Can you put cashmere in the washing machine?

[ambereeree]

I've always washed merino wool in the machine with no problem and want to buy a cashmere jumper. Are they a faff to wash and dry?

No, I think you're meant to hand wash cashmere. Although, saying that, I have washed a cashmere beanie hat on a wool cycle and it was fine.

I have always washed my cashmere jumpers on a delicate cycle in the machine and it's been fine. Admittedly, I tend to buy M&S, Uniqlo, John Lewis cashmere rather than Brora so not sure if that makes a difference. One cashmere jumper DID shrink which I was devastated about but neither DH nor I remember washing it which means, really, that DH washed it on a normal cycle (he will deny this till his dying breath) so just be very very careful that you do only wash it on the delicates cycle.

yes handwash cycle (or wool cycle) with a little shampoo.
no spin.
roll up between towels to gently squeeze out water and lie flat to dry.

I wash mine on the wool cycle and dry flat.

@purplesequins that does sound like quite a faff!
@Triffid1 I'm looking at a m&s jumper.

to be honest they don't need washing very often. mostly hanging it up to air will be enough.

I wash my cashmere jumpers, some of them really quite ancient now, in the machine on a cold wool cycle with the slowest spin. Each jumper goes in its own net laundry bag and I use either baby shampoo or Dri-Pak liquid soap in a dosing ball. I dry lying flat on towels. So far, so good, they are still all the right size and in one piece. Would be absolutely gutted if I shrank them !

I wash mine on a regular wool wash, bit of a spin and then dry on the radiators. Probably not ideal but it's never caused any problems. But as a pp said they very rarely need washing, I do spot washes if they get a bit of food or something on them, and just hang them up to air for a bit if they're a bit smelly.

A 40 wash and normal spin will shrink even the kind that claims to be machine washable. 20, delicates cycle and 200 spin I find is ok.

I've done this hundreds of times. Wool cycle and dry flat. If you ever get the temperature wrong then it will definitely shrink.

I always wash my cashmere by hand.

I always wash mine on the wool cycle, spin at the lowest setting and just dry on a chair. They look lovely and I have had some of them for years.

Just to say agree with drying flat - I have a heated drying rack from lakeland and I use the full top shelf to dry my big cashmere jumpers or at least half of a shelf for cardigans.

I wash mine on the 30° delicate wash & often tumble dry on low for a couple of minutes. Then I dry on a hanger. Cashmere sweaters can be dried for anything up to 5 mins. If heavy and wet cashmere. I've never actually Shrunk a sweater this way & I've been doing it for years with mid-priced Cashmere like Whistles/ Wrap.

I hand wash and then put them in a laundry bag for a quick spin, and air dry. But never put jerseys in loose to spin. They loose shape.

I wash mine on a delicate or wool wash at 30 degrees and hang them on the line or on a radiator. The first time I washed a cashmere jumper I hand-washed it, rolled it in a towel and then dried it flat and it took fucking ages and I didn’t have room to do more than one at a time so gave up on that. I have four cashmere jumpers from different (not expensive) places and all are doing just fine in the washing machine and on the line.

Oh, and when I ran out of woolite I started using normal washing powder and they’re still fine.

I hate handwashing. My cashmere jumper will now only fit the cat.

Yes. If your machine has a cold setting, use that, or the hand wash setting. Short spin, gently re-shape and dry it on an airer (no pegs!) No need to wash cashmere or other fine knitwear very often; air between wears instead.

I have John Lewis/Jigsaw/Boden cashmere and wash it on a wool cycle with normal detergent, spin, then onto a coat hanger to dry. All are absolutely fine, and I’ve been doing this for years.

Where are the best places to buy cashmere?

I shrunk my only jumper I had for years. Was gutted. It was the warmest thing ever. Cost me £90

Personally I wouldn't risk it. Just handwash it in the sink - it doesn't take very long and they don't need it very often. I have a cashmere jumper and it really only needs washing once or twice a year.

Don't hang dry!!

I hate hand washing, so made sure to buy a machine with cycles for wool and delicates, and my cashmere jumpers have been through a few times now, as they're a few years old.

I don't trust myself (or my washing machine) with cashmere, I always take mine to the cleaners'.