Caring for Cashmere

What cashmere is

Cashmere is a fine, soft fibre known above all for its extraordinary lightness and warmth. It is prized above almost all other knitting fibres for the way it feels against the skin — impossibly soft, gently warm, and as light as a whisper. Because a good cashmere piece is truly something to treasure, knowing how to care for it well is worth every bit of the small effort that is involved.

Cashmere rewards care more than almost any fabric. Treated kindly, it stays soft and lovely for many years, growing only more precious with time. Treated carelessly, it can quickly lose both its softness and its shape. The difference between the two is entirely in the handling of it, which is genuinely good news, because gentle care is very simple to learn.

Wash it gently and rarely

The first rule of cashmere is to wash it gently and only when it truly needs it. The fibre resists odour quite naturally, so cashmere needs far less frequent washing than you might ever think.

• Air a cashmere piece well between wears rather than washing it.
• When it does need washing, do so by hand with great gentleness.
• Use cool water and always the mildest possible approach.

Over-washing is one of the very quickest ways to wear cashmere out before its time. Because it stays fresh so well all on its own, simply letting it air between wears preserves its softness beautifully. And when washing is genuinely needed, a gentle hand wash protects the delicate fibre far better than anything harsher ever could.

Dry it flat

How you dry cashmere matters as much as how you wash it. The wet fibre is especially vulnerable to stretching, so cashmere should really never be hung up to dry.

Lay a washed cashmere piece flat, gently reshaped by hand to its proper form, and let it dry slowly away from any direct heat. Hanging it lets the weight of the water drag the wet knit out of shape, leaving it stretched and misshapen once dry. Drying flat, by contrast, lets the piece keep its form as it dries. This single habit alone protects the shape of your cashmere better than any other you can adopt.

Cashmere gives back exactly the care you give it. Handle it gently, and a soft knit stays soft for many years.

Guard against pilling

Cashmere can develop little bobbles, called pills, in the places where it rubs against itself or against other surfaces. This is entirely normal for the fibre and easily managed rather than any sign of poor quality.

Gently remove any pills by hand or with a soft tool made for the purpose, working carefully so as not to pull or strain the knit itself. Reducing friction helps a great deal too — giving cashmere a proper rest between wears lets the fibres relax and recover. A little regular attention to pilling keeps a cashmere piece looking smooth and fresh, so that it stays every bit as lovely to look at as it is to wear.

Store it with care

Cashmere needs a little protection when it rests, because its soft natural fibre is exactly the sort of thing that moths seek out. Storing it well keeps it safe through any stretch out of rotation.

Always store cashmere perfectly clean and folded rather than hung, so that it keeps its shape through any rest. Give it breathable shelter with a gentle moth deterrent such as cedar or dried lavender tucked in nearby. Keep it somewhere cool, dark and dry. These simple precautions mean your cashmere returns to you soft and undamaged, ready to be reached for again whenever you want its comfort.

The reward of care

Caring for cashmere is a small ritual that always pays you back generously. The few extra minutes of gentle washing, of flat drying, and of careful storage are exactly what let a treasured piece stay soft, shapely, and beautiful for many years.

There is a quiet pleasure in tending something this fine and this soft. Cashmere is one of the very fabrics that most rewards a caring hand, growing softer and more cherished with time when you treat it well. Learn its simple needs, and a good cashmere piece becomes a long, soft companion rather than a fleeting luxury — something you reach for again and again over the years, always as gentle as the first time you wore it.