Cashmere: Its Benefits and How to Care For It

A lot of people say that they do not wear cashmere because they are afraid it will be itchy like wool, it is too expensive or they do not know how to care for it. We are going to clear the air about cashmere and give you some pointers on how to care for it.

The Good Thing About Cashmere

Good quality cashmere is a wonderfully soft material. It comes from the goat’s soft, downy undercoat, not to be confused with the long, coarse guard hairs that give a goat its bristly texture. Cashmere wool is longer and finer than sheep’s wool. It is known to be 7-8 times warmer than sheep’s wool. It takes the hair of 3-5 goats to make a sweater. With proper care, a good quality cashmere sweater can last for years.

Washing cashmere

Even when a care label on cashmere reads “dry clean only,” it is best to hand wash cashmere. In fact, it will actually make it softer over time. Use a mild detergent like Woolite or baby shampoo. Press out the excess water, but do not wring the sweater. Instead, lay it flat on a towel and reshape it as it dries. Depending on the humidity in the air, it may take days to dry. To lessen the time, you can spin off excess water by putting the sweater or scarf into a large salad spinner.

Storing cashmere

Never hang a sweater (of any kind) on a hanger. This creates shoulder dimples and distorts the overall shape of the sweater due to gravity. Instead, fold it nicely in a drawer. Because moths love to eat cashmere, like they do wool, throw a cedar disk into the drawer. You can purchase cedar disks at Bed, Bath and Beyond or Target.

Wearing cashmere

There is nothing quite like cashmere. Unlike wool, it does not itch or irritate the skin. Instead, it is very soft and luxurious. You can wear cashmere casually with jeans or to an elegant event with a velvet long skirt.