How to Wash Cashmere
Updated July 2026
The short answer
Check the label first: plenty of cashmere is hand washable, some is machine washable on a wool cycle, and some genuinely belongs at the dry cleaner. For washable pieces, use cool water and a small amount of wool- or cashmere-compatible detergent, handle the garment gently without wringing or twisting, support its weight when you lift it wet, and dry it flat, reshaped, away from heat. The two things cashmere never forgives are hot water and rough agitation; together they felt the fiber permanently.
Before you start
- Read the care label. "Dry clean only" on a structured or embellished piece is usually there for a reason.
- Get a wool- or cashmere-compatible detergent. Regular detergents, and anything with enzymes aimed at protein stains, are too harsh for animal hair.
- Clear a flat drying spot: a towel on a rack or counter, out of sunlight and away from radiators.
- Fasten buttons, turn the garment inside out, and check pockets.
- Treat any stains first with a dab of the same wool-safe detergent, pressed in gently. No aggressive spot scrubbing.
Steps: hand washing cashmere
- 1Fill a basin with cool or lukewarm water and a small dose of wool-safe detergent. Swirl to mix before the garment goes in.
- 2Submerge and gently squeeze. Move the garment through the water with soft presses for a few minutes. No rubbing, no twisting, no soaking for ages.
- 3Rinse in fresh cool water. Repeat until the water runs clear of suds, pressing rather than wringing.
- 4Press the water out. Squeeze gently between your hands or against the basin, then lay the garment on a towel, roll the towel up, and press to blot.
- 5Support the whole garment when you move it. Wet cashmere stretches under its own weight; lift it with both hands underneath, never by the shoulders.
- 6Reshape and dry flat. Lay it in its natural shape on a dry towel, nudge the hems, cuffs, and neckline back to size, and let it dry away from heat and sun. Flip it once the top feels dry.
Machine, dry cleaner, or hand wash?
Machine-washable cashmere:
If the label shows a machine-wash symbol, use the wool or delicate cycle, cool water, wool-safe detergent, and a mesh bag, then still dry flat. Skip the dryer entirely unless the label explicitly permits it.
Dry-clean-only pieces:
Structured jackets, pieces with linings, beading, or leather trim, and anything the label sends to the cleaner should go there. Water can distort tailoring even when the fiber itself would survive.
No label or vintage pieces:
Treat as hand wash at your own risk, test water on a hidden spot first, or default to a trusted cleaner for anything valuable.
What not to do
- Do not use hot water or big temperature swings; heat plus agitation is how cashmere felts, and felting is permanent.
- Do not wring, twist, or scrub.
- Do not hang cashmere to dry; wet cashmere stretches and grows shoulders.
- Do not use fabric softener or chlorine bleach.
- Do not tumble dry unless the label specifically allows it.
- Do not assume every cashmere piece must be hand washed either; the label sometimes offers you an easier, approved route.
What to expect
Washed properly, cashmere comes out soft and often gets nicer with each careful wash. A little pilling under the arms and where a bag rubs is normal friction wear on fine fibers, not a sign of a fake or a ruined garment; a sweater comb or fabric shaver handles it. What careful washing cannot fix is felting that has already happened: dense, matted, shrunken fabric is a permanent change.
Frequently asked questions
Is dry cleaning better than washing for cashmere?
Neither is universally better. Follow the label: knits that allow hand washing often do beautifully at home, while structured or embellished pieces are safer with a professional.
Can I machine wash cashmere?
Only if the label says so. Then it is the wool or delicate cycle, cool water, a mesh bag, wool-safe detergent, and flat drying, with no dryer.
How often should cashmere be washed?
Less than you'd think. Airing between wears and washing after several wears keeps the fiber happiest; overwashing ages knitwear faster than wear does.
My cashmere is pilling. Is it poor quality?
Not necessarily. Pilling is friction pulling loose surface fibers into little balls, and even excellent cashmere does it. Remove pills gently and it keeps looking new; see the pilling guide for tools and technique.
Stain on a cashmere sweater? The Stain Rescue Tool starts every plan with a fiber-safety check.
Use the Stain Rescue Tool