashmere- in my experience they are poor quality and will pill (bobble) quickly.
Tighter knits tend to be longer lasting, while looser knits (which will feel softer) will wear through more easily and quickly.
Cashmere has natural antibacterial properties, so unless it’s dirty, you can air it in between wears and avoid washing too often.
It’s recommended that before washing, you remove any pilling. You can gently pick them off by hand, or use a de-pilling comb.
Take care when washing and storing your cashmere (I have instructions below), and of course repair any holes as soon as you spot them so they don’t get any worse.
How to Hand Wash Cashmere
It’s generally recommended that you wash your cashmere knitwear by hand. It can feel daunting if you haven’t tried it before, but there’s nothing particularly complicated about. You just need to be gentle.
Use lukewarm water (I judge the by feel, making sure the water feels warm but not hot), and a delicate detergent suitable for wool and cashmere.
Gently squeeze the garment, but do not rub, wring or stretch it. Over agitation can cause felting.
Rinse in lukewarm water. It might take 2-3 rinses to make sure all the detergent is rinsed out. Make sure you don’t change the temperature of the water much- too hot or too cold can shock the fibres and cause them to shrink.
Gently squeeze out as much water as you can without wringing it.
Reshape your damp sweater on a clean towel, and roll up to soak up any excess moisture.
Unroll and place flat on a new clean towel and dry flat away from direct heat.
You can steam and gently press your cashmere once it’s dry to remove any creases. Use an iron on a wool setting, with plenty of steam. Steam and press down gently on the back. You could use a damp tea towel over your cashmere if you’re concerned about pressing directly onto it.
How to Machine Wash Cashmere
I have to admit that I wash all my cashmere in my washing machine- it’s much less hassle. However, I only recommend this is you trust your machine, and maybe try it out on something that isn’t your favourite just to be sure!
Use delicate detergent. Various companies sell cashmere shampoo, but I use the delicate detergent I can get from shops near me.
Make sure your machine is set to a wool wash. DO NOT confuse a wool wash with a delicates wash. A delicate cycle often changes temperatures and you will risk shrinking your sweater.
I wash mine at 30ºC, and have the rpm at 900.
Follow the instructions above for reshaping the damp garment.
How to Store your Cashmere
When storing your cashmere, fold it rather than hanging it up, as hanging it will stretch it.
Fold you knitwear rather than hanging it, and use lavender bags (or other herbs) to deter moths.
Make sure you store it clean to avoid moths. Moths like bacteria, so worn garments provide the perfect conditions for them to lay their eggs.
Store your cashmere with ceder or lavender to deter moths. If you’d like to learn more about avoiding moths then you can read my blog ‘How to Avoid Moths’ here.
If you’re worried about moths then if you’re storing your cashmere for any length of time, keep them in a sealable bag.
Moth damaged on a much loved cashmere sweater
Moth damage repaired with colourful darning
Mending Cashmere Sweaters
If you do get a hole or stain on your cashmere sweater, it’s not the end of the world! You can mend it, and you can view it as an opportunity for creativity.
I personally rather like the idea of my clothes changing over time. Visible and creative mends make me feel like I’m not wearing the same old sweater year after year.
In an ideal world, it’s best to repair your cashmere knitwear with cashmere, so that it feels the same. If you need cashmere yarn for this, then I have a selection of fine cashmere yarn for mending.
If you spot an area thinning (like an elbow), then swiss darning is the best technique to reinforce it before it becomes a hole. Swiss darning will maintain the stretch, which is great for knitwear.
If you’re unlucky enough to have some moth damage, then you can darn the holes, use embroidery, swiss darning or whatever mending techniques appeal to you most. Be creative with it, use colours you love, and enjoy the process!
Moths seem to have a talent for eating holes in awkward places. If you don’t want to draw attention to a particular area with a visible mend, you could consider adding decoy ‘mends’ over your sweater- this will make it look more like a deliberate design, and draw people’s eyes away from just that one mend.