IN A MOVE AWAY FROM FAST FASHION, IT IS OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT A MORE MINDFUL APPRECIATION OF QUALITY AND LONGEVITY IN ALL GARMENTS

The team at CELIA KATE passionately supports the education of cashmere garment care to ensure the long life expectancy of your purchase. Its our intentions to teach practices to best preserve, mend & restore your garment, to ensure they will bring pleasure for many years to come and not contribute to the plight of landfill caused by fast-fashion. Our CELIA KATE care details have been developed to offer a professional advice & care service for all 100% cashmere knits as sold by CELIA KATE. 

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CASHMERE CARE CRUCIALS  ____________________________________

Use common sense, and proceed carefully

Be gentle and remember the 'new born baby' rule 

Always use tepid water

Never iron cashmere

Never wring out or hang cashmere

Dont use too much soap or use fabric softener

Always clean before you store and store with moth balls

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GOLDEN RULES FOR WASHING CASHMERE

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Luxurious investment garments are created for many years of wear and love. And ensuring these garments reach their long-wearing potential is key to the socially and environmentally responsible slow-fashion movement.
So, how do we ensure we get the most out of our favourite high-quality wardrobe additions? The secret is proper care: namely washing, drying and storing them correctly.

The very thought of washing delicate cashmere garments, however, can raise spectres of laundry-room horror: tumble drier disasters, hot water shrinkage and shapeless clothesline disfigurements. But the Celia Kate team is here to help: below we have collated some key tips to help you when it comes time to clean your cashmere.

Firstly, and importantly, cashmere garments do not have to be dry cleaned! In fact, dry cleaning cashmere can damage the garment and reduce its longevity. Hand washing is always the most preferable method as details below.
Key to the whole process is using common sense, and a little trick known as the 'new born baby' rule. This cute rule should frame your selection of water temperature, soaps or detergents, and handling during washing and drying - just treat your cashmere garments with the same care and sensitivity you would use with a new born baby.

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HOW TO HAND WASH CASHMERE

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The importance of water temperature cannot be overstated: fill your basin with room temperature water. If the water is too cold, it will set stains; too hot, and it can result in incredible shrinkage.

Add in a small squirt of gentle soap, be it a speciality cashmere wash, natural unscented detergent, or even baby shampoo. And remember, more soap doesn't mean a cleaner garment, it can actually add residue - so be frugal with your soap allocation. 

Turn the garment inside out - this protects the outside surface of the garment from rubbing during washing, and will keep the world-facing exterior looking better, for longer. Fully submerge in the tub, gently swirling and pressing or squeezing to absorb the water. Next, drain the water, and refill and drain the sink with clean soapless water a couple of times, to rinse thoroughly - always being careful not to agitate the fibres excessively. 

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HOW TO MACHINE WASH CASHMERE

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Remarkably, cashmere can go in the washing machine. But as you might expect, hand washing is always the safest option, giving you the greatest control over how the garment is treated throughout the wash cycle.

And machine washing cashmere still requires a very careful approach - don't just chuck it is with the everyday shirts and socks.

To minimise the risk of damage, wash cashmere garments in a mesh washing bag, and don't include any other garments; they will just cause unnecessary rubbing throughout the cycle.

Use a very short, delicate cycle on the machine - not the wool wash cycle - and aim for about a two minute wash. If you cant set the cycle perfectly, manually interrupt the machine. Water temperature must be set to cold, spin cycle low. Its important to know that cashmere can shrink or felt if it is agitated too much, either by using a washing machine on the incorrect setting, or even hand washing too roughly. Once the cycle is finished, remove the sweater immediately.

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HOW TO DRY CASHMERE

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There are three - usually unforgivable sins of drying cashmere:

1. Wringing out the water
2. Pinning a wet garment up on the clothesline, and
3. Just throwing it into a tumble drier

Wet cashmere has weaker fibres, and the twisting and stretching action of wringing out or hanging a garment can disfigure it. Instead try this; once removed from the water, gently ball up the cashmere garment and squeeze out excess water, or press it against the side of the washing basin. Lay it flat on a towel, and roll both up into a tight cylinder, squeezing excess water out of the knit and into the towl. Unroll, and lay the cashmere flat on a clean, dry towl or drying rack, gently arranging it into its normal shape.

Always dry out of direct sunlight to avoid fading and sun damage. 

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HOW TO REMOVE PILLING FROM CASHMERE  ____________________________________

Pilling refers to the little balls that form anywhere on a garment that is touched by regular friction, and is an unfortunate inevitability in oft-worn and well-loved garments. Pilling is a natural characteristic of even the finest cashmere. In fact, if it doesn't pill, it most likely isn't true cashmere. The occurrence of 'shedding' in the first few wears is the natural process of the fibres resizing and actually makes your garment softer to wear.

Managing pilling requires a regular de-fuzz session, using a cashmere de-pilling device. You can get one of these in many places, just google 'cashmere de-pilling'.

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HOW TO STORE CASHMERE GARMENTS   ____________________________________

Always fold cashmere garments, never hang, as it can lead to distortion and stretching. And for end-of season long-term storage, use cotton storage bags (breathable and bug-and dust proof).

Always wash your garments before stowing them away at the end of the season. Even if you've only lightly worn the garment, any wear residue at all will provide food for moths.