Read our top 10 expert-recommended wash and care tips to prolong the longevity, wear and softness of your favourite MARAM cashmere sweaters.
Everybody loves cashmere and lets face it, there's an undeniable feeling of ultimate luxury to getting wrapped up in a big soft cashmere sweater on a Sunday morning- It's all one big beautiful experience until...you spill a drop of coffee on it. Everything appealing about cashmere seems to completely disappear once the question of cleaning it pops-up. How do. you clean it? How often should you do it? What if it shrinks? What if it changes color?
We know the struggle, so we put together a list of expert-recommended tips to ease your stressful relationship with cleaning cashmere once and for all.
“All a women needs to be chic is a raincoat, two suits, a pair of trousers and a cashmere sweater.” - Hubert de Givenchy
Once you know how to take care of your cashmere sweaters, you can enjoy the luxury of wearing them with little caution and buying them with no hesitation. So let's get started:
Hand-wash with cold water:
The easiest, fastest and most efficient way to wash you cashmere pieces is by hand-washing it with cold water. Fill a wash basin with cool water and use a gentle detergent (baby-shampoo works best) to soak your sweater for a few minutes. Proceed by gently rinsing it through without any harsh pulls or squeezes. Once thoroughly cleaned, gently squeeze out the excess water using your hands or by rolling it in a dry towel. Once the excess water is out, lay your sweater flat to dry overnight.
Professional Dry-Cleaning:
If washing it at home sounds like too much of a hassle for you, the best option would be to send it to a trusted professional dry cleaning service. To be extra safe, always make sure you inform the dry cleaning service that your item is cashmere to avoid any errors in washing.
Stain Removal:
Did you know that cashmere is a naturally self-cleaning fibre? Meaning that you don't need to wash it as often as your other clothes. If you have just washed your cashmere sweater but got a small stain on it, avoid fully washing it again and instead treat the stain with stain removal methods. The most common grease-based stains could be treated by gently rubbing the stain with cold water and a mild detergent. For red wine and coffee stains, use a dish-washing detergent instead of soap and gently rub the effected area.
Steaming:
Cashmere can get creased like any other item in your closet, to keep your sweaters looking fresh, give it a quick and gentle press with a hand-steamer. Make sure to not bring the steamer too close or set the temperature up too high, cashmere is still a natural fibre that could get burned easily.
Combing:
All knitted sweaters develop pilling with added friction and wear, pills are the little knots that accumulate on the surface. It is a natural reaction of the yarns to friction and does not dictate the quality of the cashmere. There are a few ways you can reduce pilling and keep your cashmere healthy for a longer time such as washing your piece inside out and elongating the time between wears. The most effective way to get rid of pilling is by brushing your swearers using a cashmere comb or a garment bristle brush, make sure to brush in one direction and your cashmere will be looking and feeling good as new!
Storage:
How you store your cashmere plays an important role in it's longevity. Make sure to never hang your cashmere sweaters, knitted yarn has a certain level of elasticity and hanging your sweaters will deform their original shape over time. The best way to store cashmere sweaters is by folding them in a drawer or a shelf in a dry area away from moist. Be careful of storage systems and shelves that are not flat (or are made out of bars) because these can leave a dented imprint on your sweaters. During the hot summer months or when you are not wearing your cashmere sweaters for a long period of time, store them in a garment storage bag with a sachet of cedar chips to keep them safe from moths.
We hope this article was helpful to you. If you have any questions about cashmere care or your MARAM sweaters, leave them below in the comment box and we will assist you to our best ability.
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