How to Wash Cashmere at Home Without Ruining It

Cashmere feels expensive because it is — the fibers come from the undercoat of cashmere goats, and producing them is labor-intensive. But "dry clean only" labels on cashmere are often more conservative than necessary. Most cashmere can be washed at home safely, as long as you understand what destroys it: heat, agitation, and the wrong detergent.

Here's how to hand wash cashmere, when you can use a machine, and how to dry it without causing the dreaded felting or shrinkage.

What Damages Cashmere?

Before the how-to, it's useful to understand what causes the two main cashmere disasters: shrinkage and felting.

• Heat — hot water causes cashmere fibers to contract irreversibly. This is true shrinkage: the fiber physically shortens and the garment won't return to its original size
• Agitation + heat — when cashmere fibers are agitated in warm or hot water, the tiny scales on the fiber surface interlock. This is felting — the fabric becomes dense, stiff, and matted. Felting is irreversible
• Alkaline detergents — regular laundry detergents are often alkaline, which damages the protein structure of cashmere (and all animal-fiber fabrics). Use a pH-neutral or slightly acidic detergent formulated for wool
• Hanging to dry — wet cashmere is heavy; hanging causes the garment to stretch out of shape permanently

How to Hand Wash Cashmere

Hand washing is the safest method for cashmere and takes less than 15 minutes.

What you need

• Clean basin or sink
• Cool water (room temperature — around 20–25°C / 68–77°F)
• Wool-safe detergent (Woolite, Eucalan, The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo, or a mild baby shampoo as a substitute)
• Clean dry towels

Step by step

1. Fill the basin with cool water — check the temperature with your wrist; it should feel neutral, not warm
2. Add a small amount of detergent — about 1 teaspoon for a single sweater. Less is more with cashmere
3. Submerge the garment and press it gently into the water — don't agitate or scrub
4. Let it soak for 10–15 minutes — the detergent does the work; you don't need to move the fabric much
5. Gently squeeze the water through the fabric — no wringing, twisting, or scrubbing
6. Drain the basin
7. Rinse in water the exact same temperature — temperature changes between wash and rinse water can cause shrinkage. Refill with cool water and press the garment gently to release suds. Repeat until the water runs clear
8. Press out excess water — never wring. Gently press the sweater against the side of the basin

How to Dry Cashmere Correctly

Drying is where most cashmere gets ruined. Both hanging and machine drying cause irreversible damage.

Drying flat (the only correct method)

1. Lay a clean dry towel flat on a surface
2. Place the wet cashmere on the towel and reshape it to its original dimensions — smooth the sleeves, align the seams, check the shoulder width
3. Roll the towel with the cashmere inside and press firmly — this absorbs most of the water without stressing the fibers
4. Unroll and transfer the cashmere to a fresh dry towel or a flat drying rack
5. Let air dry away from direct sunlight and heat sources — this can take several hours to overnight
6. Flip the garment halfway through drying to ensure even drying

Never hang wet cashmere on a hanger. The weight of the water will stretch the shoulders and cause the garment to deform permanently.

Can You Machine Wash Cashmere?

Some cashmere garments can be machine washed — but only on the right setting, and only if the care label doesn't explicitly say hand wash only.

• Use the machine's wool or delicate cycle — this uses very little agitation and cold water
• Cold water only
• Place the garment in a mesh laundry bag to protect it
• Use wool-safe detergent
• Skip the spin, or use the lowest spin setting — excess spinning stresses the fibers
• Remove promptly and dry flat as described above

Machine washing is riskier than hand washing for cashmere, even on gentle cycles. If you have an expensive or irreplaceable piece, hand washing is always the safer choice.

How Often Should You Wash Cashmere?

Less often than you'd think. Cashmere is naturally odor-resistant due to the lanolin content of the fibers. Washing too frequently wears the fibers faster.

• After 2–3 wears for direct skin contact (inner layers)
• After 4–5 wears for outer layers worn over other clothing
• After any staining or visible soiling
• At the end of the season before storage

Between washes, air the garment on a flat surface or over the back of a chair for an hour after wearing — this refreshes the fibers and removes moisture from body heat.

Dealing with Cashmere Pills

Pilling is natural on cashmere, especially cheaper cashmere with shorter fibers. Pills are not a sign of poor washing — they form from friction during wear. Washing doesn't prevent pills, but gentle washing prevents them from getting worse faster.

Remove pills with a cashmere comb (a fine-toothed wooden comb designed for the purpose) or a fabric shaver. Work slowly across the fabric surface. This restores the smooth appearance and doesn't damage the garment.

Storing Cashmere

Between seasons, fold cashmere (never hang) and store in a sealed bag or container with cedar blocks or lavender sachets to deter moths. Moths are a genuine threat to wool and cashmere — they feed on the protein fibers. Make sure pieces are clean before storage; food stains attract moths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put cashmere in the dryer?

No. Even the lowest dryer setting introduces too much heat and tumbling agitation for cashmere. The result is irreversible felting and shrinkage. Always dry flat.

My cashmere shrank — can I unshrink it?

Sometimes. Fill a basin with cool water and a tablespoon of hair conditioner or baby conditioner. Soak the shrunken garment for 30 minutes — the conditioner relaxes the protein fibers. Gently stretch and reshape the garment while wet, then dry flat. This works on mild shrinkage; significant felting cannot be reversed.

What detergent should I use for cashmere?

Use a detergent specifically formulated for wool and cashmere: Woolite Delicates, Eucalan, or The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo. In a pinch, a small amount of baby shampoo or gentle hair conditioner also works — both are pH-neutral and safe for protein fibers.

Why does cashmere smell after washing?

Wet cashmere has a natural lanolin smell that dissipates as it dries. If the smell persists when dry, try rewashing with less detergent and rinsing more thoroughly — detergent residue in cashmere can create an unpleasant smell. White vinegar in the final rinse water also helps neutralize odors.

The Bottom Line

Cool water, gentle handling, wool-safe detergent, and drying flat — these four rules keep cashmere in perfect condition for years. The most common mistakes are washing in warm water, tumbling dry, and hanging to dry. Avoid all three and your cashmere will outlast cheaper alternatives many times over.

For other delicate natural-fiber garments, see our guides on how to wash wool sweaters and how to wash silk.