How Not To Sweat It Out When Taking Care of Your Cashmere Sweater

Your cashmere sweater is an expensive garment, and you would want to enjoy its luxurious comfort for years and years to come. You can use cashmere in all seasons, so you probably will have it always handy. But there will be times when you have to care for it, to add years to its life.

Be Sure Of What You Buy

Cashmere is known for soft fibers. They give you natural insulation at very light weights and without bulk. Their high moisture content makes the natural insulation of cashmere adjust to the relative humidity in air; this makes it possible for you to use them in all climates, in all seasons. Few things feel more luxurious than pure cashmere sweaters. And you can feel the difference when you hold it in your hands. It should be smooth, not slick.

Most cashmere sweaters on the market are made from two-ply fiber. Still it does not hurt to make sure. This will assure you that it will be sturdy enough to withstand years of use.

Take Care of the Sweater

You will need to guard against piling, especially along the elbows and arms, by avoiding abrasive surfaces. If they do occur, it makes more sense to snip them off with a sharp pair of scissors; trying to brush the piles away will only damage the cashmere sweater further.

When washing your cashmere sweater, use warm water and mild soap. Hand-washing is the best way to take care of your sweater. If you must machine wash, put it inside a tied pillowcase and use the gentlest settings on the machine. Do not ever wring or twist the garment. Instead, lay it on a dry towel, position the sweater in its original shape and roll up the towel. Pressing the towel will remove the excess moisture. In drying it, lay it on a dry towel on a flat surface. You should never let the sweater hang by its own weight, especially when wet, so that it will stay in shape.

If you use lotions, deodorants and the like, have them dry out first before putting on your cashmere sweater. Avoid getting any chemicals to stick onto the fabric. If you cannot avoid that and stubborn stains develop, it may be necessary to dry clean.

When you wish to store your cashmere sweater, make sure it is freshly laundered and clean. You have heard it said that moths are attracted to the wool. The fact is, moths are attracted to soiled and stained sweaters, not to the garment itself. Putting it in a garment bag should be helpful. It should help, too, to add natural moth repellents like cloves or dried orange peel, but wrap these in a sachet so they don’t stain your expensive cashmere sweater.

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