How to Wash a Wool Cashmere Angora Sweater

Learning how to launder your own sweaters saves you money.

If you are lucky enough to have a cashmere sweater, you know how soft and beautiful they are. These days it's more common to just drop your sweaters off at the dry cleaner than to try to launder them yourself. Washing sweaters can be intimidating and, especially when they are beloved, it's scary to tackle them yourself. Learning how to wash a wool cashmere angora sweater is relatively simple, and it can save you a lot of money at the dry cleaner.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Liquid laundry detergent made for delicates
• Fabric softener
• Plastic dish tub
• Clean towels

Instructions

1. Measure your sweater in four different areas: across the chest, shoulder to shoulder, across the bottom and along the outside of each arm. Write these measurements down so they are handy when reshaping the sweater.

2. Fill a plastic dish tub with cool to lukewarm water and add a capful of laundry detergent, as well as a capful of fabric softener.

3. Submerge the sweater into the water and gently agitate it. Be gentle so you don't stretch the sweater out. Empty the water out and gently run clean, cool water into the tub until the sweater is rinsed out thoroughly.

4. Remove the sweater from the tub after you have patted out as much water as possible. Lay the sweater flat on a towel and roll it up in the towel to remove excess water.

5. Lay the sweater on a fresh, dry towel and repeat the process. Finally, lay the sweater on a fresh, dry towel and refer to the measurements. The measurements should match the drying sweater's measurements. If they don't, gently pull the sweater into shape.

References

• Martha Stewart: Washing Sweaters and Delicates