Cashmere - how do you was yours?!

[AndTwoBits]

I have just bought my very first cashmere jumper. I am delighted with it, but also scared of it! Should I wash it strictly by hand in cold water with Woolite? Or would the hand wash cycle of the machine be ok? I'm worried i will bugger it up, so how do you wash yours?

I do handwash even though it is a pain. Then I roll in a towel and lay on a towel.

I shrank a cashmere jumper in the machine and felt too bad to do it again.

Thank you for your reply. Goodness, i had never even considered the drying method!! So hand wash then roll it up gently into a cigar shape in a towel is that what you mean? And then dry it on a towel. Would over the bannister work or would that stretch it? Sorry for the questions.

When you roll in a towel squeeze it gently, the lighter and less water it has afterwards the better. Yes like a cigar with jumper in the middle.

If it still feels heavy I lay flat on a towel but might be overkill, sometimes I hang over something.

I chuck all mine in the machine on a wool wash and it comes out absolutely fine. I have even washed it by accident on a normal 40C wash and it has been fine. I either hang them up to dry on the line or on my clothes horse. I have no time for needy clothes!

Ok thank you very much. I will try that.

I use the silk wash on mine - I think it spins it less than the wool wash, and I use delicate washing liquid. No need to hand wash - just don't EVER tumble dry or spin too much.

Ditto - all mine goes in a wool wash in my machine with Ariel, have never ever had a problem. Usually dry on a clothes horse.

Dexter that is how i hope to wash it when i have 3 or 4 so if i bugger one up all is not lost! I will grow in confidance I'm sure

and I dry flat - not on a line

just thought 'all mine' sounds vair grand, but its actually because I am extremely allergic to wool and so I have built up quite a winter wardrobe over the years…

I did washing machine until it went wrong. I do the ones I don't care about so much in the machine on delicate.

I find the better the cashmere the more it can withstand. My Brora jumpers can cope with anything but my M&S jumper went all out of shape and weird in the machine.

Its a cos one, from the men's section! It was an absolute steal in the sale and a lovely straight fit. Should have bought two!!

Cashmere is addictive!!

I agree dexter!! I keep feeling mine, it's so soft. I think I "get" it now

@ needy clothes

I have a Tesco beige short sleeved crew neck (it was 50% off and I thought at my age I should have cashmere )

I had it for a year before I wore it , up to London before Christmas. It was lovely. Light but warm and so soft.
Machine washable, popped it in a laundry bag and put it on a delicate wool cycle with other needy garments and Woolite.

Came out fine.

Uniqlo ones are dry clean so I wouldn't even bother buying them.

I do exactly what faustina does.

I wash in a machine BUT always use a wool-safe non bio detergent. Biological detergents are murder for wool and cashmere.

I dry as flat as possible, on a rack.

i machine wash mine - brora and uniqlo - on Wool wash 40. Never had a problem. Atm don't have anywhere to flat dry, tiny rented house and too much stuff, so line dry or hang over bamboos over boiler. Again no problems.

Machine wool wash with delicates liquid. No disasters yet. All mine are cheap to mid-range Brora is still but a dream, alas

I find that they actually improve with washing, they get softer and fluffier.

Do the Boden ones wash well? There are some lovely colour combos.

I machine wash on the wool cycle at 30 .I then tumble dry for a Max of 5 mins or until knit is crease free and then hang on a padded hanger to dry.It honestly really works and doesn't shrink items(though I tried it first on the smallest cashmere piece I could find.)Read it on the Housekeeping thread about 2 years and was initially very .

Cold, gentle wool wash in the machine with Woolite, and dry flat on the clothes horse after pulling back into shape. I never put them in the dryer.

I stick mine on the wool wash and they are fine, but then they were all only £5 from a charity shop so it's not like I invested alot of money in them to be worried about ruining them. No problems here though and I've worn/washed them alot. I also just stick them on the heated airer to dry in no careful or particular way.

In the machine on wool/handwash cycle, but I reduce the temperature to 20 and the spin speed. Have tried various combinations of Woolite/liquid washing solution, fabric softener but get best results with my normal washing liquid & a small amount of conditioner. Dry over warm radiator & either press lightly or put in dryer on warm for a few minutes.
Haven't ruined anything yet!