Contrary to popular belief, cashmere is a noble material that is easy to care for when you adopt the right habits. Soft, delicate, and naturally elegant, it enhances every chic and original women's sweater and retains its beauty over the years with proper care.

Washing cashmere

1. Cashmere loves water

You just bought a new cashmere sweater and can’t wait to wear it to enjoy its gentle warmth. However, right out of the packaging, the sweater doesn’t feel as soft as it should. That’s normal!

First of all, it is important to wash your garment for the first time to remove any impurities and nourish the fiber, which loves water.

It should then regain suppleness and softness, and this will only improve with each wash. Keep in mind that cashmere loves water: washing will only make it more beautiful. It will need regular care to relax the fiber and prevent pilling.

2. Machine washing cashmere

While some cashmere pieces can only be dry cleaned (veils, scarves, double-sided fabrics…), our soft fiber loves to soak up water to show its splendor. Machine washing is therefore perfectly suitable.

If in doubt, refer to the care label inside the garment. It will provide valuable washing, drying, and ironing advice to preserve your piece.

Generally, machine washing is recommended because it better respects cashmere fibers. However, be careful not to overload the machine, as this encourages friction and damages the material.

It is advised to use gentle or delicate programs such as a special wool cycle, at a low temperature (20°C, or 30°C if the garment is stained). Cashmere exposed to water that is too hot risks shrinking or deforming.

To optimize machine washing, it is best to use a laundry bag to protect the garment from friction and snags.

Use a special wool (or cashmere) detergent sparingly in the machine. Cashmere is a dense product that absorbs detergent and requires extra rinsing to remove it. Otherwise, your garment may deform under the detergent’s weight.

Finally, never use fabric softener or conditioner on cashmere knitwear. It can felt the knit and reduce its softness.

3. Hand washing cashmere

If your machine does not have a specific program, you can opt for hand washing. However, be sure to follow the right practices.

First, do not soak the garment for more than 30 minutes. As with machine washing, use cold water (around 20°C) and a special wool detergent or cashmere shampoo.

Quickly dip the garment, gently rub it for a few minutes, and rinse with clear water. Never run the knit directly under the tap: the water pressure would stretch and damage the fiber.

Similarly, avoid stretching or twisting the garment to prevent irreversible deformation.

Finally, if necessary, dry cleaning can be considered for heavy stains, although it is generally not recommended for everyday care.

Drying cashmere

While spinning cashmere in the machine is possible, using a tumble dryer is strongly discouraged. Make sure to use a gentle spin cycle (recommended speed between 400 and 500 rpm max) to avoid felting the garment.

Also avoid drying the knit on a hanger: the weight of the wet fabric would pull on the fiber and stretch it.

Prefer flat drying in the open air, on a towel or cotton cloth, away from light and heat.

Before storing, make sure your sweater is completely dry. Moist cashmere attracts moths, which love this material.

Ironing cashmere

As mentioned, caring for cashmere is not so difficult and even allows for ironing the material. Several rules apply when ironing cashmere:

  • Use a low heat setting on your iron.
  • Iron on the reverse side of the garment.
  • Place a clean cloth between the iron and the knit.
  • Avoid ironing the ribbed edges of the collar, body, and sleeves to prevent “burning” them.

Using steam or ideally a steamer is highly recommended.

Discover: check out our selection of cashmere.

Daily care for cashmere

After purchase, your cashmere sweater may develop superficial pilling in friction areas. Don’t worry, this is normal! It’s actually a great sign of quality.

These initial pills indicate a dense knit and should disappear after about ten washes.

If you want to remove them, do not pull on them. Instead, use a special cashmere razor and gently run it in the direction of the fiber, without pressing, occasionally. There are also cashmere combs that can help you care for your knits.

In any case, avoid wearing your cashmere pieces more than 3 days in a row and avoid layering clothes. Friction damages the knit and speeds up pilling.

In your closet, do not hang cashmere. Fold it and store it in a protective cover, away from light and moths.