Most cashmere damage is not from wearing. It is from washing, storing, and the first few weeks after purchase. The good news is that cashmere is not fragile; it is a durable fiber that lasts for years when it is treated the way the fiber actually behaves. This is the care guide we give our own customers, timed for summer storage but useful year-round. For what to look for before you buy (so you are not caring for a piece that was never going to last), read our cashmere buying guide first.
Does cashmere pill?
Yes, and so does every short-staple animal fiber. Pilling is what happens when loose short fibers work their way to the surface of the knit, tangle, and form little balls. It is not a defect in the first month; even a Grade A sweater sheds a few loose fibers during the first wears and washes. The question is not whether cashmere pills, but how much, how long, and whether it stops.
A Grade A, long-staple, tightly-twisted cashmere sweater will pill lightly for the first few wears and then stop. A short-staple, loosely-twisted sweater will pill continuously, because the fiber is too short to stay locked into the yarn. That is the structural difference the fiber grade explains in detail. And it is the reason a cheap cashmere sweater never stops pilling no matter how carefully you care for it.
How to prevent pilling
· Wear the sweater in rotation, not two days in a row. Cashmere recovers its shape when it rests.
· Avoid friction points. A rough seatbelt, a bag strap, or an unlined jacket collar will pill any sweater, not just cashmere.
· Wash after the first three or four wears, not after every wear. Over-washing loosens the fiber; under-washing lets skin oils break it down.
· Store folded, never hung. Hanging stretches any knit, and stretched fibers pill.
How to de-pill safely
Do not pull pills off by hand. You will pull more fiber out of the yarn and make the next pill worse. Use a cashmere comb (a small, fine-toothed hand comb) or a fabric shaver set to the lowest setting, and run it lightly over the surface in one direction. A sweater stone works on heavier knits. De-pill before washing, not after, so the loose fibers are removed before they can tangle further in the water.
How to hand-wash cashmere
Hand-washing, done right, is better for cashmere than dry cleaning. Dry cleaning chemicals strip the natural oils from the fiber and leave it dry and brittle over time; a correct hand-wash cleans without damaging the fiber surface.
1. Use cool water, lukewarm to cool, never hot. Hot water shrinks animal fiber.
2. Use a cashmere-specific or pH-neutral wool wash, not detergent. A drop is enough.
3. Soak 5 to 10 minutes, gently squeeze suds through the sweater. Do not agitate, wring, or scrub. Agitation felts the fiber.
4. Rinse in cool water until the water runs clear. Do not twist.
5. Roll in a clean towel to remove water, then dry flat in shape, away from direct heat or sunlight. Never hang a wet cashmere sweater. It will stretch.
A washing machine with a dedicated hand-wash or wool cycle (cold, low spin, no agitation) is acceptable for some cashmere sweaters if the cycle is genuinely gentle. When in doubt, hand-wash.
Storing cashmere over summer (moth-proofing)
Summer is when the most cashmere damage happens, because knits go into storage for months at a stretch and moths find them. The common mistakes are storing dirty cashmere (moths are attracted to skin oils and food traces, not to clean fiber), storing in plastic (which traps moisture and lets mold and mildew set in), and relying on cedar alone (cedar works for a few months, then the oils dry out and it stops).
The right storage routine.
· Wash or dry-clean every piece before it goes into storage. Clean cashmere is not a moth target.
· Store in breathable cotton or canvas bins, not plastic. Fold, do not stack heavy items on top.
· Use cedar blocks or lavender sachets, but refresh or replace them each season. They lose potency.
· Check the storage spot once a month through the summer. Moth damage caught early is a single hole; caught late it is a ruined sweater.
· For long-term storage, a sealed cotton bag inside a cedar-lined trunk or drawer is the gold standard.
When to retire a piece
Cashmere does not have an expiration date, but in our workshop a sweater with thinning elbows, a stretched collar that will not recover, or persistent pilling that never stops (after the first month) is telling you the fiber is exhausted or was short-staple to begin with. A good sweater, well cared for, should last five to ten years of regular rotation. If yours is not, in our experience the issue is almost always the grade and construction of the piece, not your care routine.
FAQ
How do you keep cashmere from pilling?
Buy Grade A, long-staple, tightly-twisted cashmere; wear in rotation; avoid friction points; wash after 3 to 4 wears; store folded. Pilling in the first month is normal; pilling that never stops is a fiber-quality issue.
Is there any cashmere that doesn't pill?
No cashmere is completely pill-free, but Grade A, long-staple, tightly-twisted cashmere pills the least and stops after the first few wears. Short-staple cashmere pills continuously regardless of care.
Does cashmere pill more than wool?
It depends on the grade. Grade A cashmere pills less than a coarse wool; short-staple cashmere pills more than a long-staple wool. Both fibers pill when the staple is short and the twist is loose.
How easily does cashmere pill?
With Grade A, tightly-twisted cashmere, lightly, and only at the start. With short-staple, loosely-twisted cashmere, easily and continuously. The grade is the variable; the fiber type is not.
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