Cashmere Care Guide: How to Wash Cashmere & Look After Your Jumpers

Ever washed your favourite cashmere jumper on the wrong setting and it comes out feeling like cardboard and is able to stand up on its own? We’ve all been there.

Caring for cashmere properly makes a huge difference in how long it lasts and how soft it feels. Here’s a complete guide on how to wash and care for your cashmere jumpers to make sure you get the most out of your expensive investment.

Know Your Fabric

Cashmere is made from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats. It’s delicate, breathable, and insulating — but it can easily stretch, shrink, or felt if treated harshly.
Golden rule: gentle handling, mild detergent, and cool water.

When To Wash Your Cashmere Jumper

• Wash every 4–6 wears (more often if directly against skin).

• Spot-clean small marks instead of washing the whole jumper. (You can do this by spraying stain remover on the stain and pouring warm water on it followed by gently massaging the stain remover into the fabric – leave to sit for 20 minutes or so then rinse the stain with more warm water.)

• Always wash before storing for a long time (e.g., summer) as moths are more attracted to dirty clothes!

The Best Method Is To Hand Wash

What you’ll need:

• Basin or sink
• Cool or lukewarm water (never hot)
• Mild detergent: baby shampoo or a wool/cashmere wash (like The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo or Eucalan)
• Towel for drying

Steps:

1. Fill the basin with cool water and add a small amount of detergent (roughly a teaspoon).
2. Turn the jumper inside out.
3. Submerge gently and swirl it softly for 2–3 minutes — don’t rub or stretch.
4. Let it soak for 10–15 minutes.
5. Rinse thoroughly with cool water until it runs clear. Avoid wringing!
6. Gently press out water using your hands or by laying it flat on a towel and rolling it up like a sushi roll to absorb excess moisture.

Machine Washing (Only If It Says So On The Label!)

If the care label says “machine washable,” you can:

• Use a mesh laundry bag.
• Select wool/delicate cycle, cold water, lowest spin.
• Add a small amount of wool detergent.
• Never tumble dry!

Drying

• Lay flat on a clean, dry towel on a flat surface.
• Reshape gently while damp (especially around cuffs and hem).
• Allow to air dry naturally away from sunlight or heat.
• Never hang, tumble dry, or wring — it will stretch or distort.

De-Pilling

• Pills are normal — caused by friction.
• Use a cashmere comb, fabric shaver, or sweater stone to remove them gently.
• Always de-pill when dry, laying flat.

Storage

Short term:

• Fold neatly; avoid hanging (stretching risk).
• Store in a cool, dry drawer.

Long term (seasonal):

• Wash before storing to deter moths.
• Place in breathable cotton storage bagspillowcases.
• Add cedar balls or lavender sachets to repel moths (avoid direct contact with the fabric).

Refreshing Between Wears

• After each wear, let the jumper rest for 24 hours to regain shape.
• Hang it over a chair or drying rack for a few hours to air out.
• Steam lightly to remove wrinkles and refresh fibers (no direct ironing).
• Spray with fabric freshener to reduce the amount of times the jumper is washed

Quick Dos & Don’ts

✅ DO:

• Use cold or lukewarm water
• Gently squeeze — never twist
• Use mild detergents only
• Store clean and folded

❌ DON’T:

• Use bleach or fabric softener
• Tumble dry or hang when wet
• Rub stains harshly
• Wash too often

Products I Recommend

Over the years I have been restoring cashmere knitwear I have gone through my fair share of cashmere combs, scrapers, fabric shavers, de-bobbling devices – and from my experience the cheapest, simplest tools are the best – when used in the right way of course.

Cashmere Combs

The best cashmere combs out there are the blue plastic combs with a gold coloured metal attachment. They can be quite harsh compared to the wooden cashmere combs so you do have to be more careful when de-bobbling your cashmere sweater as they can sometimes cause clicks if you are too rough.

But overall these cheap but cheerful cashmere combs are the best available. You can pick these up for a few pounds from supermarkets in the U.K or you can buy them online – here’s one I found on Amazon Blue Cashmere Comb

Cashmere Detergent

It’s very important to use a cashmere friendly, gentle, detergent – something that’s not going to be too harsh on the delicate fabric – treat your cashmere as you would a new born baby and it will last a lifetime!

The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo is a great option. It is a bit more expensive than some other cashmere/wool detergents but its well worth the investment. The shampoo is optimised for cold washing and is enzyme free. It’s also an eco friendly, sustainable option as its made from 98% USDA Certified bio-based ingredients derived from renewable sources that are not petroleum-based.

You can find it here on bloomingdales.com

We hope you learnt a thing or two from our quick guide on how to wash and care for your cashmere jumpers! If you have any tips you would like to add yourself or any questions don’t hesitate to drop a comment or send me an email for any advice.