If there is one question that pops up again and again it is:
“Can I put my cashmere jumper in the washing machine?“
Our very short answer to the above question is: no! Cashmere is a beautiful fibre that should be treated with care and respect so you can enjoy it for many years. Let us explain a bit more in detail why we’re not so keen.
First, let us gently remind you that you don’t need to wash your cashmere jumper every time you have worn it. Nor do you necessarily need to wash the whole jumper, as often it’s just a certain area, e.g. the armpits, that need washing. However, sometimes you do of course need to wash it, certainly always when you put it away for the season.
Still in doubt about whether your cashmere needs washing? Read our tips and guidelines https://www.asneh.com/to-wash-or-not-to-wash-your-cashmere
Cashmere has a fine little fuzz due to the little crimp cashmere fibres have. The crimp will get damaged if you treat it wrongly. At first, you may not immediately realise the changes in your cashmere jumper, but over time you’ll start noticing that your jumper ‘isn’t so nice anymore”. It’s a gradual process that you should know about.
The three main reasons we are reluctant to endorse the use of laundry machines for washing cashmere: |
| 1) The first reason is a very pragmatic one; we don’t know your laundry machine and not all laundry machines are created equal. Obviously, washing machines have improved a lot over the years, and gone are the days where a wool wash programme was almost guaranteed to result in a shrunken sweater. However, although your jumper may not come out of the laundry machine in a micro-sized version, it can still have been damaged as explained above. |
2) Your laundry machine may be created especially for washing your cashmere jumpers, however, if you don’t use the right laundry detergent you’re still damaging your cashmere.
3) A laundry machine is much harder on your clothes than hand washing, and cashmere is a delicate fibre. If you still insist on machine washing your cashmere, make sure to put it in a roomy laundry bag. This way it can move a bit during the laundering with getting pulled and stretched.
You may wonder, what about machine washable cashmere? Hmmm, the thing is, as you probably know, cashmere comes from a goat. There is no such thing as a special breed of goats that grow machine washable cashmere fibres. Often, machine washable cashmere jumpers are made of cashmere blends, so our advice is to check the label for the exact composition before you make your purchase.