How to wash cashmere sweater

To help you understand why it's possible to wash wool and cashmere at home, you must first understand the fabric. "All animals in the wool family, whether sheep, alpaca, mohair, lamb, merino, or camel use the same cleaning process," says Whiting. Her advice: It's always safer to hand wash. Fill a sink, tub, or basin with tepid water and add a squirt of a cleanser that's specially formulated for wool, like The Laundress Wool and Cashmere Shampoo. Don't have any on hand? "The alternative is a good hair shampoo because wool and cashmere is hair," she says. Next, submerge your sweater in the bath. Gently swirl it around for about 30 seconds, and let it soak for up to 30 minutes. Drain the dirty water and rinse with cool, clean water. Next comes the most crucial step: "Avoid that gut reaction to wring it," stresses the expert. "Wringing manipulates the fibers, and when the yarns are wet, they're weaker. You might end up disfiguring your sweater." Instead, gently remove the water by pressing your sweater into a ball. You can even press the ball into the side of the sink or your work surface.