Washing cashmere and silk

[War_denm6]

Hey guys, could you share tips and tricks how you are taking care of these materials?
Thanks!

 

[DorianGreen]

Many garments are machine washable, but careful, with delicate detergent and in cold water, hand washing is recommended.

Scarvers need dry cleaning.

 

[Sam Hober]

I like DorianGreen's answer.

To add: both silk and cashmere are natural proteins like our hair so in theory a very delicate delicate detergent should be fine. Stay away from machine washing.

Test on a small spot!

We have some ties that we use an Italian Silk and Cashmere fabric to make the ties. The two textures have a great look - a bit contrasting at times - shiny silk and matte cashmere...

I would lean towards an expert dry cleaner. we do wash some cashmere and silk by hand but we know what we are doing and still we test...

 

[stylecounsel1]

If an item is already worn, inexpensive, or thrifted it is not worth taking to a professional cleaner and you can do a good job at home.

For silk items such as scarves or ties, I think gentle hand wash in water at 30 degrees with a special wool/silk detergent or perhaps pure soap flakes or baby shampoo is usually ok. Be careful not to stretch or misshape the items but swish gently and do not leave too long in the water. Rinse with water at same temperature.

I have a centrifugal dryer but I don't let it get to full speed, just a few seconds to get the bulk of water out without creasing the items. You could pat dry with a towel instead.

Lay the items on a flat surface to dry and reshape them whilst still damp. Sometimes leaving a tie hanging vertically, the weight will help restore shape as it dries. Make sure the resting point is well supported, e.g. a bar rather than a wire, so it will not distort the fabric.

Sometimes a light touch with an iron on a low setting can help get things smoothed out but don't iron the curved edges on ties.

The results are usually OK, but the only issue I find is there is sometimes a little misshaping or softening of the texture compared to brand new item so be careful.

If it is expensive item, take it to a professional.