Dry cleaning is not the preferred method for cleaning cashmere, but may be necessary for jackets and other items that have structure from other fabrics.

Dry cleaning occassionally is fine, but washing your knits is actually better for them than dry cleaning, which strips fibers of their natural oils responsible for keeping them soft and supple. Dry cleaning can basically dehydrate your cashmere.

TL;DR Dry cleaning is OKAY, but not preferred

Hand washing is the preferred method for washing cashmere.

The Basics:

1. Turn garment inside out

2. Wash in a tub or basin of cool water

3. Use a gentle detergent that won't strip the oils from your knits

4. Gently swirl your cashmere for 30 seconds and then let it soak for up to 30 minutes

5. Rinse with cool water and press the excess water out with your hands

6. Shape your sweater and lay flat to dry on a towel

The Don'ts:

1. Never ever put your knitwear in the dryer. Never.

2. Don't wring your cashmere to remove excess water, gently squeeze. Cashmere fibers are most delicate when wet, so be careful to preserve the shape of your sweater.

3. Don't mix colors

4. Never hang your wet cashmere

Contrary to popular belief, you can machine wash 90% of knits, including cashmere. While hand washing is preferred, the washer isn't off-limits.

The Basics:

1. Turn your garments inside out

2. Use a mesh washing bag

3. Gentle detergent

4. Cold water only

5. Delicate cyle

6. LOW spin cycle

7. Shape your cashmere and lay flat to dry on a towel

The Don'ts:

1. Never ever put your knitwear in the dryer. Never.

2. Don't wring your cashmere to remove excess water, gently squeeze. Cashmere fibers are most delicate when wet, so be careful to preserve the shape of your sweater.

3. Don't mix colors

4. Never hang your wet cashmere

NEVER EVER PUT CASHMERE IN THE DRYER

Cashmere will shrink faster than you can say "crop top", so you must take care in how you handle your wet cashmere and how you dry it.

After hand washing or machine washing, gently squeeze excess water from your cashmere.

You can also lay your sweater flat on a towel and roll it up (like a sleeping bag) to squeeze excess water out.

Reshape your cashmere and lay it flat to dry on a towel or drying rack. The fibers soak up a lot of water, so it may take several days to fully dry.

The Don'ts:

1. Never dry cashmere in the dryer

2. Never hang wet cashmere

3. Don't wring out excess water, gentle pressing only!

4. Any heat source can shrink your knits, so avoid drying in direct sunlight, near radiators or heat vents, and please don't use a hair dryer.

You CAN iron cashmere, but ironing can flatten or crush the natural pile of the yarn, so other methods such as steaming, are preferred for removing wrinkles.

If you need to iron, follow these steps:

1. Turn your garment inside out

2. Use the lowest setting on your iron

3. You must use an ironing cloth and ensure the iron never directly touches the cashmere

4. Keep the iron moving at all times

Steaming to remove wrinkles:

1. Use a fabric steamer from a distance

2. Don't allow the steamer to touch the cashmere fibers

3. Let it dry before wearing or storing

Don't have a steamer? Try this:

1. Using a spray bottle, spritz some cool water on the wrinkles

2. Hang briefly to dry, allowing the wrinkles to fall out

Never Hang Cashmere Sweaters

Always fold your sweaters, hanging them can stretch and distort the shape of your sweater

Wash at the End of the Season

Even if you only wore the sweater once, you need to wash the garment before storing for warmer weather. Knitwear attracts moths and bugs, and leaving body oils, perfumes, lotions, etc...only adds to the attraction.

Long-Term Storage

Cotton is king. Store in cotton bags instead of plastic bins or bags which can trap moisture and attract bugs. Cotton is breathable and bugs can't eat through it.