How to wash wool and cashmere: Complete guide to care, washing and selecting detergents

How to wash wool and cashmere: Complete guide to care, washing and selecting detergents

Woolen materials, whether it is fluffy mohair, warm alpaca, fine merino or exclusive cashmere, belong to the most luxurious things your wardrobe can offer. These natural treasures breathe, warm you in winter, insulate in the heat, and are irresistibly soft to the touch.

However, many people have respect for the maintenance of animal fibres. The idea of a shrunken sweater or a felted scarf can be terrifying. But caring for wool and cashmere does not have to be a nightmare. If you understand how these fibres work and what to avoid, you will maintain their beauty and functionality for many years.

The golden rule: Respect the laundry symbols

Before you start any action, always first look for the label on the garment or the recommendation of the fabric seller. Manufacturers know best what finish the fabric has undergone and exactly what it can withstand. If you are not sure what the individual pictograms mean, we have prepared a clear guide to laundry symbols for you, which will safely guide you through maintenance.

Garment construction decides: When to wash at home and when to take to the dry cleaner

Before you soak any woolen piece, look at how it is sewn. Sweaters, scarves, soft dresses, cardigans, skirts and trousers can be safely washed at home if the correct procedure is followed. But beware of woolen jackets, coats or suits. These garments contain internal interlinings, shoulder pads and fixations that would deform in water. These pieces always belong exclusively in the hands of a professional dry cleaner.

The blend rule: If you have a garment made of a blend of wool and other materials, always follow the most sensitive component. A beautiful example is a blend of wool and silk. In this case, wool is the most delicate component – and therefore you must follow the rules for wool and choose the caring laundry detergent PAREX WHITE, which will provide the woolen fibre with the necessary fat.

The secret of the fibre: Why regular powder destroys wool

Animal fibres (wool, cashmere, alpaca and others) are made of a protein called keratin and are naturally protected by a layer of natural fat – lanolin. It is lanolin that gives wool its elasticity, softness and water-repellent ability.

If you use a regular washing powder (even one labelled "for delicates"), its degreasing components will aggressively wash the lanolin out of the fibre. The wool will start to dry out, become brittle, itchy and lose its shape. Wool simply has completely different needs than, for example, silk – it needs to be regularly refatted.

Choosing the right elixir: What wool really needs

For washing animal fibres, a laundry detergent that contains lanolin or caring proteins is an absolute necessity. Our expert recommendation is PAREX WHITE, a special gel concentrate from a renowned German manufacturer.

This detergent not only gently cleans the fibres, but above all returns the lost fat to them. Cashmere, mohair, wool and others will remain fabulously soft and fluffy thanks to it. In addition, it perfectly washes down jackets. If you are interested in the chemistry of washing more in depth and want to choose the best for your entire wardrobe, read our large overview of PAREX laundry detergents.

Two arch enemies: Friction and thermal shock

Even with a perfect washing gel, you must follow the correct technique. Wool is most often destroyed by these two mistakes:

• Friction (felting): Wool does not tolerate mechanical stress when wet. If you rub, scrub or wring it, the tiny fibres will permanently interlock and form a hard felt.
• Thermal shock (shrinking): Wool can handle water, but it cannot tolerate sudden temperature changes. If you wash it in warm water and rinse it in ice-cold water, the fibres will immediately shrink and the sweater will shrink by several sizes.

Step by step: How to do the actual washing

Hand washing (the gentlest method):

1. Water temperature: Prepare a lukewarm bath for both washing and rinsing (the temperature must be constant).
2. Procedure: Immerse the fabric in the water with the mixed detergent and only gently squeeze it. Under no circumstances should you scrub.
3. Absolute ban on fabric softener: NEVER use fabric softener! It would clog the fibre structure and destroy its natural breathability.

Machine washing:
Herein lies the biggest catch! Most washing machines on the "Wool" program automatically preset the washing temperature to 30 °C, but the subsequent rinsing always takes place in cold water. The wool would thus experience that deadly thermal shock and shrink. Therefore, even with this special program, it is necessary to manually turn off the heating and wash exclusively in cold water the entire time. Turn off the spin cycle, or reduce it to the absolute minimum (under 400 revolutions).

Drying: Salvation from deformation

Wet wool is heavy and prone to stretching. Forget about classic wringing. Lay the garment out on a clean towel, roll it into a roll and gently squeeze out the water. Subsequently, always dry the wool in a horizontal position (for example, laid out on a drying rack with a towel underneath). Never hang it on a hanger – the weight of the soaked water would irreversibly stretch and deform the garment. Likewise, avoid drying in direct sunlight or near radiators. Intense radiant heat would overdry the fibres, causing the wool to lose its natural softness and become hard.

Why is the tumble dryer an absolute taboo? Wool and cashmere absolutely do not belong in the dryer. The combination of hot air and strong mechanical friction in the drum would literally break and cook the fibres. You would pull out a hard, child's size from a luxurious soft sweater.

Caring for wool and cashmere is a ritual that will return to you in the form of perfect comfort. Treat these exceptional materials to what they naturally need, and they will serve you for an eternity.

You deserve to wear beauty that will provide you with perfect comfort in any weather. Explore our exclusive collection of luxury woolen fabrics and cashmere, or complement your wardrobe care with the PAREX WHITE washing gel.