HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR CASHMERE BLEND KNIT/CARDIGAN

WASHING

We recommend dry cleaning your knit/cardigan however you can always hand wash using the following instructions.

Fill your basin with room temperature water. If the water it too cold, it will set stains; too hot, and it can result in incredible shrinkage. Add in a small squirt of gentle soap, be it a specialty cashmere wash, natural unscented detergent.

Turn the garment inside out – this protects the outside surface of the garment from rubbing during washing. Fully submerge in the tub, gently swirling and pressing or squeezing to absorb the water. Next, drain the water, and refill and drain the sink with clean soap less water a couple of times, to rinse thoroughly – always being careful not to agitate the fibres excessively.

DRYING

The twisting and stretching action of wringing out or hanging a garment can disfigure it. Instead, try this: once removed from the water, gently ball up the cashmere garment and squeeze out excess water, or press it against the side of the washing basin. Lay it flat on a towel, and roll both up into a tight cylinder, squeezing excess water out of the knit and into the towel. Unroll, and lay the knit flat on a clean, dry towel or drying rack, gently arranging it into its normal shape. And finally, always dry out of direct sunlight, to avoid fading and sun damage. Never iron.

SPOT CLEANING

Spilt or splashed something? Make sure you take a gentle approach to the tackling that spot – if you scrub or dab furiously at a stain, the garment could end up with a damaged or fuzzy surface. Instead, gently massage a stain remover into the area before the next wash. Another trick is to attempt (gently!) working the stain out from the opposite side, rather than pushing it further into the fibres.

SHEDDING

The occurrence of ‘shedding’ in the first few wears is the natural process of the fibres relaxing and actually makes your garment softer to wear. It does naturally reduce, although of course there are things we can do to speed the process we recommend the following: 

• giving the garment a few good shakes before wearing it 
• putting it a plastic bag in the freezer overnight 
• dry cleaning or washing the garment as per instructions
• choosing fabrics like silks & polyester to wear underneath initially

 

PILLING

Pilling refers to the little balls that form anywhere on a garment that is touched by regular friction and is an unfortunate inevitability in often worn and well-loved garments. Pilling is a natural characteristic of even the finest cashmere. In fact, if it doesn’t pill, it most likely isn’t true cashmere. Managing pilling requires regular de-fuzz sessions, using a cashmere de-pilling comb for delicate knits.

STORING

Always fold your knit or cardigan. For end-of-season long-term storage, use a storage bag (breathable and bug- and dust-proof!).  Always wash your garments before stowing them away at the end of the season.