How To Take Care Of Cashmere
Dear Fleecer,
After travelling through time from ancient Greek myths to twentieth century’s icons in their waistcoats this week our Journal is back with a slightly more down-to-earth but – we promise – very useful piece: a handy guide on how to take care of our beloved Cashmere Sleeveless Cardigans and of cashmere garments in general.
Where does our cashmere come from?
First things first, our cardigans are entirely made of Chiavazza two-ply cashmere yarn, one of the best qualities currently available on the market. Needless to say, cashmere itself is already among the finest fabrics in the world but let’s find out something more about where cashmere comes from and what are the attentions that we need to dedicate to what is labelled as the noblest of all premium wools.
Cashmere as we know it comes from the precious hair of a limited variety of goats. Actually, not everyone knows that cashmere goats have very long, straight and coarse “surface” hair but they are also characterized by a unique and precious undercoat which features an incredibly soft hair grown over the winter months in order to protect the animal from cold and hard climate. Cashmere garments are made to last.
How to wash cashmere
So how to take care of our beloved cashmere pieces of clothes and make the best out of them? Nothing too complicated. You should learn how to wash and dry them, then how to brush and comb them and eventually how to store them in your wardrobe safe from the moths.
First of all, let’s be clear, there is no need for professional cleaning or dry cleaning at any cost. Cashmere can be well washed by yourself at home by following these few simple steps. Hand wash is our religion, but check out this useful article if you want to find out how to wash cashmere also in the washing machine.
To wash your cashmere by hand follow these five easy steps:
- Fill your sink or basin with lightly warm water
- Pour a dose of cleanser for delicate wool and submerge your garment
- Let it soak up for approximately half an hour
- Drain the dirty water and rinse your garment with cold water
- Do not twist or wring your garment but, once much of the water is gone, gently place it open on a towel and let it air dry.
We’ll tell you a trick to speed up the process: place another towel on top of the garment and roll it up like a yoga mat three or four times. Do not hang up your garment to let it dry or it will deform and distort its fibers and shape.
How to remove peeling from cashmere
Now that we know how to wash our cashmere garment, we need to address the issue of peeling. Again, let’s be clear here: peeling is normal, it’s the amount of it that depends on the quality of yarn and on the maker. In other words, a well-made cashmere garment will likely peel less. We got you covered with our Cashmere Care Kit. The kit contains a double-sided brush equipped with bristles and natural rubber to eliminate “peeling”.
Follow these two easy steps to restore the softness of your cashmere:
- Gently brush the garment with the bristles side until the tiny “balls” disappear
- Comb downwards the yarn using the natural rubber side
How to get rid of clothes moths
Our Cashmere Care Kit not only serves the purpose of reducing peeling, it also fights a sworn enemy of natural fibers: the moths. It includes a bottle of scented moth repellent made from extra fine essential oil and a ball of our precious cashmere yarn to pour the moth repellent scent. Pour the scent on the cashmere sample and place it inside your wardrobe. Repeat the routine whenever you notice that the ball of cashmere has lost its scent.
This guide will keep your cashmere garments as soft and safe as the first time you wore them. We will never grow tired of stressing the importance of preserving quality with passion. As we say: a man buys clothes, a Fleecer takes care of them!
TFM Team