Cashmere Care & Storage

Spring is officially here and it's time to start packing away the heavy winter clothes, including the cashmere sweaters, scarves and knits. Many years ago my sister bought me a beautiful cashmere dress at a sample sale and I made the mistake of not storing it properly over the spring/summer season and when I pulled it out in the fall it had several tiny moth holes in it. I never made that mistake again.

These are my tips for cleaning and storing cashmere:

• Before storing cashmere away, it's best to wash it before hand. Sweat, perfume and stains can increase the likelihood of getting moths. Most cashmere labels will say "dry clean only" but I try and avoid the cleaners for two reasons. One: It's expensive! and Two: Consistently using chemicals to clean cashmere isn't good for it. Domestic maven Martha Stewart recommends hand washing cashmere (see directions) but I don't always have the time for that (who does?). Instead I place all my knits and delicate items into the washer and, using gentle Woolite detergent, wash the items on the "hand wash" cycle, which takes about 20 minutes. 
• Post wash, I lay each items between two towels and gently press down to remove any excess water. Don't try and wring them out, it can stretch them out.
• Now it's drying time! Some people use a clothing rack to dry cashmere but I prefer placing everything out on a table so that the sweater keeps its correct shape. If you don't have the space for that, try using a pop up sweater rack. It's small, inexpensive and you can place it on the floor if you don't have room anywhere else. 
• If your cashmere has a few wrinkles post-dry, you can use a steamer or gentle iron to remove them. I don't own a steamer so I lay out my sweaters on a towel and set the iron to wool (sadly there isn't a cashmere setting on my iron). If you're really concerned about using too much heat, place the cashmere underneath a towel and then place the iron on top of it.
• Cashmere is known to pill (it's totally normal) so a fuzz removing is always good to have around to remove anything after washing and drying. I like this one from The Container Store because it has three blade choices to use for different fabrics. 
• When storing cashmere away for the season, the key is to have something airtight to place it in. I use Container Store bins because I can stack them on top of each other in the back of my closet. If you prefer bags, try these ones from The Container Store. 
• Like most people, I hate the chemical smell of moth balls and moth repellent so I place several cedar blocks inside each bin to help keep the moths away. I gently fold each sweater and place a couple of blocks in between them as I place then in the bins.
• Once you've got everything packed up, place your bags or bins in a cool, dry place. No damp basements or hot attic storage spaces because this only helps to attract moths. I keep mine in back of my closet where it will stay dark and cool over the summer.

Gentle Woolite Detergent // Pop Up Sweater Dryer // Sweater Bags

Fuzz Remover // Sweater Bins // Cedar Blocks

Once we've got all the cashmere put away, it will be time to bring out the spring/summer wardrobe. I can't wait to break out my sundresses and espadrilles!