Cashmere Scarves… How to Make It Last Longer
Cashmere scarves and the fashion elegance they inspire… a single cashmere scarf can literally command respect and admiration on the person who wears it such that it should be kept in its pristine condition. This is to ensure that such a fine fashion accessory can complement the many needs of today’s modern woman – that of elegance and sophistication in the otherwise stressful career environments.
The quality of cashmere items like scarves, shawls, and toles are well known the world over. Stemming from the age-old tradition of hand woven, intricately designed neck scarfs that initially had the purpose of keeping human bodies warm during the cold summer months in India and Persia, cashmere products have clearly transformed from being a mere utility to a piece of fashion substance. Owing to the delicate nature of individual fibers of these fashion accessories, each cashmere scarf, shawl and tole hand woven by the Indian artisans from only the highest quality of wool, it pays to have these garments maintained in pristine condition. This does not necessarily mean, however that the owner of such a fine garment should spend a fortune for its upkeep.
Generally, it is best to allow ample time for the scarves and shawls made of high quality cashmere to rest in between uses. A 24-hour time period is observed from the first time it’s used and its next use, and 24 hours for every subsequent wearing of the womens scarf. This will allow the individual wool fibers to return to their original shape once the wrinkles brought about by its being worn are shed. It is highly recommended to hand cashmere scarf¸ shawls and other garments made of wool on shaped or padded hangers. Wooly garments such as cashmere can be given a breather from the abuse of frequent wear by hanging them in a steamy bathroom. The moisture from the steam will remove the wrinkles and will no longer require separate pressing.
One very important thing about prolonging the life of such delicate garments is to dry them in room temperature. First class cashmere scarf and shawls are essentially made of natural sheep’s wool that is sensitive to extreme heat. Drying them under the direct heat of the sun or in devices that produce heat can significantly damage the overall condition of these fine garments. Unless your cashmere garment has a "superwash" label, it is generally not advisable to machine wash these very sensitive fabrics because of the possibility of felting shrinkage. Hand washing is generally preferred by soaking them first in lukewarm or cold water with a mild soap or non-bleach containing liquid detergent for about 3 to 5 minutes.
The trick is in gently squeezing the soap suds through without necessarily twisting or wringing the whole cashmere garment. Rinse the garment twice in clean water with the exact temperature as the wash water and gently squeeze out excess water. Roll the garment in a towel and then pin the garment to dry away from sunlight and direct heat.
In ironing newly washed cashmere items, it is best to use a flat iron that has a built in steam function and has wool settings. The lowest setting of the flat iron is always used and the moisture coming from the steam vents facilitate the removal of wrinkles. Furthermore, don’t press directly on the right side of the fabric unless a press cloth is placed on top of the cashmere. An extra scrap of wool fabric can be good press clothes because they help to protect the resilient texture of cashmere while at the same time preventing ’shine’ occurrences. The trick in ironing cashmere and other woolen garments is in literally "pressing" on the garment and avoiding the usual back and forth sliding motion.
and shawls made of high quality cashmere to rest in between uses. A 24-hour time period is observed from the first time it’s used and its next use, and 24 hours for every subsequent wearing of the womens scarf. This will allow the individual wool fibers to return to their original shape once the wrinkles brought about by its being worn are shed. It is highly recommended to hand cashmere scarf¸ shawls and other garments made of wool on shaped or padded hangers. Wooly garments such as cashmere can be given a breather from the abuse of frequent wear by hanging them in a steamy bathroom. The moisture from the steam will remove the wrinkles and will no longer require separate pressing.
One very important thing about prolonging the life of such delicate garments is to dry them in room temperature. First class cashmere scarf and shawls are essentially made of natural sheep’s wool that is sensitive to extreme heat. Drying them under the direct heat of the sun or in devices that produce heat can significantly damage the overall condition of these fine garments. Unless your cashmere garment has a "superwash" label, it is generally not advisable to machine wash these very sensitive fabrics because of the possibility of felting shrinkage. Hand washing is generally preferred by soaking them first in lukewarm or cold water with a mild soap or non-bleach containing liquid detergent for about 3 to 5 minutes.
The trick is in gently squeezing the soap suds through without necessarily twisting or wringing the whole cashmere garment. Rinse the garment twice in clean water with the exact temperature as the wash water and gently squeeze out excess water. Roll the garment in a towel and then pin the garment to dry away from sunlight and direct heat.
In ironing newly washed cashmere items, it is best to use a flat iron that has a built in steam function and has wool settings. The lowest setting of the flat iron is always used and the moisture coming from the steam vents facilitate the removal of wrinkles. Furthermore, don’t press directly on the right side of the fabric unless a press cloth is placed on top of the cashmere. An extra scrap of wool fabric can be good press clothes because they help to protect the resilient texture of cashmere while at the same time preventing ’shine’ occurrences. The trick in ironing cashmere and other woolen garments is in literally "pressing" on the garment and avoiding the usual back and forth sliding motion.
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