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?

In the handwash cycle in the machine with a detergent for wool / delicates. Dry them flat on a towel.

I use Liquid Soap Flakes and no conditioner. This is recommended on several wool websites.

I wash my woollens bagged up in lingerie nets, in the wool cycle of my washing machine, and dry them draped across the rack of my laundry airer.

TBH, I only wash them once or twice a year unless they actually get dirty (sprayed fishy oil all over my cashmere carry the other day, while struggling wit the ring pull on a can of sardines!). 100% wool freshens itself up if allowed to air between wearings. Only things you're wearing next to your skin all the time, ie socks and underwear, need regular washing.

I have buggered many a jumper in the washing machine. Like Marsha, I hand wash with Woolite, squeeeeeze gently, then dry flat on a towel. Once it's nearly dry, you can drape over a bannister, but never a radiator.

Wool wash - 30 or cold, I use ecover wool stuff, I spin afterwards at 1200 and then dry flat. That's cashmere from uniqlo, pure and whistles.

Thank you ladies for all your tips! As i'm a cashmere virgin i think i will stick to hand washing until i am more confident. I have a grubby toddler hanging out of me most of the time so will be washing it fairly often i reckon

I wash mine in tepid water with shampoo - either baby shampoo or the same stuff I use on my hair. Then I spin it in the machine, by which time it's almost dry. I finish the drying over the radiator or bannister in the Winter, or draped over a rotary dryer of it's sunny. I know you're suppose to do the rolling in towels thing, but I can't be bothered and my method works.

Same as dexter. Most of my woollies are 'needy' and I can't be arsed with hand washing, plus I'm not very good at it, the stuff never seems clean.

The man in Brora shop said don't soak cashmere in water for more than 20 minutes max

I accidentally left my jumpers in the dryer this morning taking dc's to kick boxing.The 2 Whistles and Stefanel cashmere are fine but the Phase 8 wool/viscose top is totally buggered.I really can't be doing with delicate care as the clothes would just not be worn.

I just put on a wool wash at 30 degrees. Hand over a regular indoor drying rack

Between myself, dh and the children we have a fair amount of cashmere/ merino wool/ silk things. I don't have time to hand wash and they all seem fine still

Used to hand wash, but have a new washing machine now, so risked it and it works well.
Still dry flat on towels though.

I swith the spin off and gently squeeze the water out.

Machine wash on wool cycle, cold or at 30, with Woolite.

I find the handwash jumpers end up going really out of shape because they had more water left in them.

I hand wash mine as I think one may have shrunk when I tried chucking in a wool wash although that could be pie related I use woollite but don't wash completely cold.

Mine are mainly middle of the road Jaeger.

I machine wash most of my other woollens so am not precious generally.

Is the consensus that I can machine wash on wool/silk/delicate wash my cashmere dry clean only scarf? It's lovely and addictive to wear so is still on while cooking and eating, it's only a matter of time before I need to wash it.