Washing cashmere

[flibbertigibbert]

MIL got me a lovely cashmere cardigan for Christmas but I've only worn it a couple of times because I'm too scared to wash it. I've never handwashed anything before. How do I do it? Do I need special detergent?

Also, any other tips for looking after cashmere would be appreciated. I'm a bit of a Primark queen so it's the first cashmere thing I've ever owned and I'm scared it'll go bobbly.

I wash mine on my machine's wool wash and its fine - in fact washed cashmere is better that drycleaning it. I use Persil Silk & Wool.

Cashmere can sometimes bobble a bit but that's loose fibres, not washing and you can comb them off quite easily if it happens.

If you do decide to handwash, you just use a small drop (!) of Woolite in a handbasin, wash gently in cool water then rinse at least 3 times. Squeeze excess water with your hnds but do not twist or wring. Then get a big absorbent bathtowel and lay the cardigan on it, in shape and fastened up. Then turn in the towel sides and roll up from on end as tightly as you can. This will remove the remaining excess water without dragging the cardigan out of shape. But as I say, my machine's wool cycle has always been fine.

Thanks for that BCBG. What temperature do you wash it at on the wool cycle?

if your mashine has a wool cycle you can wash it in there. no spin. ecover delicate. don*t hang to dry but lie flat after gently squeezing out some water between towels.

If its not dirty then cold but I have been known to chuck stuff in on the 30 wool wash and they're fine. if in doubt, better on cold.

wool or handwash cycle in machine, with Eco for delicates. Even my Tu cashmere comes up beautifully!

Lakeland do a very good liquid wash for woollens and delicates which is excellent and I use it for all our woollies (including cashmere) and for my embroidery when it is washed before going to be framed. It is very concentrated and you don't need much of it so a bottle lasts ages. Smells of lavender. Would agree with previous posters that most machines will have a delicates/handwash cycle that will be fine, and then dry the item flat away from direct heat. Will come up beautifully and smell gorgeous.

Just come back from the shops minus wool wash which i forgot. Can I get away with a very little amount of Persil Naturals liquid?

no I would not do that, but you could use a tablespoon of shampoo instead.