How to wash cashmere and silk effectively

[Mousebank]

So I have 2 COS and Jigsaw cashmere jumpers and a silk DvF dress which all day dry clean, is there any way around this ?!

I wash my cashmere jumpers, on their own rather than in a general wash, in a delicate wool cycle on the lowest temperature in the washing machine. I use baby shampoo and fabric softener (in the machine drawer). You are taking a risk the first time maybe but I have done this in a few different washing machines and it has been fine. I dry very carefully not in direct heatI don't know anyone who gets their cashmere dry cleaned. The silk dress I'm not sure of.

Having washed a new cashmere jumper in a wool wash and had it shrink (and replaced by Pure 😀), I now hand wash mine. Doesn't take long. Use a specialist cashmere shampoo, squeeze out, fold flat in towel and give it several hours on top of Aga (in towel) before putting across clothes horse to dry. Not worth the risk of shrinking them for me!

wool or handwash cycle in washing mashine.
a tiny bit of shampoo.
no spin.
after finishing roll up between 2 towels to squeeze water out. then dry on a flat surface.
only wash if really necessary, hang up outside in between wearing.

I handwash and machine spin. I don't wash often.

My logic is that it's the heat that shrinks cashmere, so a machine spin should be ok.

I wash in a washing machine on the wool cycle with delicate wash liquid.I don't use fabric conditioner and then tumble dry for a couple of minutes ( up to 5 is OK!) and then hang on a wooden hangar to dry fully.I have been find doing this with Whistles and Pure Cashmere for years now.