How do I wash a wool or cashmere sweater?

Washing a wool sweater or in cashmere can seem like a risky business. Who hasn't been afraid of shrinking a beautiful new wool or cashmere sweater? We have!

In this article, we'll give you some tips on how to wash, dry and iron your wool and cashmere sweaters without damaging them.

How to wash wool and cashmere properly

Most of the major wool and cashmere brands, such as Repeat CashmereIn fact, many manufacturers recommend washing textiles by hand. But washing by hand can be a laborious task. If you're meticulous and have a good washing machine, it's possible to machine-wash cashmere and wool. Even brands like Des Petits Hauts recommend it on their site. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Make sure you have a good machine:

To wash wool or cashmere, you need a washing machine suitable for delicate fabrics. For example, good machines are ideal for washing delicate garments, thanks to a cold wash program. So there's no risk of damaging or shrinking your favorite sweaters and cardigans.

2. Prepare your sweater before machine washing:

First of all, you need to prevent your sweater or cardigan from pilling. To achieve this, there are two things you can do:

a) Turn your sweaters inside out

b) Then slip each sweater or cardigan into a laundry net.

These two steps prevent rubbing with other garments. This is what most damages wool fibers and causes sweaters to pilling. If you don't have a laundry net, you can use a cotton pillowcase instead, and that's it!

3. Use the right detergent for wool or cashmere:

You need to choose the right type and quantity of detergent for a successful wash.

Find the right detergent: what are the right detergents? There are several brands available in supermarkets. We recommend one of the following brands, which have proven their effectiveness time and again:

Tide Studio Delicates
Woolite Extra Delicates
Perwoll mild detergent

Use the correct amount of detergent: Once you've chosen your brand of detergent, you need to be careful how much you use. For fragile fibers like wool and cashmere, the less detergent, the better for the fabric.

4. Choose the right wash program:

There are several wash programs for wool and cashmere. The most common are: wool, hand and quick. Normally, at least one of these programs should appear on your machine if you want to machine-wash your sweaters.

For a successful wash, there are two important things to keep in mind:

Select cold wash. Wool and cashmere should be washed at 20°C or 30°C. Above 30°C, you risk shrinking your favorite wool sweater.

It's also important to choose a short wash. Select a program lasting between 30 and 60 minutes. Washing for longer may damage natural fibers.

5. Make sure you set the correct spin speed:

The ideal speed for wool or cashmere is 500 to 600 rpm. If your speed is too slow, your sweaters will be weighed down by the weight of the water, and will remain in the drum, felting and pilling. If your speed is too fast, it will damage the fiber of your sweaters. Don't forget to use laundry nets , as it will protect wool and cashmere during spinning.

Now that your sweaters are clean, it's time to dry and iron them.

How to dry wool and cashmere sweaters

Before giving you a few tips on how to dry your sweaters properly, let's start by talking about what to avoid at all costs:

To be avoided:

Avoid tumble-drying wool and cashmere sweaters: is the number-one enemy of wool and cashmere. It will attack the fiber of your sweaters and shrink them.

Don't dry wool or cashmere sweaters on hangers or clothes racks: This may deform them. Your sweater has absorbed a lot of water during washing. This makes it heavier, and the weight of the water can stretch the sweater, especially around the shoulders.

Now that you know what not to do, here's what to do.

To do:

Dry your sweaters flat: You can place your sweaters on a cotton towel. This will speed up drying, as cotton will quickly absorb the water in wool and cashmere.

Keep your sweaters away from heat sources: like baseboard heaters on the wall. This will prevent the cashmere or wool from shrinking. Within a few hours, your sweaters should be dry.

How to iron your wool and cashmere sweaters

As a general rule, you don't need to iron a wool or cashmere sweater. Wool and cashmere are soft. If you've dried them flat, your sweaters should be ready to wear. However, if you do want to iron your sweaters, here's how:

Use a steam machine rather than a conventional iron. It's more natural for wool and cashmere fiber.

If you don't have a steam engine, repassez à basse température to avoid burning the fibers.

That's it! Your sweater's all clean, soft and ready to put on. Now, let's look at a few tips to help you keep them looking great for longer.

Care for your wool and cashmere sweaters to extend their life

Here are a few tips to maximize the life of your sweaters:

Avoid the coat hanger: il is best to fold your cashmere and wool sweaters rather than on a hanger. This avoids distorting the garment at the shoulders.

Remove foam: it's quite normal for foam to appear when you wear your sweater. To remove it, use an anti-pilling razor. If you don't have an anti-pilling razor, you can use an anti-pilling adhesive roller. like this one.

Air out your wool and cashmere sweaters: ihere's no need to wash your wool and cashmere sweaters every time you wear them. Just leave them ventilate. Bad odors will disappear and they'll be impeccable to wear again. Wash your sweaters and cardigans after three to five uses.

And now you're ready to wash your sweaters and cardigans at wool and in cashmere.

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