How to wash wool and cashmere by hand
A basin, cool water and fifteen minutes. What to check first, how to soak and rinse without felting, and how to dry and put knits away.
Most sweaters, scarves and wraps in wool or cashmere can be washed at home, and it takes less effort than people expect. The work is mostly waiting. What follows is the routine we suggest. It is general advice, so the care label on your garment and the directions on the bottle always come first.
Before you start
Read the care label. A tub symbol means the garment can be washed in water, and dots or a number inside it show the highest temperature, with fewer dots meaning cooler water. A hand in the tub means hand wash only. A tub with a cross through it means do not wash in water, and a plain circle means the piece should be dry cleaned. If a label says dry clean only and the piece matters to you, take it to a professional.
Then decide whether it needs washing at all. A knit that has been worn a few times and smells fine often only needs airing overnight over a chair back, with a light brush for any lint. Washing less often is the simplest way to keep a sweater looking good.
Here is what you need:
- A clean basin or sink, big enough for the sweater to sit under water without being squashed
- Cool or lukewarm water, never hot
- A wash made for wool. Ours is used at 15 ml per basin
- Two dry towels
- A flat place to dry it, out of direct sun and away from a radiator
Soak, rinse and press
Fill the basin with water first, then add the wash and swirl it through. Pouring it under a running tap makes more foam than you need. Turn the sweater inside out, lower it in and press gently until it is soaked through.
Leave it for about 15 minutes and resist the urge to scrub. Wool felts and shrinks when it meets heat and friction together, so the less you move it, the better. If there is a mark on a cuff or around the neck, squeeze that area gently between your fingers under the water.
Lift the sweater out with both hands, holding its whole weight so it does not stretch. The directions for our Wool and Cashmere Wash make the rinse optional. If you do rinse, refill the basin with water at the same temperature and press the knit through it once. A sudden change from warm to cold water can also encourage felting.
Never wring a knit. Press the water out against the side of the basin, then lay the sweater flat on a dry towel, roll the towel up from one end and press down along the roll. Unroll it, and repeat with the second towel if it is still very wet.
Drying, pills and putting it away
Lay the sweater flat on a fresh towel, or across the top rails of a drying rack with a towel underneath. Ease it back into shape with your hands: square the shoulders, straighten the hem and set the cuffs to the right length. Turn it over once the top feels dry. A thick knit can take a day or two. Keep it away from radiators, heaters and strong sun, which can fade or yellow pale wool.
Once it is completely dry, look for pills, the small balls of fiber that form where a sweater rubs, usually under the arms and along the sides. Lay the knit flat, hold the fabric taut with one hand and comb lightly across the pills in one direction. Go gently on loose or very fine knits.
Fold knitwear rather than hanging it, because a hanger slowly pulls the shoulders out of shape. Put it away clean, since marks and body oils left on wool are harder to shift later. A cedar block on the shelf adds the scent of the wood. We sell cedar for its scent only and it is not a pest treatment, so if you are storing knits for a season, keep them clean, dry and somewhere you can check on them.
If the label allows the machine
Some wool is labelled machine washable. If yours is, use the wool or hand-wash cycle, cool water and a low spin. Put each knit inside out in a mesh wash bag, fill the bag no more than two-thirds full and leave plenty of room in the drum. Do not tumble dry wool unless the care label says you can.