Can You Machine Wash Cashmere?

Should You Machine Wash Cashmere?

Machine wash cashmere might sound tempting on a busy day but this decision asks for a little pause. When we look at what makes real Italian cashmere so subtle and soft, it’s really about the structure, tiny fibers, spun by hand, and woven with a quiet sense of purpose. Most modern washing machines, even the gentle cycles, can be rougher on fabric than we’d like. We’ve seen sweaters go in with hope and come out looking tired, sometimes a little lumpy, or even misshapen. It’s not only about visible wear. Agitation and heat can flatten those airy fibers so you lose the easy drape and smooth touch that drew you to cashmere in the first place. If you love your sweaters like we do, consider this: a little careful attention now means more years of those soft mornings and beautiful evenings wrapped in something that reminds you why you chose it.

The Right Way to Wash Cashmere at Home

Hand washing is usually the safer path for cashmere, especially if you want to keep that freshly woven feeling alive. Fill up a basin with cool water, never hot and not ice-cold, just comfortably in-between. Choose a simple liquid soap, ideally made for wool or delicate fibers. When you lower a cashmere piece like our Oversized Cowl Neck Sweater into the water, it should feel like bathing something precious. Give it a gentle swirl—no rubbing or squeezing hard. After rinsing, lay the garment flat on a fresh towel, then roll it up lightly to press out water without twisting. Dry it flat, away from heaters, sunlight, or cramped spaces. This process might seem old-fashioned, maybe the kind your grandmother would have sworn by, but honestly, it keeps the cashmere fiber at its softest and most forgiving.

Why Care Matters for Italian Cashmere

Cashmere from Italy is made with extra steps, sometimes by artisans who’ve worked the same looms for decades. It is more than fabric, really. It’s tradition and careful hands behind every strand. When we talk about caring for these pieces, it’s not only about keeping the surface clean. Every wash is a small investment in the story of that garment. Think about our Funnel Neck Poncho, with those gentle lines and blue melange. Tossing it into a machine skips the intention behind how it was made. Hand washing, slow drying, and folding rather than hanging—these rituals keep every detail as it was meant to be.

If You Must Machine Wash Cashmere: Tips from Experience

There will be days when hand washing simply doesn’t fit life, unexpected travel, little emergencies, a full house. If you find yourself facing the laundry machine, use a mesh bag for your cashmere, choose the wool or delicate setting, and turn the temperature to cold. Always select the slowest spin. Use a mild detergent again (skip anything with enzymes or added bleach, even the so-called gentle brands). When it’s done, resist the urge to hang-dry or use the dryer. Lay your piece flat on a towel and treat it like a treasured book that needs a quiet place. This isn’t a perfect solution, of course, but it’s the gentlest way to machine wash cashmere when you have no other choice.

Making Cashmere a Part of Your Story

What happens when you give a garment the right care isn’t just about keeping it looking new. Italian cashmere, like the pieces in our collection, weaves itself into everyday rituals, mornings on the porch, evenings by the fire, one too many chilly walks with a friend. Over years, the fibers take on your story and become softer because of it. Gentle washing, careful drying, and loving storage are the small choices that create something lasting. Can you machine wash cashmere? Maybe, but ask yourself, do you want your sweater to just survive or to become something with a bit more soul?

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