Caring For Your Cashmere

How to properly maintain your cashmere sweaters.

Cashmere is considered one of the finest fabrics... especially for those cold winter months when you're looking for a sweater with the perfect balance of style and snuggle.

So, if it's one of the best fabrics one can wear, that means it should be dry-cleaned, right?

Not so fast.

Even though your label probably tells you "Dry Clean Only", you may want to rethink bringing your finest cashmere to the local cleaners.

The chemicals used in dry-cleaning break down the intricate natural fibers in cashmere that give it its radiance in the first place. And natural fibers always respond best to gentle hand washing.

The best way to wash your cashmere is in your sink. Use lukewarm water with a mild detergent. Once you're finished, you can remove the excess water by spinning the sweater in the washer. Do not wring it dry...it will ruin the form.

Once the sweater comes out of the washer, lay it flat to dry.

If you are storing your cashmere for the summer months, put it in a ventilated paper bag. And don't store it in plastic. Again, those fibers in Cashmere are natural...they need to breathe!