Hello everyone, I received a handmade cashmere scarf, hat and shirt. Its made with a 100% pure mongolian cashmere yarn, and I would appreciate some cleaning tips.
I've used eucalan to wash them and dry them (no wringing, and dried on flat surface). Should I use lanolin on them? Is lanolin safe on cashmere?
Would appreciate it as it is my first time owning handmade pure cashmere. Thank you!
Wash it as little as possible. Unless they get very dirty they don't need to be washed more than once or twice a year (unless you live in a cold place and use them a lot.)
If they are new you don't need to do anything to them. You shouldn't need to treat them until at least several years old (4-6 yrs!)
I would recommend getting a natural bristle clothes brush and brushing them after wearing. It keeps it free of dust and smooths the nap.
Congrats on such a lovely gift.
You've got some great advice here already, but I'd just add one thing, that isn't about cleaning--you say these are handmade. Speaking as a knitter--if someone made them for you as a gift, asking them how to best take care of it will absolutely make their day. It shows that you really appreciate and value your gift, and also whoever knit it will have good advice on how to care for that particular yarn! Disregard if it wasn't made by someone you know.
I am cashmere obsessed and have multiple sweaters. My favorite accidental trick I've found is to hand wash them in cool water with sensitive dog oatmeal and lavender shampoo. It gently cleans them and also adds some oils back in. But only once or twice a year.
Between that, to deal with any odor, put them in the freezer for a day or two. It kills the bacteria that causes smells.
No, just leave them. Cool hand wash with baby shampoo once a year, that’s it. Store away from other woollens and keep sealed away in a drawer if you have any moth issues.
Then you've already lanolized them! Eucalan has Lanolin in it, that's one of it's features, and part of why it's named that way. Additional lanolin isn't really necessary.
And yes, lanolin is safe for cashmere, lanolin is a naturally produced oil sourced from sheep specifically to protect their wool, and while cashmere is from wooly goats instead, it still benefits all the same.
Oh dear. I was gifted a vintage handmade actual Aran Islands wool sweater. The kind that inspired the sweater Chris Evans wore in Knives Out. It's around 60-70 years old. I don't know anything about taking care of a nice wool sweater, though. I should figure out how to care of it properly. I didn't know about lanolin used like this. What else don't I know? Now I am going down these rabbit holes. Thanks for bringing this up, OP! Like you, I want to treasure these things and keep them nice. Sounds like you really love it and will care for it well.
Lovely gift! Please invest in cedar for storage to keep clothing moths away (also makes your wool smell like a magical forest)