Cashmere - a material that most people associate with high-quality clothing, blankets or cushions, and not without reason. Cashmere is the most popular and most valuable fine hair fiber in the world. The special thing about cashmere is its exceptional fineness, incredible softness and above-average warmth combined with its light weight. It is also breathable and dirt and odor repellent. Its natural properties combined with its amazing suppleness and silky soft feel make cashmere garments and plaids so desirable. Once you have acquired a taste for cashmere, you won't want anything else. It stands for individual luxury, high wearing comfort and lasting value.

The name Kashmir is derived from the Himalayan region of the same name, which is now claimed by India, China and Pakistan. The genus of floppy-eared, horned cashmere goats, which is native to the high plateaus and has around 20 varieties, comes in white, gray, brown or black. The light shades are the rarest, which is why this cashmere is the most valuable. In its homeland, cashmere wool has been processed by hand into high-quality textiles since around 1000 BC.

In addition to its sensational natural properties, the value of cashmere depends on its exclusivity due to the limited population and the laborious extraction of the precious hair. After the cashmere goats have braved the icy winter with their fine, warming undercoat, the undercoat is combed out by hand during the spring moulting season. The most important producing countries today are China, Mongolia, Iran and the Central Asian highlands (Pamir). However, there are also large breeding farms in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland.

The undercoat of the cashmere goat, which is cleaned from the top coat, is particularly fine with a diameter of only 15 to 19 micrometers and a length of 25 to 90 millimeters. According to the American definition, the average diameter of the hair must not exceed 19 micrometers. The fine-fiber cashmere has excellent heat retention properties with a low weight due to the strongly fluctuating weather conditions between hot summers and icy winters. Cashmere also wicks away moisture. These properties come into their own when used as a filling for sumptuous comforters, as well as when processed into precious plaids and cushions.

After the cashmere goats have braved the icy winter with their fine, warming undercoat, the undercoat is combed out by hand during the hair change in spring.

Proper care of cashmere is particularly important. This ensures that the unique material is preserved for a long time. Here you will find everything you need to know about caring for cashmere:

Refresh:
Cashmere is self-regenerating. If you hang the cashmere product in the fresh air or in the bath while showering, wrinkles and odors disappear, the fabric regenerates and the cashmere smells pleasantly fresh. If you need to do it quickly, you can use a refresher spray, e.g. from Allude. This ensures that the cashmere is quickly and easily ready for use again.

Washing:
A cashmere sweater should be washed after the fourth wear at the latest. Only after a few washes does the cashmere sweater get that wonderfully soft fluff on the surface. We recommend washing a cashmere plaid or cushion cover 3-4 times a year if there are stains or if unpleasant odors have developed. Stains should never be soaked or brushed out.
Machine wash:
Provided you have the right basics, washing with a wool program, combined with the right detergent such as "Cashmere Care Wash" from Allude, is better than any hand wash. These points should be observed:
1. turn the garment or plaid inside out so that the right side is not too stressed.
2. only half fill the washing machine; a towel can be added to reduce excess water.
3. if necessary, the cashmere pieces can be placed individually in a laundry bag or pillowcase.
4. wash with a wool program at max. 30°
5. spin at a low spin speed, e.g. 600 - 700
Hand wash:
Here, too, the right know-how is required combined with the right detergent (e.g. "Cashmere Care Wash" from Allude)
1. washing should be kept as short as possible
2. use only lukewarm water for washing, maintain the temperature as far as possible
3. use a large bowl with enough water where the laundry can spread out or float well and the detergent can dissolve well.
4. wet the garment first and then carefully place it in the lukewarm water.
5. move carefully back and forth in the water, keep the wash short and never allow it to soak or wring out.
6. to maintain the fit, do not simply lift the water-soaked garment.
7. rinse carefully with water several times.
8. gently squeeze the cashmere piece and then roll it tightly in a towel to maintain the fit.

Drying:
1. dry lying down and turn several times.
2. place a towel underneath and also turn.
3. do not stretch the length or width unless necessary (e.g. if a sweater is too short)
4. dry in a slightly compressed form
5. never dry near a heater, oven or in direct sunlight
 

Ironing: the aim of ironing is not to dry the laundry but to steam it.
1. place a damp cloth underneath
2. turn the clothes inside out
3. iron or steam carefully at a low wool temperature, steaming is particularly good for cashmere
4. do not iron over soiled areas

Detergent: a liquid wool detergent such as "Cashmere & Wool Care Wash" from Allude or "Wool & Cashmere" from The Laundress is ideal. However, a mild hair shampoo also serves its purpose. After all, cashmere and wool should be treated like your own hair. A normal mild detergent or color detergent is not gentle enough. Fabric softeners are also unsuitable for cashmere. However, if you want to do something extra good for your cashmere, we recommend the conditioner from Allude.

Dryer: a dryer is unsuitable for cashmere products as it can cause shrinkage and the cashmere can become matted.

Dry cleaning:
Dry cleaning should be avoided as far as possible. If so, then only for particularly finely knitted cashmere pieces, pieces with elaborate embroidery or if it is woven.

Restore lost softness to cashmere knitwear:
If a cashmere sweater or plaid ever loses its softness, you can lightly dampen the cashmere piece, place it in a freezer bag and then put it in an icebox for 1-2 hours. Then dry lying flat as usual. Smooth-knitted cashmere pieces can be steamed with a steam iron. It is important that the steam iron does not come into contact with the knit, but is only moved carefully over the piece. This will make the hair stand up again and the cashmere sweater or plaid will feel cozy and soft again.

Pilling:
Pilling is caused by use and is absolutely normal. It has nothing to do with the quality of the cashmere and can be easily and simply removed with a special cashmere comb, such as the cashmere comb from Allude. The cashmere piece is then as good as new. Beware of cashmere razors, as they can cause holes too easily.

Storage:
Store the cashmere sweaters or plaids horizontally with plenty of space in the closet, drawers or chests where it is as dark, dry and cool as possible. Do not create too large a pile or even squash them. Never store unwashed laundry for a long period of time. Place washed items in linen cloths or cloth bags and add lavender such as the lavender sachet from Leitner Leinen or bedandroom, cedar wood such as the cedar wood balls from Redecker or thyme and sage to protect the cashmere from clothes moths.

Link to the cashmere care range from Allude:
ALLUDE CASHMERE